July Fourth

Last year the 4th of July was a little less than it should have been. The parade wasn't as good as usual and the fireworks had to be canceled because of the fog. This year made up for it on both counts. The whole celebration was wonderful, with lots of floats, marchers, and noise. The fireworks were spectacular--the best I remember. David and I went to the pancake breakfast at the airport first thing in the morning. Then I came home to wait for Carrie and Gabe, who arrived a few hours later. We all went to the parade, looked at all the vendors, ate junk food, and watched the fireworks from the rocks along the water. There were huge crowds at all the events, as is the tradition in Eastport, and both Carrie and I mentioned independently how interesting it is that nobody doesn't like foreworks. The ooh's and ahhh's resonate as one voice, and for once every person is having the same appreciative reaction at the same time. It is rare that we are all in such harmony. The huge battleship (one comes every year) provided the backdrop for all the events, and men and women in their white uniforms could be seen all over town, enjoying the festivities.

Now the town is pretty much back to normal, for summer. The tourists are here in droves. Our population must swell to four times its normal 1500 or so during the season. We are quaint and interesting to the visitors, who seem to view us as relics from another time. We speak with an unusual accent, and live in cold weather they imagine to be much worse than it actually is. There is no McDonalds or Dunkin' Donuts, no department store or drugstore. There is no movie theater, no internet cafe. They believe there is nothing to do here. They marvel at what they think is our way of life. We amuse them, and they amuse us as long as they don't stay too long.