Judging by the faces around here, and the gradually increasing crowd, we are on the countdown to something big. I believe it’s going to be a semi-organized fireworks display out on the beach, which makes me think it may be much more than I saw last night. Some people by late afternoon had already set up their specific and accessorized spots just off the beach and around the grounds.
Once more, the day started quiet and slow, with a look about the place suggesting that most people were sleeping in. By 10:00 the sun blazed, space on the beach shrinking with carloads of people arriving for the day. By 11:00 the parking lot was a busy mess, available spaces far and few. Waiting there for a friend, I listened to a woman telling her mother to park in the 408 spot, that the people had just left. She was right. That had just left, on their way out to lunch, back in an hour or two to discover their assigned parking place hijacked.
Dark clouds shepherding a wall of rain with thundering chorus came rolling in about 3:00, and sent people running for cover. Those few who chose to stay in the water or on the beach were soon herded back to safety by the beach patrol. For over an hour the rain pounded, thunder clapped, while some tossed firecracker packs from balconies to entertain themselves. I growled at that stunt, but told myself to be quiet.
At six o'clock I sat watching streams of people pouring in, gathering along the sea wall and wondered if we were going to need crowd control.
Late now, and mostly quiet outside, the fireworks over, the people gone. Without knowing the date, it could be mistaken for a sleepy Tuesday night in late August. But I am still sort of stunned in the afterglow and smoke clouds of what was a SPECTACULAR two hours of fireworks up and down miles of beach. Truly a dazzling show of amateur displays, almost like competing teams at different locations on the beach battling for the loudest oohs and aahs from the crowd. I felt almost guilty that we watched from the ‘royal box,’ which happily just happens to be my patio. I tried getting photos of the most elaborate explosions, but my camera couldn’t do justice to the flowering bursts, the cascading arcs of hot color.
The entire extravaganza was played out in good behavior by all, and despite the beach patrol’s several appearances everyone was friendly, orderly and sober. It was a rip roaring cap to Independence Day, and it would be less than the truth to say I don’t look forward to the next fireworks display in July 2011.
About the photos…
The top one is a fuzzy just-right look at the afternoon storm that sent people scurrying at 3:00. The bottom photo was taken from my desk looking out the glass panes, over my small patio and out to the beach.
Well, it sounds like the doomsayers were wrong and that your 4th had a happy ending. I'm glad. All we got over here was rain.
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