Yes, Jabber, that's exactly what the 4th of July was like when i was a kid. We kids would decorate our bikes, our wagons, even our pets. And all would join the parade. Then in the evening we'd walk down to the beach, to watch the Village's fireworks, which were set off on the pier...

These were days pre-air conditioning - or at least it wasn't anticipated except in public buildings like the movie theaters, professional office buildings and the larger stores. So we also looked forward to running though sprinklers, jumping into lakes, pools, or playing games involving water balloons.

Thanks again for your poetic memories.