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I'll try to make this all-encompassing for the various nations that we belong to. So, what are you doing for your Country's holiday? If you are outside of the U.S. and Canada (who celebrate 4 and 1 July respectively) then when do you celebrate and what are the customs?
For example I know that the Netherlands have a huge national holiday on April 30, the Queen's birthday, and it is celebrated with everything orange!

I wish that everyone in Canada could celebrate by visiting us here:

but no such luck.

If everything works out to plan, then on Tuesday I will be getting a natural gas-line extension installed on my home that will allow me to host a BBQ party on Wednesday! I have tentatively invited friends and family and neighbours (including some who were displaced by the fire).

After the BBQ then we can walk down to the river (maybe a half kilometer?, so a few hundred yards) where we can sit on the bank and watch the national fireworks display.


With any luck, it will be a perfect day!

ETA: They are forecasting rain all week, on all the websites, so this could make the fireworks less pleasant. I hope it changes in time!

EATA: I ripped both photos off the web. I have a similar photo to the bottom one, but I don't have it right here. I google-searched and that's what I found!

BEAUTIFUL PIX Ziggy thanks so much for sharing.
My plans for the 4th are posted in Family thread (see Surprise Surprise)
This is the first 4th of July we will actually be able to do something.
Normally hubby is always working, and I am always alone.
So, there are some perks to him being laid off.
At least I get a chance to be with him this 4th.

Did you take those Ziggy? Awesome!
Well in England they don't do squat, but we are here for the military so we are getting together with fellow military peeps for BBQ and fireworks, well if DH isn't stuck at work. We aren't holding our breath.

We usually buy fireworks, stay home and swim, then watch whatever they do on the National Mall on television. We never go out because we dislike crowds and the drivers are all drunk. Last thing, around 10 PM, we make our own display.

My neighborhood has an all day fiesta as well as fireworks by the lake.
A lot of people are joking(or maybe being serious) that the fireworks burn down their houses.

We usually don't ever get to do much because we move so much we never have friends where we're living. Last year DH was on a ship near Singapore, so I stayed home and watched official fireworks from my balcony. This year he's home and we're doing the same.

In New Orleans, there was a big problem with people and their firecrackers, so we always stayed home to make sure no one set our house on fire with one of those dumbass stick rocket things. Sure enough, one year I happened to looked out the window just in time to see one our bushes go up in flames. The 'tard across the street was shooting them all night and one of them landed in the bush and set it on fire. Luckily, I noticed when it started so DH could go out and hose it down without the fire being too big to handle. DH told the guy to watch that shit, and dude said, "Wadn't me ah din't do it!" and was angry because we were angry. Gods, New Orleans sucks fucking ass.

BBQ - if it doesn't pour rain all day. DH and I have booked the 2nd and 3rd off so we have a nice looooong weekend. We are going to be tourists in our own city.

My plans just got poxed.

I had booked a campsite up near Parry Sound, ON for a few days of camping with my sister. I love that park (Killbear Provincial Park) and so does she, and we kinda got it last minute -- last week when we realized that'd be a great way to spend a few days.

I spent the week packing up all my camping gear to go -- we were supposed to leave tomorrow and come back on Canada Day, but today she told me she wanted to cancel, because the forecast is calling for four solid days of rain, and she's miserable in the rain. I'm trying not to be annoyed, but I am annoyed. I will probably end up going alone because camping in the rain doesn't actually bother me. I actually love the fresh air TOO MUCH and hate my godforsaken job TOO MUCH to let a chance for a few days up by Georgian Bay slip away. Plus it's paid for (sis is still paying her half, even though she bailed).

My other option is to descend upon Ziggy, but we'll be vacationing together next month, not to mention I have to work on Thursday, so leaving Ottawa on Canada Day before the festivities even begin is not fun. LOL I guess a third option would be to go on a mini road trip to the Northeast states to knock them off my list of states to see... But can you really enjoy ME, NH, VT, CN and RI in four scant days?? LOL

So long story short... I don't know what I'm doing this year.

Nothing. July 4th represents the day when my family ties died so I refuse to celebrate.

