Fourth in the Park

Living in this town for nine years, I have never once attended the yearly "4th of July in the Park" festival.  It seems odd, I know, but we've often been out of town. And the times we've been here?  Well, we just didn't happen to go. But today I hauled my coughing, wheezing self out of the house where I've been stuck with a bad cold and cough for the past five days, and took my mom along with me for a little jaunt to the local festivities.

Wow, was it ever fun!  After finally finding a parking spot on a side street, we walked into Pioneer Park to find lots of happy people settled under the huge shade trees around the bandstand, listening to the community band--which was playing with quite some expertise, thank-you-very-much!  Around the perimeter of the inside ring were little stalls selling various wares, services and food.  We decided to stroll clockwise around the circle.

The surprise was in realizing how many people I saw that I know. I often feel that I'm a wanderer passing through this valley on the way to somewhere else, and hadn't realized that I really have gotten to know a great number of very dear and talented people.

Above you see Jean-Paul, a languages professor from France who, with his wife Karen, owns a lavender farm down the valley to the west.  He had parked his sparkling bright farm truck and was selling large bunches of lavender, while across the way Karen was selling sachets and various other lavender products.  Following a very cool, rainy spring, the lavender has finally bloomed two weeks later than usual, just in time for Independence Day revelers to enjoy it.

After stopping to buy a blue-green glazed honey pot from the pottery stall on the east side of the circle, we came to the booth selling Mediterranean food as a fund raiser for a church youth group.  There was Antoinette, our ebullient Lebanese neighbor who lives across the street from our house, dishing up a killer-delicious falafel.  Wilma, our neighbor from up the street, was taking in the money.  They look like they're having fun, don't they?

Hearing festive music from the performance area, Mama and I walked over to see what was happening.  As we got there the cloggers ended their performance, and the karate school students began theirs. They began with a fan dance by the women of the troupe.

Then the young karate students came onstage and went through their routines. I've never been a huge fan of karate, but I was impressed, watching the discipline and focus of these kids, and their clear awareness of where their bodies were and what they were doing.  I'm so used to working with my brain and communication that this world of physical intelligence always impresses me.

Coming to the end of our loop, we watched a little girl getting her hair spray-painted to fit the theme of the day's festivities.  Red, white, and blue went on in stripes, followed by a stencil-shaped contrasting star on each side of her head.

She was clearly pleased with the result, and I would have been, too!

As far as treasures brought home from our excursion, my Mama bought us a lovely little honeypot that matches our counters perfectly.  And for herself she brought home a big cup of delicious cherries.  Yum!

Spending the Fourth in the Park?  I plan do to it again!