4th

Lake Ontario

3:22 PM

My office has been overtaken by my 4 and 2 year old nieces for the week. They arrived on Monday. Kids always make things exciting and tiring, but the Lake Ontario 4th of July tradition continued on Tuesday. I was not upbeat when I woke up to a rainstorm, but the bonfire had already been built. The morning was saved for going to the grocery store for burgers and dogs. I wasn’t sure how many people knew about the party or how many would show up, so I had to guess on food supplies. My cousins next door had people coming over as well.

The rain cleared off and my first guests arrived at 1:00. The volleyball net was set up soon after and not far behind was a steady flow of traffic and people. My brother said at one point there were 41 people on the beach, on our side. My cousins had the same or more. I had friends arrive by jet ski and boat. Hosting a party is always fun and it had been a while since I had done it. Being on the road, I had been used to being a guest. I forgot how strenuous it can be. I also learned how important it is to make sure the guests had what they needed. I was all over the place and didn’t have a whole lot of time for conversation. This is too bad because some of the people I don’t get to see as often as I’d like. There were also new faces that I had hoped to talk to more, but the host must float.

We had football, horseshoes, volleyball, some frisbee that the wind did not allow and a lot of sitting near the water. The rain came just before dinner. Rain at a beach party is never good. The scramble for dry space commenced. Some found it under the second patio. Others followed me to the open garage. It rained hard for about 20 minutes and some hair frizzed because of it, not mine of course. But, the clouds blew away and we were back. I rolled the grill out to the beach side and started flaming. I did a decent job of making sure the burgers came out. I messed up a charred dog, but for the most part things were tasty. A big help were all of the salads people brought to pass. I can man a grill, but the sides are another story. I don’t think anyone went hungry.

From there, I was able to eat and relax for a short while. My favorite part of the day was about to unravel, the bonfires that line the beach and the fireworks that follow. Some of the people who had been there all day began to leave. I hated that people had to work the next day. They missed the best part, at least in my eyes. I have lived in a lot of places and traveled all around, but I have never missed a 4th of July at my place in Rochester. And I don’t plan on it. Your own beach with family and friends, it doesn’t get much better. I do wish my friends from other states could be here to witness it with me sometime.

The bonfire was damp from the rain. Ours was built with a huge post of driftwood in the middle. It was two feet in diameter and 6 feet high. Surrounding it were piles and piles of split apple tree that my cousin had secured the day before. Because of the size of the fire, newspaper is not the best fit. We tried liter fluid, but it had evaporated. I was embarrassed as the entire crowd of both parties stared at my cousin and I as we tried to get the beast lit, but it just wouldn’t go. I scrambled to the front yard for the failsafe but scary gasoline. As I poured it onto the fire I could hear my uncle yell something at me. This seems to happen each year, but we have a crowd to appease. The fire started to smolder and close to ten minutes later, the furnace was raging as expected. Our fire was a sharp contrast to many on the beach. A bonfire is meant to be made with wood, not staples and nails. I know I have zero desire to walk on the beach and step on a piece of metal. Anyway, the fire was not as tall or as fun to watch being lit as others, but it burned longer and hotter than any of them.

We have gotten older. Group by group, my friends were gone by 11:30. Much different than the 2 and 3 AM events this used to be, but work the next day puts a damper on a lot of things. It did not damper me. My friends were gone, but the night was calm and the stars were out and the fire burned on. My aunt, uncle, cousins and I closed it down at around 1:30 AM. We talked about 4th of July’s past and enjoyed the fact that our family is as close as it is. Most of all we stared into the fire and up into the night. Smiles followed.

I have a lot of choices to make in the coming months and the pull of my family will surely be at the heart of a lot of them. There is still much to see and do. But I am not getting younger. I see so much joy in my brother’s kids and all of the planning that is going into my sister’s wedding. I have been a free spirit when it comes to the ladies, doing my best to not get too attached. There is a lot of unknown in my future. The road still pulls at me and I still see great things ahead. The knowledge I’ve been given needs to be passed on. But, stability might not be such a bad thing either.

Well, my nieces are knocking on the door.