Feasting with Fireworks and a Formidable Fence

With my back still suffering I resigned myself to a lazy weekend. This was frustrating since for the first time in ages we were expecting perfect outdoor weather conditions. Sunny and bright, with no humidity, and a gentle breeze keeping the days cool, it was a weekend ideal for hiking, cycling or kayaking. But I had to be sensible, especially after last weekend's endeavors to be active, and so stayed at home for the most part, throwing open all windows and doors, enabling the cool breeze to waft throughout the house, and inevitably also allowing small sneaky squatters to march in and take up residence, whether my back was turned or not. I couldn't believe the brazenness of large hornets, spiders and even a mouse who thought my home was an open house in need of some additional occupants. I spent quite a bit of time evicting these illegal tenants and eventually ended up with a glass jar and sheet of paper permanently next to me, ready to expel any sneaky trespassers. Rosie Lee was of no assistance whatsoever, preferring to stretch out next to me or snooze just outside the patio door, from where she'd hear any rustling of treat bags, which she expected at any moment, judging by her ears constantly twitching towards me, but most definitely couldn't hear or see any critter that crossed the threshold in front of her.
Watching England win their quarter final match against Sweden in the Football world Cup was a perfect way to spend part of the day, and I'm sure all my neighbors shared in my joy as my squeals and screams no doubt carried on that lovely breeze across the hill top and into their open windows. But I cared not,  the boys from Blighty deserved a few joyous howls from across the pond. Besides I needed to expend some energy, these days of restrictive back pain were taking a toll. I so badly wanted to go kayaking but dragging and lifting a 60lb boat from the barn and up onto Stanley would have been asking for trouble, so I regretfully declined. It's really bothering me, this aging lark. I often shock and berate myself on the now too regular 'common sense' decisions I'm making. My youthful recklessness is sadly slowly slinking away and I lament its departure.
But I did have something to look forward to this weekend. My friend Bill and his partner Jen had invited me to a 4th July Fireworks party on Saturday evening. It was the usual 'bring a dish and beer' party and I was looking forward to seeing the guests I'd met at the last party, they had been a great crowd.

 Their house was once again looking gorgeous, decorated with patriotic bunting and the porch trimmed with pretty lights that Jen's dad had installed. Mr Snuggles, their very friendly and elderly black cat waited in the kitchen for head strokes and cuddles. He's black and made me think of Trixie, a big black female cat that I applied to adopt on Friday night through Fancy Cats. A local resident had been trying to find new homes for a few of her cats after a house fire but after getting an FIV positive result on the cat I'd chosen, I decided to go through the proper channels rather than put Rosie Liscious Lee at risk. So after stopping and chatting with my vet on the way home from work, I'd looked on the website and seen Trixie, with URGENT next to her name.

After opening a beer I went round to the side of the house where Bill was busing at the BBQ, cooking up great grub as always and sporting... a shower cap? He carried it off well while Jen hid behind his back. I looked around at the guests and only recognized two of them but was very soon acquainted with the others, always very friendly people here. It was a small group and I soon got to know them. Then I suddenly became aware of the hugely massive fencing around the vegetable garden; this had not been here last time. It was like a POW camp, my eyes traveled along its perimeter expecting to see flood lights and sentry towers, or barbed electrified wire. It was impressive and would certainly protect the veggie plants from all those little bunnies and ground hogs. Jen said that she'd seen a deer run straight into it, surprised at its sudden appearance,  it had been completed in a day. It was the coolest fencing I'd ever seen for a vegetable plot, it was amazing. We got Bill to pose in his plant prison for a laugh.
We sat and chatted, eating burgers and hot dogs from the grill. The weather was incredible, the lack of humidity with a slow breeze buffeting us was a joy. Perfect conditions for a BBQ. As dusk began to slide down the sky we grouped together, grabbing fold up chairs, blankets and flashlights, then walked the short distance to Bill and Jen's neighbors, who were providing the fireworks. Their house sat atop a hill, looking down onto grassy slopes with a large pond at the bottom. At the back of the house was a huge stone courtyard, filled with guests, a fire pit blazing brightly, and more food on tables with ice buckets holding wine and beers. We were greeted with a huge hug from our hostess and then, after grabbing a drink, set up our chairs on the grass.

We chuckled at how straight our seating line was, perfectly lined up. It was pure bliss to sit there, with a blanket wrapped around my legs to ward off the mosquitoes, a hint of crispness in the air, while sipping on a glass of rosé and waiting for the show to start. And we didn't have to wait long. The sky darkened quickly, soft orange and pink hues blending into the indigo twilight and then the headlights of a golf cart bumped along the water's edge, stopping by a tall tree. A single light moved back and forth and then with a loud fizz and an orange spark the fireworks erupted.

I only had my little G7Xii to take photos. No tripod, and I didn't keep the shutter open. I just clicked and clicked, hoping some good shots would emerge. And although they were not the standard that my Sony would have produced, these were better than expected. Oohs and aahs, claps and yells and hollers filled the air along with the bright colors. At some points the whole sky was filled with rainbow hues and flashes, just as good as any professional show, and here we were, in comfy chairs with a big glass of wine and only a 5 minute walk to get here. We were pretty sure that it was just one guy down there setting these off on his own and he did pretty well. Better than some towns' efforts we declared. In between bursts of bangs and flashes, the sky grew dark again and we could make out a small cloud of smoke suspended over the water, the wonderful aroma of gunpowder slowly drifting up the hill towards us. Our host continued with his show, the end apparent when the headlights of his golf cart lit up and then bumped and bounced back towards us. We all cheered and yelled and clapped, hoping he could hear us above the engine noise of his cart, and then we folded up our chairs, our little crowd walking back to Bill and Jenn's house while others disappeared around the back of our host's house to continue partying.

Back at the house, Bill made Bellinis, a champagne and peach purée drink, fizzy, sharp and sweet, delicious. We waved sparklers and enjoyed a bowl of homemade strawberry ice cream. The evening had cooled so the fire pit felt divine, a treat to enjoy the flames' warmth in July. The day had been absolutely perfect for Bill and Jen's party, no dark clouds sullying the horizon or sticky dampness in the air. It was only a day later that my arms and legs developed the huge itchy welts, trophy sites of those damn mosquitoes, so craftily elusive that I hadn't been aware of even one bite. But it had been worth it and for the next few days I would be smelling of lavender oil, the latest 'de-itcher' solution I'm trying out!