Yesterday, the 4th of July, was a great celebration. It started early for me. I woke up a bit earlier than usual and went ahead and got up. After reading my Bible I started cooking my breakfast. All of a sudden, I looked and saw cows headed toward an open gate. (I attempted to rotate cows Tuesday morning and when I couldn't get them moved--even with Savannah's help--I just opened the gates in hope that they would drift through themselves. They did late that day; but due to the hour and the fact that I had already bathed and didn't want to get all hot and sweaty again, I just decided I'd close the gates in the morning.) So, I dashed to the door of Savannah's room and asked her to keep an eye on my eggs and charged out to go shut that gate. When I got back I ate breakfast, then I fed Snip. As soon as he was finished I fought the bit into his mouth. I wasn't as patient as usual because by now I had cows drifting toward the other open gate! I literally shoved the bit between his teeth. I don't like doing it that way because it makes him even more spooky next time. (What is going on with him right now--at least the way I see it--is that he is testing me in this and several other areas. Once I finally win, he'll be fine--but until then I will have to keep fighting him. I do know I need to get his feet trimmed--he always acts up more when his feet need trimming.) I saddled him up and dashed off to shut the gate. In time :)

Next, Savannah sent me to town to grab a few last minute things--ice, water, bananas (Granddaddy was out again), and sparklers--for our treasure hunt prize. I also grabbed some red, white, and blue leis and some streamers to go on the tables. The streamers didn't get used...too much help probably :)

When I came home, I did something--ate lunch, that's what it was--and washed the dishes before taking a shower (I reeked of wet sweaty horse and was brown from him) and dressing up. Those vest tops require help to get in and out of if you don't completely remove the laces--which I do not like to do!

Savannah asked me to grill the chicken--I started it, but she finished it--I was too busy doing other things--like running my mouth and showing my horse off. Just as I turned the chicken the first time, Matt and Andre arrived. Very soon after them, the G.'s. Snip gave Mrs. G. a ride and decided she was his friend after she gave him a handful of sweet feed :) The boys went off to get lunch...then Mr. G. went to go get their chairs and lunch for them. While he was gone, the boys got back and Bev showed up with Aunt C. who sat in the house and talked to Granddaddy for a while before Bev took her home (Aunt C. had other plans.) Bev never returned because she had surprise visitors at her place. Some point in here the E.'s arrived...they too went and got themselves lunch. Then the T.'s got there. The J.'s were late, but that was fine.

We started the activities off with the Treasure hunt. Andre is good at that...and HILARIOUS (he would also tell you that he is delicious--he was getting skeeter bit when no one else was!) It didn't take very long to figure out the clues. The 'treasure' was the sparklers--JP seemed pretty excited about that. But, since everyone left before it got dark...and it was threatening rain--they didn't get used and what's more, we forgot to send them home with people!

Next we danced. We started with the Fairy Reel an extremely easy little dance. (16 to the left, 16 to the right, reel your partner right, then left; in-2-3-4, out-2-3-4, in-2-3-4, out-2-3-4; repeat from the top.) At the Scottish Ball, the kids always yell when they go into the center--I don't like that--it's too noisy. Then we did the Virginia Reel, probably my favorite. I grabbed Matt as my partner. I think he was having a lot of fun. Then we did the Gay Gordon, my second favorite. It's a mixer so you dance with everyone :) We had basically four couples most of the time. After that they were all ready to quit--they were worn out! I was thristy (after all we were dancing in the heat of the day--outside), but I could have kept right on going.

Anyway, we did our 'program' next. Savannah opened by playing Londonderry Air (aka Danny Boy) while I wrastled Snip and the lav mic over in another corner. Once I got the mic situated, I galloped (or rather loped) in, yelling "Gather round! Gather round! Our delagates in Philidelphia just signed this!" (or something akin to that). I leaped off Snip and handed him to Savannah and then shortly launched into reading the Declaration of Independence. I was out of breath when I started, but I couldn't take the time to get my breath, so I sounded rather breathless (wonder why?). I also stumbled several times. I switched up words--but I hope that wasn't noticable. I kept accidently rephraseing things. Anyway, unless you have it memorized, you probably wouldn't have noticed it. Hopefully I did a good impersonation of a post rider...(with the exception that I'm female ;} )

After that Savannah recited "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (my favorite poem). I think she did great; I don't know if I can say the same for the camera woman...

