Plans for the 4th

Every year around this time, I have a tradition. Now I didn't start this tradition because it had been happening long before I started going to it. However when I did start going as a young kid, I started my own tradition.

Hold it! I know you're wondering. What am I talking about? I'm talking about my plans for the 4th of July. I'm talking about how I spend my time on the 4th of July every year. Ok. So what do you do?

I go to a tractor show. What?! That's so boring though. Yeah, ok, I guess it is. But I have some memorable moments from this tractor show.

First of all, the tractor show is in my town, so I don't have to travel far to it. It's called Bollinger's. It's their family name. There's a lot of them too. They have a lot of property, so that makes it easy for people from all over the country to bring their tractors to show off. And they have a pond with fish in it and sometimes children in it too. They also have a creek (I'll tell some of those stories in a minute).

I don't really go for the tractors as much as I go for my friends. I have a friend named Chelsea who comes down almost every year and we hang out. We've been doing that for a long time. My uncle usually brings tractors with him. I have a picture from when I was younger and my Uncle Rod helped me drive on a tractor. There's another picture of my friend Katlin and my Aunt Ann riding another tractor. Yes, I used to know how to drive a tractor. Not so much anymore though.

I personally haven't been in the pond in I don't even know how many years. I think I stopped going in when the fish started nipping my feet. Oh yeah and there are probably a lot of lost things under the water at the bottom of the pond. If they drained the pond, I'm sure there would be numerous items at the bottom. I think I lost a pair of goggles and I know my current youth leader (and he's also been a friend for so long that he's like a brother to me) lost a swim shoe.

I love going by the creek they have. It just runs through the area. There's a nice little wooden bridge, but the guy who is like my brother is so tall that he can actually jump over the creek. I'm sure I might be able to do that too if I tried, but I don't really want to try. There are frogs and crayfish in the creek. When I was younger, we used to try to catch the crayfish. We still occasionally try to catch the frogs, but those things scare so easily and hop in the water darting away.

This year has been no exception for me. However I seem to spend less and less time there every year. Guess that happens with growing up. I just get busy I guess. Anyways, my friend Chelsea isn't there this year. Her family is, but she isn't because she's in the upper peninsula of Michigan working. Then my best friend Becky is also in the upper peninsula working, so I've really got no one to hang out with. So maybe that's why I haven't been there that much this year.

The party lasts from Thursday to Sunday. They have meals every night that everyone pitches in with. I'm guessing tonight is the lamb, chicken, etc. dinner. I don't remember. Well since Thursday was burgers and hot dogs and yesterday was spaghetti, tonight must be the lamb and such dinner. They also most of the time make doughnuts in the mornings. My mom and I went out to help with that this morning.

I went out last night. I talked to some people and ate dinner. There was one memorable thing from last night. A picnic table tipped over and some people were wearing spaghetti. Kinda sad, yes, but kinda funny too. After that, we all tried to even out the picnic tapes to make sure they didn't tip if there were too many people on one side.

Tonight is probably the best night of the whole party. However the one problem is that there will be a line stretching around part of the pond. Everyone always comes on this night. Why? No matter when the 4th is, people always come on the Saturday because usually the Saturday means fireworks. These fireworks are spectacular! I saw fireworks last week, but they don't usually compare to the ones that go off at Bollinger's.

My parents always want to know why I want to go out there. They certainly don't want to spend a whole weekend there. I have friends. They want to know why I want to be there since it's just a bunch of old men and their tractors. My excuse is my friends and it's my tradition.

Do you have a tradition like that?