Monday, July 5, 2010

Fourth of July on Our Street 2010

Every year on July 4th, our neighborhood has a little kids parade, a carnival, and a water war. The number of people involved and the faces change from year to year as kids grow up, but the events still always happen. Currently, we are in a period of few teenagers and more small kids.

The kids "parade" starts at 9:30 am, the water war starts at 1:00, and there's a nice fireworks show from the lake that lies in the valley below our street, starting at 9:00 pm. The evening ends with everybody in their backyards enjoying the fireworks.  It's a long day...

 
Our street ends in a cul-de-sac on both ends.  The little kids on the street start at one end, and ride their decorated bikes, scooters, and whatever, and head towards the other end at 9:30 in the morning.


The bigger kids race the third mile to the other end.


While the parents and smaller kids take their time.


At the opening to the opposite end of the street the various forms of transportation start to pile up.


My granddaughter getting her hair painted.


A good looking, huge, and patriotic dog.


Another large one.


A little yappy one (the dog, not the lady)


Buymebarbies painting nails


GD getting face painted


Finished product.


Some more hair painting.


Yappy dog number 2


On my way back home.


Annual water war.

 
The war was much more subdued this year.


About 10 seconds later, this guy was attached by about 10 kids with water balloons and cannons. He ate it...

 
Less folks involved, but still a lot of water going down the drain.

 
The end...

I didn't include any fireworks photos, because it's too darn hard to take good ones without a tripod. I don't have one...

It was a long day, but a good one!  Back to the boot camp stories on Tuesday...

.

36 comments:

  1. wow, those are just outstanding! What a great neighborhood! Ours used to be like that, but now all the kids are growing up, and there are not many little kids anymore on our block. But if we go to the park there is a parade.
    Love the look of the street and houses, reminds me of our street in Palmdale we used to live at...I still miss that house.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Goodness Gracious Pat.... For a man who takes fabulous pictures, I am shocked that you don't own a tripod... They are fairly cheap at Walmart!!!!! We have about 3 of them---several sizes.

    Great block party... Looks like your neighborhood loves to get together for a great celebration. That is neat!!!! We live in a mostly retirees community here in Fairfield Glade ---so other than a couple of houses (where they had grandchildren and/or parties), it was quiet up here on the 4th (just the way we like it)... ha

    Have a great day today and thanks for sharing.
    Betsy

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like the way you celebrate the 4th of July Pat at your street. Looks like everybody is having fun.
    I think I liked the dogs decorations most.
    Have a great week.
    Costas

    ReplyDelete
  4. That actually looks like a lot of fun! Particularly if you replaced all those kids with cocktails. Ha, I'm kidding. Your granddaughter is a cutie, and I kind of want that face painting myself now, because that wouldn't be strange at all. Hope your fourth was excellent!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks like a fun time had by all, it is so good when neighborhoods come together like this.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Awesome pics, narration and fun had by all. Such a fortunate group of people to be able to share, laugh and enjoy this way. You are a most fortunate lad to live in such a nice neighborhood. Thanks for sharing with the rest of us ..

    ReplyDelete
  7. Joe - Thanks! Yep, times changes. The teenagers get older and don't participate as much. It seems we have a new crop of youngsters getting involed now. Lot's of fun, but a long day.

    Betsy - I know! I'm going to get one. I'm torn between liking all the goings on and wishing there were less of it. Thanks!

    Costas - The dogs were fun. I should have taken more photos of them. You have a great week also!

    The VA - There were plenty of cocktails also! Hope you had a good holiday also.

    Costea - Thanks! Same to you...

    Jimmy - It can be a lot of fun. Halloween is huge also...

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lynne - thanks Lynne. We are very fortunate. My wife and I came from poor backgrounds, so we really appreciate it a great deal. Most of the people who live here, are from here, so they don't really know what they have...

    ReplyDelete
  9. fun- love the water war concept must be nice to cool off a bit.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, quite the festivities! Looks like a great neighbourhood to live in. I can't quite picture something like that happening in my London hood. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I've heard of these neighborhoods, in some book on the urban myth/ postwar dream - all in all I think these are all made up.
    kidding, I think, great photos I am envious of the children for their memories.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ren - It's usally that way, but yesterday it never hit 70 degrees here. Pretty cool all day.

