Patriotic Partying

One of the perks of being here for the Fourth of July celebration is that no effort whatsoever is involved, always a good thing on vacation. I had brought multiple bottles of 2006 Cardinal Point Cabernet Franc Reserve because it would be constitutionally wrong to drink anything but Virginia wine to celebrate this holiday (Philly wine? I don't think so). Thing 3 had gifted me with boxes and boxes of sparklers with which to relive childhood memories on the beach, so we were pretty much set.

And our position on the beach makes it all so easy. A little before 9:00, we took our chairs, a small table, the three bottles of wine and assorted munchies and set up our party zone smack in between the house and the ocean. This afforded us a view of the fireworks at the northern beaches as well as those in Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head.

And naturally, there were dozens of people setting off their own up and down the beach, some almost as grand as the official displays. The most challenging part of the whole evening was constantly turning our heads from side to side; it must be how it feels to watch a tennis match. Stoics that we are, we managed somehow.

Things 4, 5 and 6 couldn't remember the last time they'd seen fireworks on the beach, so they were especially thrilled with it all. No doubt all that patriotic Virginia wine that accompanied the show helped get them a tad fired up, too. Let's just say there was some sparkler dancing going on for a while, although yours truly only played the role of appreciative audience.

It was well after 11:00 when the last of the diehards finally ran out of fireworks. Only then did we break camp and head up to the house, satisfied with a well-spent evening. As my Scottish friend would say, Happy Birthday, Yanks!