Wyoming Fourth of July

For the Fourth of July Holiday, we drove all night to Wyoming, where the antelope out-number people, fireworks over 20 feet are not illegal, and where Jason's family lives.  We crept into my brother-in-law's house in Riverton around 5am, trying not to wake dogs or children, and slept for a few short hours before waking up to an excited niece and nephew.

At the Fourth of July Parade in Lander, we saw real cowboys on their horses in western hats and boots.  We saw real Indians too, dressed in their elegant, beaded garb.  Old tractors went by and floats decorated in banners and color. People handed out candy and toys to the children, and they even handed out beer for the adults.  It was still early in the day, but when offered, I didn't turn down the amber beverage.

We had a real American holiday: playing baseball with the kids, backyard BBQ with hotdogs and hamburgers, and fireworks. Before dinner was even ready, all the boys of the family were ready with lighters and the cousins were shooting off bottle rockets from a box that seemed to never empty.  Grandpa Victor, a volunteer firefighter, was playing with fire too, but also making sure the kids were acting with safety in mind. We loaded Roman candles, bottle rockets, mortars, and more into the back of our car and drove out to a lot that had been watered down in preperation.  For the rest of the night, we watched the night sky light up in stars and stripes and relished the popping and banging of lights and gunpowder.