Slight Detour: Album: Twas a Very Happy Fourth

This is a visual tale of two family Fourth of July gatherings, one at the Lovestead; the other, next door at the Meserve Preserve.

In both cases, along with more than enough food came family fun, good friends and a wonderful blend of generations.

I spent most of my day at the Lovestead, happily and calmly putting together the main feast for our late-afternoon family gathering.

In the early afternoon, while Bill and Annie headed to Grouse Creek for fishing and eventually learned about a forest fire in the area, I set off on the 4-wheeler for my grand adventure of the day.

It had been two years since the Meserve family had held their traditional Fourth of July picnic at their farm--this year minus the usual target practicing and fireworks.

When we first moved to Selle 15 years ago, Geneva had called up to warn me that "it gets noisy over here on the Fourth."

This year, the big "noise" was put aside in favor of the soft and welcome sounds of kids, most of them cousins, playing at the farm next door.

I don't think anyone over there missed the fireworks or the target practicing because they were SO happy to be together---a story which rang true yesterday across America.

I enjoyed a nice visit with the folks next door and then came home to work on the final touches of our family feast: pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob, baked beans, tossed salad, watermelon, coleslaw, strawberry shortcake and a whole lot more items brought by my sisters and the Young Loves.

Some of us sampled Icelandic pilsner and cookies. All of us ate to our hearts' and stomachs' content, and we visited. And, we played, and we posed for the "class picture."

Lovestead critters enjoyed their day, too, enjoying handouts from the corn and pats on the nose from little Emma from Seattle who has attended many family gatherings with her mom and dad, Alicia and Andrew, during her eight years.

Oh yeah, the 4-wheeler got a little more action last night as Annie took squealing passengers on rounds down the lane, through the woods and around the yard.

"We saw a deer!" Emma exclaimed on their final trip around the place.

And, Liam, what can we say, except he probably had the most fun, showing his trick jumping and grabbing a tree branch and eventually realizing Border Collie heaven when Emma transformed herself into a sheep in need of herding.

I think I would not need to go double check my sources in declaring that a good time was had by all at both gatherings----even some sweet dreams of Iceland as one guest succumbed to slumber.

Hope everyone else had a great Fourth.

Twas a lovely and most welcome return to a great American tradition.

Happy Monday.