I really can't believe Independence Day is this week! When I was a kid, it seemed the 4th of July marked your summer vacation half gone. It has been so cool and wet it still feels like Spring to me! But, according to the weather forecast, we are in for a baking spell starting tomorrow. That's OK, because this little town really hops over the 4th holiday, and it will be nice to be warm and dry for all the outdoor activities. The parade is Wednesday afternoon, and the 1st of 3 nights of Rodeo action starts that night. They have a terrific high purse rodeo here that draws pretty famous rodeo competitors. People drive for miles to attend. When the rodeo ends each night, they have a phenomenal fireworks show. They set off the fireworks on the golf course, which is directly behind the fairgrounds, so the extravaganza is huge, and explodes directly above your head! Pretty intense! There is also a wonderful crafts fair the 2nd thru 4th, and I will try to catch a few photos of that to share.

Anyway, thought I'd show you some patriotic tagging we have in our little town. We have our fair share of vandalistic scribbles here and there, but this is quite serious and a real benefit to our community.

Several years ago, a couple of teenage boys asked and were granted permission to paint this mural on the interstate bridge supports. Ninth street island is a small island (with homes on it) that runs between 2 chanels in the Yellowstone River. You can drive on the island and look at the mural and also the conglomeration of art on the other support. I believe this mural represents the planting of the flag at Iwo Jima.

Pretty awesome job if you ask me. Pretty awesome kids to have enough pride in their Country to take the time out of their busy kid schedules to gift our town with this reminder. It is starting to show some wear and tear. I hope it hangs on for many years to come.

This is what is painted by various artists on the other support.

Very interesting!

Then, unrelated but still fun to see, off the island and down the road to the baseball fields, there is an Osprey pair nesting on a support between the ball park and the river.

I couldn't see their babies heads popping up yet, so they must still be fairly little.

The male was flying back and forth over the river, fishing for his young brood. He was too fast for me to catch a picture of him.

This is pretty much the view they have from their perch.

The high water is clearing off enough now that I'm sure it's nice and easy for them to spot their fish.

We are getting time off work to go to the parade, and will also be closed all day Friday (YAY! Thought they were going to stay open – bonus!), so looking forward to having a fun week! Hope you do, too!

TTFN,

Teresa 🙂

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