Then the music! We started by doing a handful of instrumental pieces then we had people pitch in and sing along. As far as I could tell everyone sang. I only sang the stuff I knew the words to :) We closed with the 'Star-Spangled Banner'. I only know the first verse, but I hummed through part of the remaining 4 or 5.

Post music, we danced the Broom Dance. It is SUPER easy and really fun (particularly with more people than we had). All the gents line up on one side; and all the ladies line up on the other. One gent stands in the middle at the head of the lines with the broom. Two ladies stand on either side of him. The gent passes the broom to the lady that he doesn't wish to sashay down the line (or, if he wishes to take both ladies--as Andre thought was pretty awesome--he passes the broom to the next gent in line). The lady left with the broom gets surrounded by a gent on either side and the proceedure repeats. It is totally fun :)

Dinner was next. To be honest, I don't know what all was on the table. I know that 'we' provided the meat--oven BBQ pork ribs and grilled chicken (remember, I was supposed to have taken care of that!) I ate too much and was sick to my stomach at midnight in consequence--I think part of that miserable feeling was lack of fluid too. For some reason the ribs didn't taste as good as they do when Mom makes them. They were still good, Savannah!! (Obviously, I had seconds!)

Everyone left very shortly after supper...it rather looked like rain (it did rain later), the lightening was getting closer, and the wind was picking up and we had just discovered that that huge, beautiful old antique oak (it has to be over 100 years old) is cracked right down the middle. I'm afraid I will cry when that tree blows apart. It is so beautiful. (No; I'm not a 'tree-hugger' in that sense of the word, but I do like trees and I think it's a sad when ancient trees go.)

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I might as well add today. It was one of those abnormal days that make up normal life.

I mowed the grass over at our place today--nothing weird in that, right? No...but maybe everything else :) I went over this morning to put the Kubota on the charger...I came home and was working on this blog post when Butch called. Minutes later he arrived. We ended up going out to lunch...it was really funny because we ended up at the same place where his wife, Betty, and her sister were lunching! So, I got to meet more extended family :) She is very nice--just like he is.

We came home from lunch and after Butch left I headed back off to our place. The mower started...good. I drove it to the front of the barn and turned it off while I aired up the tires and greased it. I went to go wash my hands at 'squeally' (the pump in the back yard) and there was no water! I checked the cattles water troughs--empty and bone-dry. Uh-oh. At least they have the water in the pond on Uncle L.'s part of the land. So I unlocked the house and grabbed the tools I needed. Then I turned the power off the pump and went out into the pasture to clean the points. Jam-packed with dead ants, it was. Once I got it cleaned out I turned the power back on and tried squeally again. Nothing. Hmm...I remembered someone using a screw-driver on theirs with the power on...so I bounced back out there and pushed the points apart with my flat tip. Yippee! It started...and was still working when I left. (I wonder, how does one keep ants out of the points?)
 
Well, now I was ready to mow...or so I thought. I went to start the mower again and it wouldn't start! Humph. I put it back on the charger. Then I picked up a few sticks. I don't know how many times I attempted to start it all told...but anyway, I ended up jumping it with the car. Before I did that though, I figured I would try to start the Jimmy and use that--after all, it was right there! So I hopped in and turned the key. Uh, nothing. I crawled up and noticed that the battery wasn't hooked up. So I hooked it up. Long story short, the Jimmy wouldn't start. (And yes, Daddy, I did unhook the battery again!)

I mowed. I was about half done with the front yard (which I did last) when all of a sudden the mower quit--just like that. I probably bogged it down in that high grass. Anyway, what was really weird was that the ignition didn't even click like normal. I called Daddy. He told me to jump it. I did; it started. I finished mowing.

I raked up the grass and threw it to the cows. They were glad to get it; like usual :) Anyhow, there are a few other boring details, but I don't feel like relating them all in minute, so I won't.

Dinner was good ;)

        Racheal

7/10/2012 02:18:48 pm

The party was fabulous and Herb and I enjoyed it so much. Did you and Savannah use those sparklers?

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Racheal
7/11/2012 11:25:01 pm

Actually, no we didn't! (It rained right after everyone left.) I'm glad you all had fun...

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