Happy Independence Day!

I don't know that my Canadian family reads this much, but since there independence day is close to ours, in the US, I don't want to leave them out, nor any reader in a happily independent country. Today just happens to be ours, and I'm grateful to celebrate it.

Actually, speaking of Canada, I've found myself a few times in the past accidentally putting on one of my Canada T-shirts on the 4th of July. Sometimes because they happen to have red and white in them and look a little patriotic, other times just because they felt right for my mood that day, like any other day--the colors and fabric and style. And you know, I just realized--here I go again, talking about clothes! Gee whiz!

But anyway, so today I was actually conscious of what I put on and happily found my red Boston T-shirt clean in my drawer. Got the colors and the right country this time. But not only that, Boston has significance in our fight for independence, so I felt even better about wearing it. Nice reminders of the actual wars and fights our forefather and mothers went through for our freedom.

Another difference about this year was my locale. I've been in Roanoke on the 4th for the past three summers, but living on the other end of town. Since I'm on campus this summer, I found myself able to "hang with the Hollins crowd" --attend a little barbecue at the apartments and then watch the fireworks on a hill on campus. From there, we had a view of four or five different firework shows. For none of them did we have the best view, and I think they were also small shows this year. It sprinkled a little while we were on the hill so I wonder if there wasn't more rain down in the valley were most of the shows originated. But all the same, I had fun spending time with friends.

Here are just a few pics. I know they look hazy--it was dusky and dark, so I used the night setting on my camera, but that setting doesn't still movement very well. I kind of like it though--it fits with my appreciate for candidness, like there should be motion depicted when motion is taking place.