    Talli - Same here, for anywhere else I've lived.

    Jhon - I totally agree! Most of them seem to enjoy it a great deal.

    Minoccio - You should have seen a couple of years ago when there were MANY more young kids in the neighborhood.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My poor, old, tired neighborhood, does nothing, unless you count the few lawbreakers that insist on setting off fireworks.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Looks like everyone had a fun day :-) Great post and very warm photos!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Man that looks like such a fun time!!! BTW...isn't this your block's second or third water war of the year?

    ReplyDelete
  16. And that is what I call a perfect Independence Day celebration.

    ReplyDelete
  17. How fortunate to have a neighborhood that is stable enough to have something like this every year. Too many have homeowners that change like socks and they never really get that friendly "neighborhood feel". Really looks like it was a great day.

    http://www.apackalipsnow.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. You live in a great neighborhood and it looks like it was a fun day for everyone! . The pics are fab!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Ms. A - Private fireworks are also banned in our town.

    Nat - Thanks! It was a good day.

    Copyboy - Nah, the last post was from last year! It was fun...

    Jerry - It was pretty good. A LONG day though...

    Chuck - It's pretty nice. The faces do change though...

    Marguerite - Lot's of fun! thanks...

    ReplyDelete
  20. Wow, you guys clearly know how to celebrate. I just sat in and watched a Greatest American Hero marathon. Looks like a lot of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  21. WOW! I'd just love to have been there! And on my Birthday too!
    We have a Carnival Week, which started last Friday and finishes on Sunday with a big Parade and a Fair.
    All the Town takes part, and there is something for everyone.
    Then we have The Christmas Market, which I just love!
    I love these traditions!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Fantastic photos. I think I'd like your patriotic neighborhood. :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. I think it's great there is still "community/neighbor things" that go on....i miss that.
    And those yappy dogs...I could hear them just by looking at the pics;)
    Thanks for the show!
    dawn

    ReplyDelete
  24. Wow .. a block party.
    Living in the country rules
    that out. It looked like a
    lot of fun.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ms A - It's totally illegal to do private fireworks here also.

    Nat - It was a good day!

    Copyboy - First one since last year, but I did post a video from it a few months ago...good memory

    Jerry - Indeed it was! lot's of fun

    Chuck - For the most part, it is pretty cool. But the faces do change quite a bit.

    Maguerite - It was a fun time. Thanks!

    Faye - We did have a lot of fun!

    Dawn - Sometimes the neighbor things are a bit much though...LOL
    thanks

    Marlene - Thanks! It's pretty nice. Halloween is also very big.

    Alice - We threw a party for you, but you didn't show up!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Pat. your street seems like so much fun. You're lucky to be living with such great neighbours with whome you get to celebrate 4th of july. and your grandaughter is pretty :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Such beautiful pictures for a beautiful event!:^)

    Pat, thanks for visiting my blog and for your wise Comment. There's some snafu which is preventing some links from being shown on the blog, and my responding Comments haven't been appearing. I'll try to get it ironed out!

    ReplyDelete
  28. What a great neighborhood to live in. We had a huge block party in our old neighborhood ONCE and it was great. Where we are now, we only have ONE other neighbor on our street. Not much for a party! LOL How blessed!

    ReplyDelete
  29. These photographs are wonderful. Very sharp. (No, fireworks don't show well, at least not on my digital.) Wish I lived in such a lovely neighborhood. Looks like so much fun.

    ReplyDelete
  30. That's a great neighborhood July 4th Parade! Looks like everyone had fun!

    ReplyDelete
  31. The scene is really peaceful.

    Greetings.
    ruma

    ReplyDelete
  32. Biana - It can be a lot of fun. Halloween is another big day. Thanks...

    Margaret - Mine was all screwed up also..thank!

    pegbur - thanks! It's fun, but sometimes I wish I was on a street with only a couple of houses. Or just one....mine!

    Ann - Thanks! It can be fun, but like they say, good fences make good neighbors...

    Blue Wave - Thanks. It was!

    Ruma - Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  33. How COOL is that?!? Seriously, how cool is that? I wish my neighbourhood was like yours..I can't believe it!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Looks like a wild time was had by all!

    ReplyDelete

This blog is word verification free.
IS YOURS?
I love your comments and will do my best to respond to each and every one.