The Horse and Hound: 4th of July Party and Fireworks

Alright, so today I talk about the 4th of July Party and Fireworks. Really. :-)

It started out on a shaky note. On Tuesday (which felt like Friday because we were off the next day) we came home to find the pool opaque. Not green, but kind of a milky white. Looking in the spa we couldn't even see the steps. The Jandy was cruising around the pool but we couldn't see more than a foot under water so I just had to assume that it was down there at the end of the hose!

Oh crap.

Ken called our pool guy and he said he'd shocked the pool and was surprised that it was still murky and said to run the pump for another couple hours and to call him if it was still not clear. So Ken and I went out to dinner and when we got back it was still opaque. Another phone call. We were told to run the pump all night and call him in the morning and if it still wasn't clear he'd come out and would do something (I don't know what) so that it would be clear by noon. Fast forward to 9am and it was clearer but still not clear. So Ken called again and Rob came out by 10am and did something (no idea what...I was inside the house getting the food ready for the party) and as we checked the pool up through 1pm, it finally was clear enough that I wasn't too concerned about a mutiny by our guests. I was hoping it would hang in there.

Because, as if that wasn't bad enough, the house was 80 degrees.

This is at 10:30am

Our thermostat is set to 78. This wasn't good. We've been wondering about the AC for a few weeks/months and even had someone come out a few weeks ago and tell us it's working (it was a cool day the day he came out) but that we needed to clean the outside unit (whatever that thing is called) and he hosed it off and we were good to go. But during the next heat wave (while we were at Clear Lake) we came home to a warm house. Of course we'd turned the AC off while we were gone, so that was to be expected. But when it only made it to 80 degrees inside by the time we went to bed I was getting worried. But overnight it cooled off and since then it has seemed fine. Though we haven't had hot weather since then. Until this week. Though it was 'only' supposed to reach 97 on the 4th.

We set up two fans, one in the living room and one in the kitchen hoping it would keep the house semi-cool while people are in and out all day.

All of this was before 2pm when the party started... I was tired already. But looking forward to a day spent in and by the pool.

People started showing up shortly after 2pm and it didn't take long before we were in the pool. It was great fun (to me - I hope to our guests, also!).

There was plenty of relaxing

and water fights

Then Ken manned the grill, firing up hamburgers and hot dogs - classic 4th of July fare.

After eating, the Cornhole tournament started (let me comment that playing in a tournament with a baseball team isn't for the faint of heart) with oodles of "nothing but net" type shots (straight into the hole without sliding up to it)

though not everyone was interested in the games...

We all waited for the sun to set so everyone could move to the cul-de-sac to watch the fireworks. And once the sun set the party sparkled. (sorry - couldn't resist!)

Nothing beats watching young children play with sparklers. They're still my favorite, too.