Firecrackers and Family:
Janette's Fourth of July on the farm and the exploding Billo box
Some of Janette’s fondest memories were of spending July 4th on the farm with her cousins. She didn't want to miss a minute of the festivities and was so determined to stay awake for every second that she once fell asleep standing next to her father.
As an adult, I don't find July 4th as exciting as I used to. I suppose it would be more fun if I had some grandchildren to share it with. My husband and I usually host a July 4th celebration, and I enjoy planning the party, decorating the house, and visiting with my friends. This year it seemed more than the usual amount of my Duluth neighbors complained about their dogs being nervous with all the popping and shooting noises.
Here are some memories from Janette's childhood Fourth of July celebrations.
Independence Day on the Fairley farm
Janette’s uncles quit fieldwork early on Independence Day. The whole clan would all go for a picnic supper at Riverside Park on old Highway 50 between Yankton and Gayville, along the Missouri River. Janette saw lots of other families also there enjoying Independence Day. She paid little attention to them because the cousins had such a good time playing together.
Riding a boat on the Missouri River
One year, when her father, Russell, was able to be there, someone offered boat rides. They stood in line waiting for a ride; before their turn, Janette had fallen asleep standing next to her dad. All of a sudden, her dad was helping her into the boat. Janette (and the other children) had had a busy day. They got up early to welcome the 4th of July. They ran around lighting firecrackers and playing with their cousins all day long.
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On another Independence Day, Janette, Helen, and their cousin Bob Minehart were the only children at Grandma’s house. Bob was the second born of Sybil and Paul, and he was the same age as Gordon. They had a great time lighting firecrackers. Dogs tried to get away from all that noise and run off or hide somewhere. Vern’s dog, Duke, invariably hid. Sometimes, they didn’t see the dogs for three days.
Janette, a little skittish about fireworks, always ran a short distance after she lit a firecracker, even a ladyfinger, a tiny firecracker. Once, Janette lit a ladyfinger by the garage gate and scurried but tripped a short distance away. Aunt Nina saw it and laughed.
On July 5, the children still had some firecrackers left over. Helen found an empty laundry box, a cardboard Brillo box. She put her extra firecrackers in that Brillo box for safekeeping. These firecrackers were somewhat stronger than ladyfingers.
Later, while Aunt Nina did the housework, she gathered up all burnable garbage, such as papers, cardboard, and other waste items, and threw it into the kitchen range fire.
Pop, pop, pop noises rang from the range, much louder than the sound of corn popping and more like gunshots. Helen worried that her popping firecrackers would damage the stove, and she wondered if Aunt Nina would be upset about it. But soon, everyone in the house, children and adults, laughed. Helen enjoyed it more than if she had lit each of her firecrackers separately.
Even though I wasn’t there, I can hear Aunt Nina laugh and see Helen’s smile.
As a mother and a grandmother Janette usually planned and hosted a picnic. Yesterday, I texted my nephew to ask if he remembered her July 4th picnics. Of course, he did.
What are your favorite Independence Day memories celebrations?
A friend and fellow writer, Alice Marks, sent this comment to me via email: I love your Jeanette stories!
The City of Cheyenne always had an impressive fireworks show. on July 3, which our family attended. The next day we went to the country where Dad’s sister and husband had a farm, and my dad and my cousin set off fireworks - we had sparklers at night and “punk” to light “snakes" on the sidewalk. Cousin Eddie, my little brother and I had the most fun shooting cap guns at imaginary bad guys. Ed and I, both in our 80s, often chat about the fun we had at the farm not just on the 4th of July but on weekends throughout the year - kicking a bran-new cow lick, the boys sitting on the posts of the barbed wire fence laughing their heads off when something spooked the old nag I was riding, I dropped the reins and held onto her mane until she got tired and I jumped off and landed in a fresh cow pie!There also was the time I was chased by a flock of turkeys and once Ed saved my life when we were climbing a huge cottonwood tree - I lost my footing and if Ed hadn’t grabbed my foot
I would have fallen “two miles” to the ground. One year my brother and I had chicken pox so we couldn’t go any place. My dad bought four sky rockets (illegal) and set them off :in a field near our apartment. Mother made us popcorn and pink lemonade. As we grew older she made us a firecracker cake - a 9x13 cake frosted in white and rolled up and frosted red on the outside with a birthday candle tucked in one end. I made those for my kids,too. I spend 30 years working concessions at Roseville’s Central Park as a fundraiser for the Roseville Community Band, and then we played a patriotic concert ending with the Star Spangled Banner and the fireworks starting at the Rocket’s Red glare!
Now I’m one of those that wish people wouldn’t shoot super-loud illegal fireworks on our street because they terrify our dog even with a thunder shirt and our big brave tomcat hid in the basement while the other had to be held!
The story of the exploding Brillo pad box made me laugh. And isn't it interesting how many years dogs have put up with this annual ruckus!