No definite plans yet, but I want to do something. I usually work on the 4th so we usually don't do anything, but this year it is on a Saturday. If nothing comes up we'll go to the race track. They have an all day party with BBQ and a Blues Band as well as activities related to Jockeys Across America Day (assists disabled riders). Then we'll head somewhere and watch some fireworks.

I'll have to cross my fingers and hope one of my dumbass gomer neighbors doesn't set our house on fire with their fireworks. They've come close a couple of times. Last year some people on the next block were blowing them off in the middle of the street. I plowed right through their little display with my car because I was trying to get to work. Another year some dipship kid threw a firework under my car as I drove passed. All while his mommy watched from the front porch. I figure that kid's probably in prison by now.

Nothing for me, but something could come up. I am taking Thursday off along with having Friday off, so it's going to be a nice long weekend for me.

Last year I got invited to a BBQ from someone at work. They had a single woman there and she was meant for me. I didn't know that until the next day back at work. I noticed that the single woman was really close to the man's wife and ignored me. She didn't attract me that much anyways. Also, a guy was invited from work (I didn't know that until I got there) that I could not stand. He was a real jerk. I don't know what was great about him to invite him to the party. He later came and has just been married to a Philipino girl half his age. They sat together and kissed. It made me so sick, I had to leave before the dinner was served.

You might say that it was a disaster. At least after I left there, I went to see my friend and he had nothing to do. He appreciated me coming by surprise. We went out and had a nice dinner.

Jo: I hope that you went camping! My father takes after Calvin's dad (from the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes) in that we always used to camp in the rain when we were kids because it 'built character'.

{Click on the small picture for a bigger version}

I started the celebration early by going to the musical ride Sunset ceremony. Can any of the Canadians recognise this one? Hint: It first became famous in 1975.
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Here is where they 'charge':
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I wouldn't want to be on the end of this one when they use it for crowd control!

It looks like chaos, but when you see it in person everything is beautifully controlled and they are doing some really fancy work:
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Afterward you can go and visit and pet the horses!
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On the way home it poured, so I stopped off in a bus shelter, and it meant that I went by the (Parliament) Hill on my way home. They were doing sound checks for Wednesday's show so I got a preview of some native singing and dancing. Wheee!

No definitive plans yet, i may go with a couple friends and do the same thing i did last year. We went to my friends marci's friends house who has an amazing view. We can see like 3 or 4 major fire works displays from her back yard. Was nice last year, BBQ, good drinks, good people, lots of laughs and fun. We will see though, its a different set of circumstances now (last year my friends Marci and Jory, and myself were living together, so we all went together) but i was told i was invited to go, rofl. we shall see.

Ziggy, thanks for those pics. Mounties are hot. Of course, that idea comes from "Due South"!

I like Mounties, too, of the female persuasion. The first time I ever saw those was the Opening Cermonies of the Calgary Olympics, on TV. Hot stuff! Maybe I should switch to Canada Day next time, or Bastille Day. I love "Le Marseillaise." Too much time spent watching Casablanca I guess.

You're up awfully late, Eslbee! I know you're on Eastern Time. I'm on Pacific and it's sort of late for me.

We're going up to the cabin. We went up last weekend and did some work - this coming weekend I hope will be less work, more relaxing. Probably have a BBQ on Saturday. No fireworks. Just swimming, reading and likely some drinking.

We are going to my mom's.
Oddly we have done this about 3 times in the past 5 years.
And the last time we went, the neighborhood didn't do fireworks so Sadie was good.

We will be going to some stuff the day before and going to Shakespeare in the Park.
The day of, not so much. Hopefully go to a farmer's market and then chill out a bit.

Davros and I will head to downtown Victoria and just meander around the mass of people until the city fireworks start. Last year we went to the race track where they put on an epic fireworks display, but I think we are skipping it this year.

That is an awesome photo!

MIL's birthday is July 4, so every year now we have a party for her at our house. DH's family comes over, we eat a big meal, put on some horrible animated kiddie movie for the kids that the adults are stuck watching, and then at night we go out into the street and watch the fireworks. Because we are on the water, we can see about 7 different towns' fireworks displays at the same time.