Monday 7 July 2014

Happy Fourth!

My first fourth of July went out with a bang of stunning fireworks!

We made the journey to Jacksonville Lake on the Friday morning and stayed at a friend's lake house. The weather was perfect, the water was warm, and the food was plentiful (burgers, of course!). We bobbed around on 'floaties' in the water (I had been assured that there were no alligators, only snakes (!!!)) and when the sun set, we took the barge out to the centre of the lake and watched the fireworks. It was so peaceful! 

The Fourth of July celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, when America broke away from British rule. As a Brit, I didn't know how I was supposed to feel about this holiday, but needless to say, I ate my burger and shouted 'Merica' with the rest of them. 

The only thing we missed due to our early departure the next morning, was a feast of alligator that had been shot by a friend of the family when it began to terrorize his cows! We were told that he shot it, that it slipped into his pond, and that he went in after it, not knowing whether it was alive or dead! The water came up to his neck and the alligator was 11 feet long!