"Come on, kids! We've got to get going if we're to make it to the Lake and get in some swimming before dark."
Getting our family of three young kids, two dogs, plus two parents packed and prodded into a waiting SUV reminds me of the internet video I saw last week of a Japanese train station where they pushed and shoved until each train car left the station with coat-tails hanging through the closed doors and faces were squished against the glass. All this, not to mention inflatable water toys, camping supplies, food, and extra clothes.
It was 1981 and we were headed out from our Dallas suburb home to our lake lot near Athens, Texas. Hot, sunny, and the Fourth of July---our favorite holiday. Our pop-up camper had been taken out of storage and scrubbed down by the kids---and dogs---and the excitement was running high. My younger sister with her family and my niece with her husband and their dog would all be meeting us at the lake for the long weekend of cookouts and fireworks and all-around fun.
The two-hour drive led to numerous pit-stops and "Are we there, yet?s" and only a few ‘Don't make me reach back there's!" We arrived at the lake with a good three hours to swim in the community pool after setting up camp on the lot down by the lake. Also giving us time to grill burgers, visit, and another short dip in the lake before the Grand Finale of setting off fire works from the dock-anxious kids asking every five minutes, "Can we set off the fireworks? Can I have at least one firecracker? Is it time yet????"
"Mom! I'm not a baby! I can light a firecracker by myself!" Even with all the horror stories of firecracker accidents and continuous emphasis on fireworks safety, I don't suppose this country's love of fireworks displays on the Fourth of July will ever fade.
And although China may be the firework capital of the world, fireworks are as American as ‘apple pie'. I know they have been a part of my family's holiday celebration for as long as I can remember and (knock on wood) we have never suffered any accidental injuries from the displays.
Luckily, the very youngest of our group were satisfied just to sit a safe distance away and watch the bright lights burst out over the water. The men of the group (being more kids themselves, anyway) were quite happy with that arrangement as it allowed them the greatest pleasure of getting to set off the best and most spectacular of the fireworks themselves. Actually, I suspect the men secretly tried to out-do each other by seeing who could come up with the most unusual and awe-inspiring visual light and sound display each year.
If this were case, there is no doubt that my niece's husband (whom we all affectionately called ‘Bear') won that year hands down! He had found what he called ‘The Rattler Chaser'. None of us had ever seen it or heard of it before so we all backed away a safe distance and gave him room to show off his wares---although, somewhat skeptical, as the thing appeared to be just a small saucer-sized disc of singularly unimposing features.
Bear placed the small object on a flat surface on the lake's bank, then waving and grinning at his rapt audience, he bent down and lit the short fuse. The fuse fizzed for a few seconds and nothing happened. Bear had not raised from his crouched position, but had backed away a step or two. The seconds ticked away as time seemed to stand still and we watched Bear and he watched the small silent object emitting an almost imperceptible feather of smoke from its bright shiny surface.
Suddenly the thing began to spin slowly at first then more quickly as it rose from the ground and seemed to hover at eye-level to Bear. The look on Bear's face was-in a word-mountable. With arms out-stretched he raised slowly to an almost standing position; the object rising in unison. Bear slowly lowered back to a crouch; the thing actually mimicked his movements.
Screaming the high-pitched scream of a banshee, Bear turned and ran off down the lake bank with a speed that belied his enormous girth with his ‘Rattler Chaser' in close proximity of his rear end! He dove into the water and the disc disappeared on the heels of his waves.
In shock and surprise (not to mention cramps from all the hard belly laughs) we all watched as Bear came back up breaking the calm surface of the lake. He climbed the bank with only one look back to make sure he wasn't being followed as we continued to laugh until our sides ached. Sheepishly he grinned at everyone and shook the water from his tousled hair. I patted him on his large shoulder and asked, "What did you call that thing, again? ‘ Bear Chaser'?????
Although we have had many great Fourth of July celebrations since that particular year, I will always remember that as my favorite. We have never since found another firework with the personality and spirit of Bear's ‘Rattler Chaser'. And in all honesty, I don't believe Bear has ever tried.
Sandra E. Graham, author, AMOS JAKEY and NICOLINA from American Book Publishing. Visit my website to check out my books, articles, and book reviews I have written for other authors.
» left by Steven French(212) Steven French (96 days 20 hours ago.)
Great family vacation nostalgia written with interesting and vivid details, captures a picture of an typicall all American family. Respond to this comment
» left by Sandra E. Graham(1,490) Sandra E. Graham from Paragould, Ar. USA (96 days 10 hours ago.)
Thanks for reading and commenting, Steven. This was actually a true story. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard as I did that day and still today when I think about it I have to laugh again.
Sandra.
» left by Susan Thom(8,078) Susan Thom (94 days 7 hours ago.)
hi sandra,
oh, what a gift for storytelling you have. whenever i see an article of yours, i automatically read it, and i am never sorry, and always happy i did. happy fourth of july, and thanks for sharing such a well written, interesting and "cozy" article,
my best regards,
sue Respond to this comment
» left by Sandra E. Graham(1,490) Sandra E. Graham (93 days 9 hours ago.)
Thanks, Sue. It is people like you who make writing worth the effort. Of, course, writing and reading is a joy in itself, but you all make it so much more pleasureable.
Thanks for reading and commenting.
Sandra
» left by Sandra E. Graham(1,490) Sandra E. Graham from Paragould, Ar USA (92 days 23 hours ago.)
Thanks, Venessa, for reading and commenting. A Fourth of July that I won't soon forget. We had another good one this year, too.
Sandra
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