Independence Day!

Independence Day! Yea! One of my favorite holidays! I think it is most peoples
too. You don't get any gifts, you don't have to get any gifts for anyone else either, no stress. Just enjoyin' your family and friends, picnicking, and later in the evening, when it gets dark... FIREWORKS!


Do you know anyone who doesn't like fireworks?! Me neither!


I think it has to do with fire, and being a kid and loud bangs!




Remember when they let you light the fuse for the first time?!

Was that cool or what? Like being a big kid. I spent the evening at Cedar River near Boeing with some friends and my wife and daughter watching the fireworks over Lake Washington. That was Wednesday night.

Thursday morning we got up and drove two and a half hours to Ocean Shores and hooked up with Dale and Jean McDowell and their daughter Jeni. They own a house on the canal at Ocean shores. We arrived about 5 in the evening.
Friday dale and I golfed at Ocean Shores golf course, we do this every year. It was a two club wind this time. We had a great time. Recently another friend of mine taught me how to get out of sand bunkers. I have gotten fairly good at it and I taught Dale over the course of our round. He picked it up pretty fast. Sweet. Later that same day Dale and I began installation of a new screen door at their place. Those things are not that easy to install properly. We got about half finished and called it a day and enjoyed dinner and got back to it on Saturday.
Dales son Scott, and his girlfriend Milea came down as well, and our son Ryan came down with his girlfriend Myoko on Saturday. We had a huge feast Saturday. Fresh live crab, Sockeye Salmon, Steaks and salads too.(pictures when my p.c. gets repaired)

After dinner I performed some magic for everyone.
I started with the Chinese Sticks, later Jeni told me it is one of her favorites, she has seen it many times and still is baffled...
And then I followed that up with the Acrobatic Knot and then the Ring, Rope, and Wand. (Thanks Daryl!)
Then I performed Celini's Cut and restored rope and dove tailed that into the Lassoing a card, a new trick that wowed everyone, I wasn't really sure about it but the reaction It got was tremendous. Lassoing a card... blew them away. Sweet!
I performed The Legend of the Five Mystic Rings (my son Ryan's new favorite!)

And of course, I finished with my favorite,
The Cups and Balls!

I actually dropped the ball during my performance doing the Vernon wand spin, no matter, I am sure greater performers than I have had this mishap! I vanished the ball using the striking vanish instead. I finished strong and the gasps and sounds of amazement were worth the effort!

I was tired before the performance, I am sorry to say that I didn't give it my best effort. I messed up a card trick called the tricky wallet. One I love to do and don't get to perform often because you need at least three spectators to assist. I know what I did wrong and will be better for it!
Lassoing a card turned out to be more than I hoped for. Quite astonishing. I went into the effect after the cut and restored rope. I had a friend pick a card, replace it in the deck and lost it in the deck, truly. I let him shuffle the deck. I looked for his card several times and failed to produce it. Finally, I gave up and let the piece of rope find his card in a bag. Gasps all around as his card was produced tied in a knot at the end of the rope. (I must thank Scott Ocheltree for this fine handling of this great effect)


Every night we built a bonfire in the backyard and roasted marshmallows and of course, that means S'Mores! We started using Carmello candy bars in our s'mores!
Everyone ate really good over the time spent there, including Cub our dog.
We spent time at the ocean flying kites and hunting for natures treasures, some sand dollars and stuff!
Saturday night we went to the beach around 11 pm to light off the fireworks we had purchased. It was the 7th of July. We lit of several nice fireworks but it wasn't long until the local police chased us away. No fireworks allowed after the 5th... Who new!?
Now, back to the grind, work!
(All photo's in this post by Dale McDowell)