Independence never felt so good

As I write this column each week, Ol’ Dutch tries to look down at the week or weeks ahead to what is happening hoping to find some inspiration to add to my normal great wisdom.

And this week is no different as one of my favorite holidays that brings a real whing-ding of a time is on the horizon. It is none other than the annual 4th of July celebration.

From 1776 to the present day, we have all celebrated our independence as a nation with parades, barbecues, family gatherings and shooting off fireworks. In fact, we shoot off so many of the blasted things that I am sure there is more noise than the actual Revolution against Britain produced.

And even though there is some argument about the actual day of independence, it is celebrated on the day that it was adopted by Congress way back when.

I realize this will hit the stoops of your house a few days before your local celebrations, but this will give you time to plan, buy some ribs or burgers and put together a celebration of your own.

Most of the San Luis Valley towns will have their own forms of celebrations with South Fork hosting their annual parade on July 3rd because, well, they want to. They will polish off the day with a great fireworks show, weather permitting. And with the rains that Ol’ Dutch, ever the Rain Man has brought, we hope to see the huge display again this year.

The City of Creede hosts a two-day event with the Mining Competition on July 3 and the annual parade on July 4. They also fill the streets with vendors of all kinds with delicious goodies to take part in during your sortie into their small town, host a dance, a new Patsy Cline Theater production, beer garden and weather permitting, a great fireworks display.

Alamosa and Crestone also have some great celebrations planned so wherever you are, try and partake in those fun activities in celebration of our freedoms here in America.

Ol’ Dutch has missed shooting off his own fireworks since I moved to Colorado many years ago as the powers to be seemed to think such shenanigans are unnecessary which is, well, un-American.

I am not sure what “Karen” dreamed that up as back in the day when I was growing up, we shot off everything from ladyfingers that barely made a pop to M-80’s that were equal to a quarter stick of dynamite.

And at least in our neighborhood, I do not recall much of anything being blown up other than a few trash cans or a few burnt fingers but that is how we all learned to survive in a world that oftentimes has a short fuse on dangerous situations.

Oh, there may have been a few kids who got injured but at least they were easily identified as poor candidates to send to Vietnam or at least to leave in the supply hut as handling a live grenade could not be entrusted to a kid who could not shoot off a Black Cat firecracker.

Massive amounts of gunpowder were expended back in those days and firecracker paper and nighttime displays littered the streets for weeks afterward until the mommas of the neighborhoods threatened the children with bodily harm if they did not sweep it all up.

And while I am restricted from handling my own explosives in this State, I can still get them in Texas on most holidays. Now that's real freedom but what else can we expect from the people who fought at the Alamo.

But regardless of where you find yourself this weekend, find some celebrations to attend and shake the dust off your feet and let the wind blow the stink off of you from the past years of Covid internments.

I hope to see some of you out there as we give thanks for our Nation. For despite our differences or the problems we face as a people, we still have much to be thankful for every single day.

God bless you all in the coming week and God Bless America.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV, or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com.