Sure Signs of July in Eastport

I meant to take a picture that I could crop to show the ferry, but how could I crop out Patrick when he is looking so cute?  The ferry is way in the distance, making its way to Eastport from Deer Island.......or so I think.  It could be going to Campobello.  Some people seem to be able to tell which is which, but they look the same to me.  In a few days the Navy ship will dock downtown for the 4th of July......a custom that goes back to the 1800's.  I probably won't take a picture of it, so imagine a giant piece of gray metal snuggled up to the breakwater, dwarfing the downtown (menacingly in my view).  Picture sailors all over town dressed in white uniforms, participating in the festivities, marching in the parade.......the great event of the year.  I read in the paper that the population of Eastport is about 1300, but on the 4th we are host to an additional 15,000.  I can believe it. It's impossible to go anywhere by car, and on the day of the parade the traffic is backed up on the causeway all the way to Pleasant Point.  I used to love the 4th here, but I've grown weary of it.  The fireworks are spectacular, but I try to ignore the rest of it now.

The second is my annual picture of the Lupine that are covering the island.  Unlike the parade, it is a spectacle I look forward to and enjoy very much.  I can never quite believe the extent of it.  I took several pictures today, as if every field or woods would show something different.  It only seems like each display is more extensive and beautiful than the one before.  Besides, pictures don't portray the magnitude of the lupine show.

It's hard to get behind the big fourth of July hoopla, since my patriotism leaves a lot to be desired.  As a child I remember tearing up when I heard the Star Spangled Banner, feeling that knee-jerk patriotism we all acquire in public school.  Perhaps (though I doubt it) at some point this country deserved our pride and loyalty, but at this point, if I could, I would jump across the boarder to Canada and never come back.  I can see Canada from my windows, and my ancestors came from there.  My embarrassment at being American is most likely an over-reaction, but this country is such a big bully it's impossible to be proud.