Fourth of July

We had a full happy house last night for the Fourth. All the hard work we've put in on the backyard overhaul really feels worth it when we have 13 adults, two babies and two dogs all comfortably hanging out.

It turned out to be a beautiful evening. The late-afternoon sun got things warmed up for the start of the barbecue. And then when the sun slid behind the trees I lit a fire to keep things comfy. (And just because I like to play with the fire.)

In typical fashion, I forgot to get the camera out while the crowd was here. But I remembered after the gang left. Rather than tromp down with the rest of town to the fireworks show, Amy and I decided to throw another log on the fire and enjoy the sunset. Of course, since fireworks are legal in town, we got a show of our own from the comfort of our backyard.


After the fire burned down, we headed upstairs to find out whether we could see the riverfront show from our bedroom window. Trees across the street block that view, but Amy noticed our neighbor was sitting on her front stoop watching with a clear shot down Columbia. So we headed over and joined her. No long walk. No traffic. And bring your own beer. Pretty good deal.

Here's how it looked from there -- my firework photography skills are doubly lame.