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Fire! For God’s sake, FIRE!!

Well I had the greatest July 4th of my life. Back in Atlanta we just shoot off fireworks and eat a lot and there is no sense of history at all. But in Boston, how can you not be so aware of the actual history of the day when you are surrounded by it?

We’re flying out today, so we didn’t expect to do anything but we managed to stand outside the Old State House and listen to the Declaration of Independence being read from the balcony just as it was for the first time in 1776.

Being a port city, there were sailors on leave everywhere [and I do love a man in uniform] and they paraded down to watch it, and there was a revolutionary band playing those little piccolos [?] and firing muskets but they walked around the other side of the building so we didn’t see them.

After it was read all this red white and blue confetti was fired and it was so cool [not as cool as in 1776 when the crowd went crazy and pulled down the lion and unicorn sculptures (symbols of the crown) and burned them- but hey!]

Man this city does the fourth up RIGHT!! Earlier, they had a parade from the current state house down to the old one, and they passed by the cemetery and laid wreaths at the graves of Paul Revere and John Hancock and other patriots.

And at noon they bring out the USS Constitution [“old ironsides” though it’s made of wood] which is an undefeated ship from the War of 1812 and it fires a 21 gun salute to the nation. Positively gorgeous!

I have to spend the whole day here one July 4th! That would be wickahd!

I love this city! I wish I lived here.