Summer Begins

This weekend was all about being outside surrounded by people.

On Friday night, we went to the Northfield Drive-in to see Batman Begins. The movie was actually pretty good, but at a drive-in, the feature film is only part of the attraction. The rest of it is the starry sky, the flashes of fire-flies, the murmur of people in their cars, the squeek of folding chairs, the flickering flames of citronella candles, and the gradual cooling of the warm summer evening.

On Saturday night, we went to a barbecue and then the Easthampton Fireworks. The actual firworks display was excellent. It was close and powerful and very loud. A sign of a good fireworks routine is when there is absolutely no question when the grand-finale is over. This one was like that, after the explosiveness, when even the most cynical wise-cracking teenager is shut-up in awe, there was no doubt... the show was over. But at this kind of event, the fireworks are only part of the attraction. The rest of it is the people-watching, the field full of glow-sticks and nuclear decorations, the smell of snack trucks, the kitch of the band, and the feeling of the grass beneath the blanket.

Well-done Easthampton. You're only fault was including a prayer in your tribute speeches. That kind of freaked me out. The mixture of patriotism and religion is scary and dangerous thing. But I'll try to put that out of my mind, here come the fireworks.

And Sunday, it was another bar-b-q. This one featured lawn darts, which was far more fun than it seemed like it should be. Happy birthday, Bruce Tull and Steve Desaulniers. Happy summer, everyone.