ANOTHER FOURTH

And this one was pretty cool. With friends and neighbors, 22 of us "tubed" down the Delaware River. Jumper girl and her best friend, Bren, floated with other kids, and I saw little of her except for the splashes and flying nerf footballs. Lots of laughs, giggles and the joy of being old enough to let go of Daddy's hand (darn it) and adventure on her own.

Bionicle Boy has started that break--this year, we did not tie our tubes together. However, he was rarely out of arm's reach after the first hour of the three hour trip. I ended up towing him (literally, "toeing" him as he grabbed my foot) the rest of the way. He either held my foot while I stroked or held my hand as we floated together.

At one point when we were separated by about twenty yards, he was standing on the rocky bottom and lost one of his water shoes. "Dad. Dad! DAD!! I lost my shoe!"

I was downstream, thinking, "And what, exactly, am I supposed to do about that?" when the shoe floated right to me about six inches under water. Daddy is a hero!!!!

Throughout the day, the conversation was great, especially when we saw a doe and two fawns on the shore. It just don't get much better'n that!

SWMBO was home with another migraine and really appreciated the quiet and the snuggling comfort of the three cats who really run the roost.

All was peaceful in an unpeaceful world.

As I drifted down that famous river, so close to the point where Washington's army made an icy crossing one long-ago Christmas night, I paused to reflect on the countless Americans who for over two centuries have consistently pledged and all too often offered up their their lives and fortunes as a matter of sacred honor in defense of the ideals of 1776. That, my friends, is a humbling exercise.

Semper Fi,

Mac