It
started out all well and good and fun... went downtown, ate 'Lips 'n Pachos' (
with plenty of Emerald Isle dip!), drooled over mini donuts and ice cream, listened to some music, walked in the water, found a
primo fireworks watching spot in the park, met (most of) the Williams family and settled in for a wonderful fireworks display to celebrate our beautiful country. It was sunny and warm (OK, hot) & turning into a beautiful evening.
Mr. Williams commented that it was, indeed, a beautiful evening... boats were arriving out on the lake, also picking out their primo spots - would be lovely to watch the firworks from the water one year! This year's show was much anticipated, due, in part, to the fact that we didn't have one last year...
someone 'forgot' a part of the safety equipment needed to have a fireworks show. Yeah. Anyhow, the breeze picked up and it felt nice because it had been so hot and still.
Then the breeze became wind, but it felt nice after the few 35+ days that we've had... We were on our bench
(anchored to it, in fact! because if we get up someone else will take it!), taking pictures & laughing and talking, and there was a flash over by Knox Mtn. - hmm...
?lightning?... another flash...
yes! Lightning! But it's
only wind and lightning, no rain, probably just a result of such hot humid weather lately - we'll wait and it will settle down in plenty of time for the fireworks...
Kelli is particularly optimistic that it will clear up. I'm not so sure, however - some of the smaller boats are starting to bounce around pretty good and look like they might be starting to take on water from the now 4-5 foot waves! We're kind of chatting about this and wondering aloud if we should wait some more and see or just go. We decide to wait.
Waves started crashing into the seawall along City Park and the people sitting there were starting to get wet, but most were enjoying the welcome relief from the heat! The wind is carrying the splash from these waves and we are getting a bit of it in our bench seats as well... We waited maybe another 10 minutes before the wind picked up some more and the spray was really carrying back about 30 feet in from the water... we moved back and debated a bit more about staying or leaving.
Kelli was still optimistic that it would clear up and the fireworks would not be canceled... I was getting a little wet, & kinda tired, and starting to think that we should just go if there weren't going to be any fireworks - I had to work early anyhow. Long story short, Shawn and I decided to leave and started making our way thorough the park (avoiding the seawall due to the spray!). We went maybe 30 feet and I turned my ankle into a hole (crater!) in the grass and heard a nasty popping sound... I couldn't walk. Most people assumed I was drunk and couldn't walk, and they just walked right by, but a couple of kind people offered me ice bottles and Shawn ran back to get Kerry & Kelli to help me hobble to the car.
Shawn went to get the car and Kerry & Kelli were helping me literally HOP along, one painful, jarring hop at a time... slow going. A very kind woman offered me a wheelchair to get to the curb where Shawn was just pulling up with the car, & off we went to the hospital. 3 broken bones in my foot. Nice.
Oh, and the best part?!?!?! The wind died down nearly instantly after that, and the fireworks display went ahead after all.
