Celebrating July 4th in Crescent City, CA

 It isn't only that I am one of the lucky ones with a July Birthday that makes me love this month more than any other.  I am a bit of an introvert at most times, a watcher rather than a participant. I record life in my photographs and writings, but I love to be surrounded by LIFE in its beauty, glory and noise.  Come to think of it, that is why I married my active, beautiful, noisy musicman.

 So I go to parades and am delighted to see many of my former students and to grey co-workers and friends ad socialize without having to clean my house first. Well, I am better about that since Flylady convinced me to do all that work in baby steps and avoid crisis cleaning

 And I love vivid, bright colors and art, so the pastels in the park are eye candy to me.

 But most of all, I love the friendship and earth and energy at Beachfront park by the Battery Point Lighthouse when the fireworks get going. I know there are a ton of illegal fireworks blasting off from every direction and a lot of rowdy people around bonfires and a lot of noise.  There is so much laugher and joy and somehow I feel my Dad's spirit with me, handing me the lit punk and guiding my hand as I lit my first ever firecrackers and roman candles and teaching me that celebrations matter.

 My own children are grown and amaze me and are worth celebrating. I so wish my Dad could have watched them grow, because there is so much there he would be proud of.

 Then of course July means the Smith River and Camping and Family and friends and in Crescent City it also means fog and Drive-in movies and doing free things a lot because there is no paycheck for this teacher's family from June to September.  There is odd jobs and writing and beauty though, and I get to grow another year better.

Why I Love July

 This month I have finally published a book I had been working on for at least 13 years, and so I smile about that, thinking of all the times I promised to get back to it and thought I'd never quite make it.

 Just why does 15 year old Della open her lap desk in her covered wagon on the Oregon Trail and find, not her journal, but a Diary from 152 years in the future?

 Anyway, along with writing, there have been the July things that make living here so wonderful, warm days in the redwoods, rainy days in my home, fireworks and blue skies and the beach.  The best is that I get a lot of time with my husband since we both work for the schools, but the worst is that we both work for the schools so there are no paychecks from June until the end of September.

 I have not been on the blog much because I've been on the novel or the beach, but I hope you enjoy the pictures I will post today.

 Watching the osprey fishing was one highlight of the last week.

 The banana slug is my son's new college mascot.