After the heat of the weekend which found me mostly indoors, Tuesday, July 4th was a beautiful, pleasantly warm day; the perfect day to be outdoors to celebrate Independence Day. I was so happy that this fun event was brought back this year - I have spent several past July 4th’s in the Fairground’s Redwood grove and it was with much anticipation that I looked forward to doing so again.

I ended up going solo. Our friends who had stopped on their ambitious road trip (Long Beach to Oregon to Washington to Idaho, then Utah, Las Vegas and back home, all in 15 days) had headed out for Coos Bay and Van was back on the ocean, fishing for halibut. He had fished Sunday and Monday, catching an enormous 57 pounder on Saturday, so the fish fever was still running strong. The nice thing about going to a community event in Anderson Valley is that you are never really solo - you know most everyone.

I decided to get into the food line almost immediately. This had the benefit of getting food into me, but also a chance to visit with folks in the line and with folks passing through the line to other refreshments, such as beer and wine, sides and desserts. This decision turned out to be a smart one - I probably stood in line to get my order taken, pay, and then queue up again to actually receive my order, for about 30 minutes. During this time I did speak to my neighbors in line, plus had a few nice visits with folks as they walked to and from the other refreshments. I also had a good view of the games, though it was a bit distant. The foods on the menu were classic - hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs. I decided on a hot dog - the AV Fire Department was doing the cooking and I know from past experience all the choices were good, especially the cheeseburgers, I was just in a hot dog mood.

With food in hand, I walked over to the wine and beer stand and visited with the two men holding down that booth, walking away with a very nice Chenin Blanc from Weatherborne. (I liked the wine so much I went back later for a second glass.) I started back across the lawn, hoping to find someone to sit with as all the tables were pretty full and so I did - my neighbors in Boonville, Sash and Rachel. Rachel and I call each other “cousin” though in fact we are only related by the thinnest of threads and wishful thinking, my uncle having married a distant cousin or aunt of hers long before either of us was born.

The cake auction was the next item on the agenda and Sash and I determined that we would buy one. We set our sights on two of the cakes, one of which turned out to be a popular cake amongst the other bidders. We let the first few cakes pass and the bids were on the low side. When the first cake we wanted came along, we bid until we realized it was going to go for more than we were budgeting. This cake ended up being bid up between two good friends, each quickly upping the bid almost faster than the other could. It inspired the crowd and the bidding on the cakes really took off from there. We almost had the next cake on our wish list, but at the last minute someone walked up from no where and bid and the gavel fell. We enjoyed watching the rest of the bidding and gazing at the delicious cakes available. At the end of the afternoon I was given a slice of Julie Winchester’s fabulous peanut butter chocolate cake by that cake’s winning bidder - oh my, but was that the best thing to complete my day?

The next events were the watermelon eating contest and the chicken calling contest. It always amazes me to watch the kids dig into watermelon face-first, arms behind their backs. Folks young and old did their best to sound like their favorite hen or rooster, some quite good, others funny or simply sweet. My favorite was the little girl with one shoe on and one shoe who knows where.

The afternoon was polished off with the tug of war between the Deep Enders and the High Rollers. I am a Deep Ender (well, really I live on Vinegar Ridge, but since it’s everyone on either side of the Mason Dixon Line, I fall into the Deep Ender category) and I can remember the first few years of this event the Deep Enders were quite successful. Then it got more competitive and even. This year was a blow out in favor of the High Rollers. No sooner had the whistle blown, the Deep Enders were quickly dragged south by the HIgh Rollers. Over almost before it had begun.

Overall, it was a beautiful day and a wonderful way to spend time with friends and neighbors. Games, good food and drink, and lots of socializing, just what a celebration requires.

Boonville Old Time 4th of July, 2023