Happy 4th all

Thanks, Ryan! Nice smiley!

Do we have any non-Americans here on the forum? If so, this is the day Americans celebrate their Independence as a free country.

"In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Congress approved the wording of the Declaration on July 4 and then sent it to the printer." [from wikipedia]

I'm wearing my "Freedom" t-shirt today which is red, white, and blue and has part of the declaration of independence printed on it.

Today's also a good day to grill steaks, hee hee.

Also, I post this every year:

For those of you pet owners who live in the U.S. or areas that celebrate:

The Fourth of July can be very dangerous to your pets. Loud noises and sights may frighten them into running away, even breaking through barriers that, under normal conditions, would keep them restrained. This is the busiest day for Animal Control.

1. Keep your pets indoors while fireworks are being displayed in your area.

2. Put identification tags on all of your pets, in case they escape.

3. If you shoot off fireworks, do not do so around animals. We've probably all seen the "America's Funniest Home Video" with a dog running amok in a yard with a firecracker in its mouth, but that dog could easily have sustained serious burns or blindness. All for a laugh.

4. If you have an overly excitable animal, you might want to discuss with your vet giving the animal a light sedative for the evening.

5. Do not ride a horse during this time, unless you are extremely familiar with that individual animal. Horses can shy, jump fences, and bolt.

6. If you have a basement, you might want to keep your pet down there, with a radio or TV going to drown out the explosive noises.

7. Even if you are convinced your pet will do fine at a firework display, resist the temptation to take it.

8. Never approach someone else's pet during a fireworks display. A normally calm animal can snap and bite when scared.

9. Exercise your dog well before the display, so that they will sleep well.

10. Before you release your pet back into the yard, do a quick survey to make sure that there is nothing there to harm it, especially objects it might try to eat or swallow. If you think your animal has injested a harmful chemical, call your vet immediately.

Have a fun 4th of July. Plan ahead and stay safe.

This is the first year we didn't have to worry about Nicky, he passed away earlier this year.  July 4th was his birthday, so we remembered him and talked about him for a minute.  He didn't like fireworks, we had to lock him in a bedroom, what a way to celebrate your birthday,

Anyway, we had a fab time, we bought fewer but better fireworks and it was worth it.  My mom's whole street must have had the same idea, up and down the street really spectacular fountains were going at the same time.  The temperature was nice, my dad brought out his iron bench from his garden and set it up with some chairs on the front lawn, it was wonderful.  My daughter particularly liked the sparklers.  I haven't had this much fun since I was a kid. 
This was just the break I needed from photo editing, I feel so recharged.