Celebrating a birthday

Happy birthday, United States of America! It’s time to start planning for your party.

As a general rule the Fourth of July is almost just another day on our farm, simply because it falls during the heat of summer and the need for irrigation water to be delivered to our crops. Summer fires are always a danger. It is just a fact of life.

The times I’ve been away from the farm on the Fourth are few, but memorable with the one in Paris standing out. Another college friend and I wanted to do very American activities to celebrate our country’s birthday yet we didn’t want to be showy about it. We went to the McDonald’s on the Champs Elysee and ordered our meals, and we snuck them into a movie theater. Playing that day was the movie “MASH.” What could be more American than McDonald’s and that movie? Later on, we had banana splits at La Coupole. It was my first banana split only because I had never had the urge for one. It just seemed like it would top off the day. 

Independence Day while my husband was in the Army in Germany was billed as a family day, well, as long as your family was other Army wives and their children. The men were out in the field and their day was not any different than other training day. The work had to be done either way, just like it is on the farm.

On an unusually rainy year, we were able to get away from the farm and spend the Fourth at Mount Rushmore, where there are activities, music and talks throughout the day. A spacious amphitheater seats hundreds or you can sit under the pine trees in the shade and watch the festivities. In 2026, fireworks for ticket holders are planned at Mount Rushmore on July 3, July 2 and July 4 will feature several programs, concluding with the U.S. Air Force Academy Band concert starting at 7 p.m. each night. The website  https://www.nps.gov is one place for information and https://mountrushmoresociety.com is another one.

The nearest our sons and I came to having a big city fireworks display was the year we were touring around Baltimore, Md., with a good friend and her two children. The celebration was actually on Flag Day, June 14, and we were at Fort McHenry, where the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the national anthem was flying during the war of 1812. The fireworks were spectacular, much like we see on television, but seeing them in person is the best.

Since we live on a farm with a large dirt and gravel yard, and we are located south of the Cheyenne River, are not in the Black Hills Fire Protection District, most years we have a small family fireworks show. A few fireworks are purchased and many are saved for wintertime when there is snow on the ground and dark comes early. They are more enjoyable for everyone then. It’s a tradition that is always governed by the weather and dry conditions.

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July.

Sanders’ latchstring is always out, peggy@peggysanders.com.