Happy Birthday America!

I had a very nice 4th of July weekend. My sister-in-law was here. She arrived on Thursday around dinner time. It is always good to see her.

Friday morning we got up, had our breakfast and headed out the door for Manasota Key. It is an enchanting barrier island with no high rises, no traffic lights, just a two lane road, beautiful trees, lovely homes and pristine beaches. We combed the beach for shark teeth and shells.

Saturday we went into town to watch the start of the 18th annual Fourth of July Freedom Swim across the Peace River. This year several hundred people from as young as 6 to older than 70 swam the mile-and-a-half across the river. My husband and I would like to participate in this, perhaps next year. We saw people using kick boards, noodles and inner tubes to help them get across. They were followed by kayaks and boats. The swim is not a race and there are no prizes awarded for the first to reach the opposite shore. To complete the swim gives one a sense of accomplishment.

We then walked to the riverside park that had food vendors, musicians, arts, crafts and a new interactive fountain for all to enjoy.

After a delicious lunch we watched a K-9 demonstration. It was very interesting and informative. The dogs all came from overseas. The German Shepherds there are not over bred and do not suffer the same ailments (hip dysplasia) as they do here in the U.S. All the dogs were males too. Female dogs can develop too strong of a bond with their handlers and may not accept a new handler if a change is needed. The dogs sniffed out "bad guys" in boxes, tracked items the handlers dropped, climbed and jumped over things. They also showed how well they obeyed the commands to sit, stay, come, attack, etc.

To round off the 4th, we watched a very pretty fireworks show along the river's edge. My husband took these beautiful pictures (and the one at the beginning of this blog).

I thought this one looked like a palm tree.