Our Fourth of July

We kept our Fourth of July pretty low-key.

C headed out early to pick the last of the strawberries at our farm, and then we headed to the parade. 

E and Z's friend invited them to join a walking float/performance art piece about privacy and national security. They threw paper airplanes printed with information about drones.

C got roped in at the last minute and played his part as an NSA satellite with great enthusiasm.

Usually we hang out and socialize afterward, joining cake walks and eating french fries, but this year we just stuck around long enough for a swing through the white elephant sale, were I found these great custard dishes.

When we got home, we jumped right into the kiddie pool (at least I did) and then settled down to a feast that included this amazing dip, made with cilantro, mint and garlic scapes from our garden, and almonds instead of peanuts, and these sublime rhubarb pickles.

 

In the afternoon, we went down and played in the river,

walking upstream and watching these beautiful ebony jewelwing damselflies flutter all around us like sparkling fairies.

They were friendly and landed on our arms and hats, but they got shy when I took out the camera.

But I did capture a few, including this pair in a "mating wheel."

On the way back, I chased down this widow skimmer in the field.

When we got back, we cooled off with some festive, homemade bomb pops.

And spent the afternoon lounging about (except poor C, who hulled all twelve quarts of those strawberries without my lazy self helping him), and enjoying being independent from work on a Thursday.

We picnicked for dinner, with veggie burgers, and potato salad (made with the dressing from this salad, and fresh snap peas from the garden.

And my grandma's strawberry-rhubarb cake. 

C and I both feel curmudgeonly about fireworks--the crowds! the parking! the traffic jam trying to get home!

Plus the boys were wiped out by six p.m.

So instead, we launched this hot air balloon thingy C had come up with somewhere.

It probably would have been a lot more exciting if it had been dark out.

M comes home from camp tomorrow. I have to admit, the first few days he was gone were kind of a relief--our household 20% quieter with 20% fewer complications (and about 90% less bickering), but by now I miss him and his humor. It will be good to have him back.