A Cancelled Fourth

A Cancelled Fourth - Part 1

If there is anything resembling a family tradition in Floriduh it would be both 1) me verbally knocking the cat around and Florida, not necessarily in that order, and) gathering at the Vinoy Park to watch the 4th of July fireworks. I hate the cat because I am allergic to the beasts and now that it is 14 or so years old I can almost taste the non-allergenic air upon its timely demise. The meet at Vinoy is because short of watching them in North Henderson, the St. Pete show is about as good as you can find in these parts.

And I don't think a 4th has ever been free of the rain or the chance of them. However, we have been lucky and the rain has usually dissipated by the time the show starts. Until this year. But before we get to that, the pre-show is watching the people, the planes, the dolphins and the boats in the Bay.

This plane was buzzing around for awhile until the weather started to look really nasty. As the dark clouds rolled in and the wind started picking up, the old restored plane decided to call it a night and landed just a ways down the road at the Albert Whitted airport.

As usual, boat owners lowered anchor just off the sea wall and this side of the now-abandoned Pier.

Kayakers get great seats by doing a little paddling where the boats are. This craft had a couple of redheads ready for the show.

The St. Pete show always attracts a large crowd. The lights int he background is the old Al Lang Field that is now home to the local pro soccer team the Rowdies. Al Lang field used to be the spring training site of the New Your Mets.

A game of chess is a perfect way to while the time until sunset.

But Mother nature would have other plans on this day. Stay tuned for the more of the cancelled 4th at Vinoy.

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