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Fireworks in the Mountains

Celebrating Independence

A garden update from the last post: I’m happy to announce that the lettuce that the chickens ate down to the soil is growing back quite nicely and will be ready for consumption within a few days.

And now on to the main post:

Elk River hosts an annual Independence Day celebration they call “Fireworks in the Mountains,” but they don’t necessarily hold it on the 4th of July, but on the weekend before or after if the 4th happens to be mid-week. The event attracts a lot of people and the general store stays open late to sell its famous huckleberry ice cream. Of course, the local bar wasn’t doing to bad on business either.

The actual fireworks show was small, but the allure is that the loud bang can be heard reverberating off of the mountains all the way down the upper basin and back. However, the hoards of people visiting and camping had brought their own fireworks, and many bought some pretty big and expensive pieces, the kind that are illegal in most states. These added supplemental entertainment while waiting for the real show to begin.

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