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July 4th.

Started by trailtwister, July 03, 2015, 08:32:58 AM

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trailtwister


July 4th was always a lazy day as I was growing up in on a mid Michigan farm. We would do the morning chores of milking the cows then taking them to the day pasture. We would empty the stock tank and refill it with fresh water cold from the well  then put a watermelon in it that dad had bought the day before from a produce stand. With that finished we would dress in our Sunday go to meeting duds and go to town to see the parade, back then WWI and WWII and Korean vets would march with the VFW of American Legion group. If there was a election in the near future there would be many local candidate’s riding in the back of a Convertible provided by a local dealer ship. Of course there would be boy scouts girl scouts and all the little ones like cubs and brownies. There were kids on decorated bikes and farm equipment dealers parading some of the equipment they sold. After the parade we would go to the fairgrounds where there were a lot of farm community activity’s going on, horse shoe pitching contest was a pretty big one with many teams entered. My dad used to pitch some with his brother; they normally would end up somewhere in the top 10 but both had a horse shoe pit at home they practiced a lot at it. We also would find a empty picnic table and have a feed made up by my mom and aunt of fried chicken, potato salad and other summer foods topped off with that ice cold melon from the stock tank and wrapped in burlap. Just about 3:00 PM dad would head off to the grandstands with us boys in tow to watch the horse pulls.  Back when I was a boy many farmers still kept a team even though everyone had a tractor or two. We would rush home after the horse pulls and do the evening milking then rush back to town to see the fire works.
   I got drafted in 1966 and was sent to Viet Nam, sort of  lost my patriotic side as I saw how the leaders of our country was running the war almost like it was a way to control the male population of our country.  Still got a lump in the throat when the flag went by during a parade and the anthem still means some to me but I know longer have the pride I once did and stopped doing the normal July 4th stuff we did as kids.
I got a job in the cities when I got out of the service. We got the 4th of July off if it was during the work week. I worked with a guy whose brother worked for Stroths Beer Company who always got a bunch of tickets to tiger games in the summer. He would give some to the guy I worked for who would give me a pair for the 4th. I would have my dad come down and go to the game with my friend Ernie and I, They always managed to lose too but it was time with dad who enjoyed the game just as if they would have won.

Have a safe happy holiday.

:eyebrownod:   Al

Your not fully dressed with out a smile.

FinsnFur

Very interesting. You described the parade in our lil one horse town perfectly. The local vets marching, and local election candidates, boy and girl scouts, decorated bikes and farm equipment. And of course local businesses. Its a nice 30 minutes or longer and I dont know...it has a little extra flavor because you literally know everyone in it.

Never got to see a horse pull. I have heard some about them from from my Dad and others though and I would love to watch one.

By the way, even though it seemed wrong...thank you for the time you did spend serving this country. I dont know what it was like back then, but I do see our country going to shit today and I have a feeling that if it wasnt for you and your brethren fighting to protect us back then, it most certainly would be a lot worse today.  I cant imagine, sometimes I dont want to imagine. So yes, thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did over there.
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nastygunz

Same thing where I'm from, small-town America and we have oxen and horse pulling :yoyo:

Okanagan

Wife and I plan to head south over the border tomorrow to meet Code's family at his other grandpa's farm.  It is four miles from us straight south from our house.  We will barbecue supper and then have our own fireworks.

We are invited to another barbecue and afternoon of games and then watch a big fireworks over the salt water bay by Blaine, WA but we opted to go with grandkids.

Y'all have a wonderful 4th!

Hope it is not the last for our country.  Don't know how long till destruction but we cannot sustain the trajectory we are on. 





gravesco hunter

Happy 4th my friends hope we get to celebrate  it in the future

riverboss

I love the horse pulls! There a great time and one can't imagine the power until you see it first hand.
I got stuck in a snow drift yrs ago and had to get out a local farmer hooked up his team and pulled me out! They jerked and pulled the truck up off the ground backwards and kept going. I hit the brakes but that was a waste of time! Scared the hell out of me heading down that old road backwards.

JohnP

Quote from: Okanagan on July 03, 2015, 11:10:06 AM
Hope it is not the last for our country.  Don't know how long till destruction but we cannot sustain the trajectory we are on. 

Celebrate today as if it the last freedom of this once great nation, but hope and pray that it is not. 
When they come for mine they better bring theirs

trailtwister

While the country has been lead to ell in a hand cart I still think we have about 20 fair years ahead before the 99% rise up and demand we get it back.

:eyebrownod:  Al

Your not fully dressed with out a smile.