july 4, 2008 - very late in the day

after their dusky walk, the three of them made their way back to chamlar, and let me tell you reader - schroon lake was PACKED with people. the baron wondered aloud from whence these people came? the husband claimed that they traveled to schroon lake from the neighboring lakeside communities to see the town's kick-ass fireworks show. he seemed to be right: the small public beach, the best spot for fireworks-viewing, was crowded right up to the water and far, far up onto the lawn. the baron and the husband decided that the fireworks would be better experienced from chamlar's dock: the quietude afforded them there would more than compensate for the treetops that might obscure a some portion of the show.

once back to chamlar's beach, the husband and tucker made for the dock, and the baron made for the husband's cousin rob, who planned to view the fireworks from the lake, and had taken a small rowboat out to that end. rob asked the baron to join him, and the baron - having never been in a rowboat, having never seen fireworks from a lake - was happy for the invitation. rob, being good company and a gentleman to boot, smoked his bowl downwind from her. they talked about politics, bat sonar, and the divine and beautiful nature of sparkling lights in the sky.

later, much later, after the town-sponsored fireworks, the husband's family began to collect on the beach for the nightly bonfire. this night, a date of some importance (that importance being related to the tacit permission granted by adults to young adults to purchase and discharge fireworks), brought everyone out. as they gathered around the bonfire, those among them who had fireworks moved away from the larger group and began lighting their booty, or firing them, or shooting them... whatever one does to make a firework go, they did.


it was far less grand than the show held on the public beach. the lights didn't flare as high or as far or as brightly as the fireworks sent up by the town. but the baron, close to the fire and watching the yellow and orange light dance over not-her-family's faces, felt happy. between the heat from the fire and the enthusiasm of the boys and men gathered around the fireworks, the baron wondered why all family togetherness couldn't be this way: excited and silly, joyous and warm.

tucker plainly felt this contentment too, for the noise of the bonfire and fireworks, the voices of parents and children did not disturb him. he had stretched out in the sand at the husband's feet, asleep after a long and very good day.