Very cool post Doc.
I remember the 4th of July holiday growing up in southern Arkansas. It was always usually around 95-100 degrees by that time of year, maybe 80 degrees with about 1000% humidity by nightfall. Every year we went to the same place on the Little Missouri Falls River way back up in the Ouachita Mountains. We'd swim all day at the creek with our families, everyone brought something to eat, didn't seem to matter how hot it was. Everyone brought lawn chairs, umbrellas for the sun, and the grown ups would set up the grill near a small clump of trees about 20 yards from the creek. It was far enough back in the woods that no one ever took "our" spot. Everyone always seemed to be in such a good mood every year for this event, more so than Thanksgiving or Christmas it seemed. The adults would grill, sit, drink beer, talk, all us kids would swim till we were so tired we could barely walk out of the creek to collapse on beach towels and eat burgers and hot dogs. After eating, and after getting yelled at by our moms to wait 30 minutes before going back in the water, which we never did, my dad and my uncle Kenny would wade into the creek at some point, usually after a few beers, and allow us to jump into the water off their shoulders. About 6pm, all our parents would make the final call for us to get out of the creek, under penalty of death usually. Exhausted, sunburned, but still excited about the night's approaching fireworks, we'd break open the watermelons, RC Cola, and moon pies. I don't think any snack has ever tasted as good as that did after swimming all day. We'd all sit beside the creek, eating and talking, listening to our parents talk about us or other family members. My dad and my uncle would preparing a large camp fire during this time so we could see what we were doing later on, no street lights where we were, nothing even close. When nightfall finally came, the parents would bring out the sacks of fireworks they'd hidden in the cabs of the vehicles, less us kids take them while they weren't looking. My dad or my uncle would usually supervise us kids and everyone else would sit and watch, clap and yell for us as my cousins and I proved what gifted pyrotechnic wizards we were for the next couple of hours. Around 10-11pm, my dad and uncle would make all of us pick up as much as we could find as far as expended fireworks as they worked on extinguishing the bonfire. We'd all help pack up the lawn chairs, towels, and all the days trash, hugs for everybody all around as we all started the hour long drive back to town. I don't really ever remember much of that trip as I was usually stone cold passed out fifteen minutes into the journey but I do remember all of us always having a good time and the 4th of July holiday trips to Little Missouri Falls have always been one of those rare memories from childhood that I always look back on and cherish.