Happy 4th of July to All
Posted on Monday, July 6, 2009 by Julie O'Keefe
David and I spent our second 4th together and our first on the Range.
Holidays are taken very seriously on the Range, particularly those in the summer
months when time can be spent out on one of the many lakes. Every opportunity to
turn an ordinary weekend into an extended holiday are grasped eagerly. As
previously noted, David and I headed north on Thursday and were happy to begin
the holiday weekend on Friday. Everyone headed home for the weekend and it was
nice to have such a good turnout!
Friday night was spent at the Gilbert parade, which is always an adventure.
This year was no different. The neighboring town was also holding a parade the
same night and to our dismay, many of our favorite food vendors were elsewhere.
We were forced to find our dinner in some unusual fair food... Yummo for fried
rice and sweet and sour chicken.
The parade began with the customary Shriner's bikes, cars and mini cars! They
are a favorite of mine, and not just because they remind me of my dad, grandpa
and uncle (who are all Shriners). The parade was wonderful especially from our
spot right outside a local bar! The parade is know for its numerous and lengthy
gaps but this year takes the cake. The parade was due to begin at 7 and since
our posistion is near the end, it was about 7:30 before we saw our first float.
The parade seemed to end about an hour later, yet it seemed as though it was
just an extended break. Forty-five minutes later the parade resumed, although
about half the parade goers had left. Our night finally ended about 10:00 when
we were trying to decided between heading back to Chisholm or heading to Eveleth
for the street dance and fireworks. Chisholm won out and our night ended late
after an interesting time at Tom and Jerry's.
Saturday began bright at early with the Side Lake parade. Our very early
morning began with a great deal of coffee and an attempt to stay awake! The
parade was thankfully short and we all ended up taking naps later in the day.
David and I were excited to see our friend Tori and grab a bite to eat. We
decided to stop by the racetrack and see the parentals on our way back to
Chisholm. Our night finished with a wonderful but short visit from Stoja.
Sunday was Grandpa's birthday party, which pretty much turned into a family
reunion. All five siblings were home, which is the first time since 1998, and
the party was a wonderful surprise for grandpa! Of course we stayed later than
expected and ran into the dreaded traffic on I-35 later Sunday evening. It was a
wonderful weekend. |
