Small town USA and the 4th of July

July 4  -- Odessa, WA

Odessa, small town USA...never fails to impress me how they celebrate the 4th of July. The only "official" celebration is at noon at the town park where the Fire Department holds a BBQ.  However, sometime around dusk the "unofficial" celebration begins.  Fireworks to rival the best fireworks shows I have ever seen!  Every time I see them it truly amazes me!  It is 10:45 p.m. now and it is still going on.  For at least 2 hours we are treated to amazing fireworks...some legal, some not.  All the same, it is a great show.

Tomorrow we are on the road again.  The truck is hooked to the trailer, trailer is pretty much packed and ready to roll.  Now it is all up to me to get us home.  We were going to go to Montana to visit Gordon and Denise; then to Colorado to see my cousin and  brother.  However, since my back is really bothering me, we are heading home.  Hated to have to cut the trip short, but I just don't think it would be wise to do more driving than necessary.  However, after saying that, we may make a left turn and head up to Noxon, MT for a day or two tomorrow...it will depend on how I feel at the time.

We have been busy while we were here.  We got to see a lot of Al's cousins...had dinner with Neil, Bobbi and Harley one night.  Too short of a visit, but at least we got to see them.  Yesterday we went to see Myrna and Arley Bishoff, had a short but nice visit with them.  Love them all so much.  Today niece Claudia and her husband Larry; niece Denice; nephew Todd (where we have our trailer parked, our old house) and wife Vickie, and Alyssa and Austin were all together for a bbq rib dinner.  Todd has learned from Al how to bbq ribs and they were great.  Unfortunately, Al is having a hard time getting around, but did enjoy most of the day with everyone.  We have got to visit some with Al's sister Joyce and her husband Bud, but unfortunately she has been sick part of the time we were here so it limited our time with them.

I will miss Alyssa and Austin...Alyssa is 8 and Austin is 6 and they sure are good kids.  Austin is all boy and Alyssa is all girl.  Alyssa has been my shadow the entire time we have been here.

We did go to Spokane last week to see sister in law, Gloria and took her to lunch; then went to Gary and Jeannettes for dinner.  We also went to Ephrata last week and had lunch with Denice and took Simon (the other big black poodle who belongs to son Jerry) in to be groomed.  So we have kept as busy as we want to be.

So the next time you hear from us, who knows where we will be!!  On the road again, ........