As we merged into traffic on the interstate, I wondered about the vehicles just 10 to 15 minutes ahead of us. Folks who were crossing this land we call home, that most others call desolate. Where it is 90-100 miles between towns.

What was it like to come around that hill that shelters our community, thinking about the hour and a half that it will take to get to the next stop, only to be suddenly confronted with the unexpected sparkling flashes of an American fireworks show?

Wife and I have done that, at least once. Traveling on Independence Day. That feeling of being 'specially blessed when you accidentally catch sight of someone else's celebration. That sense of unity with the folks over there, laying on the grass or sitting on their lawn chairs, that you have never known, and will never meet.

Tonight was not the most enjoyable show we've had. Were late getting to town, so we took seats along the curbing above Dave's place. On one of our first shows here, we parked behind Alco, next to the empty field where the firemen set off the charges. The west wind carried the displays towards us, bathing us in the smell and showering us with still burning embers. Had to stomp a few out. The sonic charges sounded like they were just above our heads, and perhaps some were.

But the wind was away from us tonight, reducing the blasts, and depriving us of the childhood memories that the aroma of fireworks brings.

Seemed to be a lot more red, white and blue this year, and less green, gold and purple. Why am I not surprised. And a few new ones. The big spherical ones, where half the sphere was blue, and half red, with a smaller white ball inside were new. As were the red rings with conical white blasts coming out the sides.

And as usual, one that failed to work, and exploded only a few meters above ground. Showering the firemen with sparks. Now what has that got to be like?

Our new neighbor to the south (he only bought the place a year or so ago, so he's still 'new') has had a flag out this week. 24/7. The good, surprising thing about that?

He's got a spotlight under it, so it is lit all night. Cool. But I'm glad he's not next door to our bedroom.

The heeler Mom was startled when she came out this evening. Standing on the sidewalk and staring at that apparition across the street.

Reporter from the paper stopped by this afternoon for the pamphlet our outfit puts out on reducing deer damage in urban areas. Suspect our local controversy is going to last all summer and fall. At least until we get some rain to green up the rest of the range.

But she was disappointingly impressed with our front flower garden.

Impressed because it is lush, full of small trees, and lots of things she considers hard to grow in our climate (like asparagus). But she was disappointingly impressed because I told her we don't tend it, or plant it, or care much for it at all. Seeded a bunch of things, and then just stepped back to see what they would do.

We like the natural look.

Get the impression she spend a lot of time and money trying to get what we have coming up like weeds. Perhaps she tries too hard.

My interview a week or so ago on the 'deer in town' subject ended up taking up a third of the front page. Reporter wrote it to make me sound a lot more intelligent and organized than our conversation really was. But wife had several co-workers comment positively on it.

Word is, the boss's boss liked it.

And today, when we stopped in at the coffee shoppe after watching Men in Black II (which was good, but somehow reminded me of when they take a good movie and make a TV series out of it... kind of a pale copy), the proprietor motioned me over, and let me know he was pleased with what I had to say. Nice of folks to let me know.

Suspect the topic is not going to go away. Only three letters to the editor in today's paper, and all three were on the deer. And that has been the trend for a couple weeks, now. Two pro deer, and one actually supporting the city council's demand that the deer be removed.

Be interesting to see how this reporter writes up her article (her garden was doing well until the neighbor's fence blew down, allowing the deer to get in). She's got the soap bars out there hanging, and says they work.

And speaking of the deer in town. On the way home, we spotted a deer hiding in the underpass under the interstate. Presumably scared out of town by the fireworks and people (like the killdeer and avocets that were flying circles around in the dark). Hopefully won't find a deer sandwich on the asphalt in the morning.