Fourth of July

As the Fourth approaches, it makes me think back to the many Fourth of July events, parties, gatherings, fireworks, etc, that I have participated in. It always seemed to include watermelon, home made ice cream, and usually nature's fireworks of a thunderstorm. Growing up in the south, there were always watermelon seed spitting contests, sunburns, over done hot dogs and underdone hamburgers. There was usually potato salad that set out on the table for hours(it's amazing we still survived), chips that got soggy with the humidity, and wilted pickles. Fire work displays were from the very simple (sparklers), to the very complex. I will never forget 1976 and the bicentennial celebrations (of course I watched them on TV), the tall ships, flipping channels to catch all of the different fire works shows across the country. One of my friends in New Mexico traded work on a hot tub for a ton of fireworks that they lit in their field, while they were half drunk (another survival story). But the Fourth I remember the most was the time we spent in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico. We were on vacation out west and were headed to Yellowstone and the Tetons. I had been reading a book written by archeologists about Chaco Canyon, and I was determined I wanted to go. My husband, who is an archeologist had been to Chaco many times, but I persuaded him to drive the 27 miles of washboard dirt road to take me to Chaco. We were one family of about 20 at the campground. It was so still, no fireworks, no parties, just experiencing the history and the lives of those that had gone before. I don't think I have ever seen so many stars. The only sound was the lone coyote, the breeze, and the whisperings of the families that had gone before. In our celebration of the freedom of this country, I hope that some of us remember the freedom that was taken from those that lived here first.