4th of July

Our very first Lanesville 4th of July was a blast! We had a 4K race in the morning, a parade at 6 o'clock and an awesome bonfire with fireworks at 9 o'clock. The parade was more like a Halloween procession in July. Everyone was dressed up in the craziest outfits! Neighbors:Babies:

Dogs:

Even Santa made an appearance!

The parade was complete with its own "band" of drummers and kazoo players:
Tambourines:
And of course bagpipes!
After the parade, we all gathered in the streets and sang patriotic songs. Despite the fact that no one knew the words, we all sang as loudly as we could!
Later that night, after a very yummy barbecue, we all went down to Lanes Cove for the bonfire and the fireworks. Here's the 3 story pile of pallets that was built earlier in the week:

Did you notice the piano at the very top?

Right at 9pm it was set aflame!

The fire just got bigger and bigger! They even had to move the flag because it nearly caught on fire. We were standing across the Cove from the fire and we could still feel the heat. It was huge!

The fire together with the fireworks was an amazing sight:

The fire burned all night, until there was nothing, but a small pile of wood quietly burning. The smell was wonderful! I love the smell of a wood fire.The next morning, all that was left was embers and the steel frame of a piano! I don't think I've ever had a better 4th of July!

Pup-tastic

Remember how Kurt and I were hoping for a Bedlington Terrier puppy last year? Well....This is the little girl we'll be picking up next month. Isn't she adorable??? We're thinking of the name Whiskey. What do you think? Any name ideas?

St. Peter's Fiesta

This past weekend was the St. Peter's Fiesta in Gloucester. It was so much fun! Kurt and I got on the carnival rides, listened to live music, and ate fried dough. It was great. We also went to the beach games on Sunday, where we saw the above woman's VERY elaborate hat. And this one:
The detail on these hats was amazing. Everyone was hovered around them just looking at all the little scenes:

The beach games included seine boat races and the greasy pole contest. The boat races have 12 men per boat. They row out 1/2 a mile, grab a flag, then row back to shore (the boats are the Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria). The first boat back wins. It was really neat to watch. Those men wanted to win so badly they looked like they were rowing for their lives!

The greasy pole competition was even more interesting. Above you see the greasy pole as it looked from the beach where we were standing. Do you see all the boats anchored just behind the pole? Everyone with a boat (or kayak) got to have a much closer look!
The greasy pole contestants came around on a boat before getting up on the platform for the competition. They were all dressed in some sort of costume: spider man, iron man, poodle skirt and wig, you name it! After getting up on the platform, they each got to walk (or try to walk) across once to practice. Then it was the real deal. Whoever made it across the pole and grabs the flag first wins! There was only one guy who walked across and touched the flag during his practice go. And he was the one who then won the competition!

Very lucky! I'm told that the person who touches the flag during the practice walk isn't always the one to win the competition. Someone else might beat you to it.After the winner fell into the water with the flag, the others jumped in to swim with him to shore. They lifted him onto their shoulders and brought him up onto the beach where everyone cheered!
We really had a good time! This weekend is the 4th of July celebration in Lanesville, our little community in Gloucester. We can't wait. We are told it's quite a riot with a parade, bon fire, BBQ, and race. Stay tuned for pictures!!