We decided to leave town with our very sensitive dog to avoid the fireworks. Although our neighbors started with fireworks in the back on July 1, they stopped when requested and agreed to hold off until July 3 and 4 when we would be gone. Originally, we planned to leave early on the 4th, but then the chamber of commerce announced that 3 July would be the show, so we needed to leave early. We spent the evening of July 3 with one of my husband's cousins and his wife. This would be the year that Bloomington had more fireworks than they have ever heard before. (So much for the reported fireworks shortage muttered my husband.) We ended up turning a large fan on high and pointing it at the poor dog. (If a dog could be catatonic, she was.) Things went better on 4 July. My husband had made reservations back in the spring for us to stay at the inn at Spring Mill State Park, which was further away from towns and had a dog room available. We tried to walk her that evening, but somewhere, someone was shooting off something at 9 p.m., before it was even dark, so we got her back into the room, which is nicely insulated from noise, and she passed a peaceful night.
The good parts of the trip were that we were able to protect our dog, we had a great time with the cousins, and I was able to purchase another four pounds of the stoneground cornmeal produced on the Spring Mill working grist mill. These are now safely tucked in the freezer.
The bad part of the trip is the hot and humid weather made it not great for hiking, and we only got in a 30 minute hike this morning, which we had to end because the dog was getting badly overheated. We cooled her down in the inn hotel room before checking out and beginning the drive home. There is a reason we prefer fall and winter in the parks.
I miss being able to enjoy the 4th of July. The fireworks sound like a battle zone, and they go off all over the place. I can't enjoy the town parade anymore either because they are too fond of using all the sirens on every fire engine. I made the mistake of taking our dog once, and she and I both found the sirens painful to our ears. I have not gone to a parade here since that time.
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