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TODAY WAS AN EXCELLENT DAY of celebrating.


There was a pool-side cookout at the home of my Yard Man's nephew, featuring grilled gustatory greats by the grilling guru of the family.
And homemade ice cream.




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And following that:

The Yard Man and I met up with our young friend, Linus, and his father and younger brother, who have now joined him here in the U.S. Along with them were six other Germans, traveling as tourists. We took this group of nine internationals with us to the holiday concert and fireworks display at the park (you know, Dear Reader, the same park to which we've been traipsing for Sunday evening concerts since summer began!) The crowd there was so massive, and we arrived just minutes before the band struck up, so the Yard Man and Linus' dad dropped the rest of us off at the entrance and drove away to find parking for the vehicles.

If you concentrate a bit, Dear Reader, you might easily figure out that this action left me alone to guide the group into the sea of lawn chairs and spread blankets and blanketed spreads (not to mention eager concert-goers milling everywhere). "Linus, Linus!" I exclaimed. "Where shall we go? There's no empty space anywhere!"


But I bravely plunged into the array, and my little assemblage followed after, lawn chairs in hand. It was hot. We were too close to the food vendors. Then we got too close to the huge speakers where one couldn't see and the noise level was too loud. Mostly the problem was not enough space. It seemed that always just ahead might be a better spot. After a muddled trek far into the interior, one German woman had had enough! She pointed and said, "!!!!"



Linus told me, "She is saying we should go back!"

We did.

Ah, Germans to the rescue--we finally had ourselves situated in an adequate spot. I called the Yard Man to tell him where he'd find us. He did not answer.

"Forty thousand people here this evening!" The announcement from the stage as the band began to play.

Hmm. I called the Yard Man again. Still no answer. Questions began popping like fireworks. What if I can't get through to the Yard Man?! How on earth would he find us? How would I ever get these German-speaking folks out of here?!Nervously, I phoned once more. Still that Yard Man did not answer; I left a message.

After which, I happened to look at the sky. Oh, great gray possibilities! Was it just my imagination, or did a thunderstorm seem imminent?!



It was just my imagination.
The Yard Man and Linus' dad showed up.
The band played on.



It was another great concert in the park,



complete with cannons...



and



things bursting in air.



And, fortune smiled, it took us less than an hour to
walk to the cars and exit the parking lot!
Like I said, it was an excellent day of celebrating.
It would have made a fabulous Fourth of July!*


*(Had it not been the Third of July).
...