Party in the USA

For the past two summers, we've been in the UK for the 4th of July. We kicked off our first Independence Day back in Texas by celebrating with some friends at their ranch, located in Medina County about an hour's drive from our house. 

In case you're looking for a place to host a family reunion or to do a bit of hunting, you can't beat this location. If you go for no other reason than the outdoor pavilion, then it was money well spent.

In case you want to check out out this hill country escape - Still Fox Ranch - here is a link you can follow to see what it's all about.  Still Fox Ranch website

It was a stress free holiday for us. The kids entertained themselves on the golf cart, riding across part of the 400+ acres under high fencing. With exotic hoofed critters, it's like having the set of "Wild Kingdom" on your doorstep. When the two-legged varmints got tired of cruising around, they had the chance to fish from the dock of the stocked pond, relax in one of several hammocks under the shade trees, do a little archery practice or swim in the pool.

In the pic above, you can see the covered rock cooking pit in the foreground, with a precious little stone chapel on the other side of the pool. We feasted on barbecued sausage, ribs and chicken with all the fixin's as the sun started its descent into the tops of the trees. 

Once it got full-on dark, the kids were busy setting off all the fireworks their dads were conned into purchasing the day before at the local stand. While the middle school crowd set off the tamer fireworks from the dock, the older crowd set off the big, showy ones. This time of year, the hill country is usually suffering drought conditions. Luckily, the burn ban was temporarily lifted so that individuals were allowed to shoot fireworks without fear of setting off a massive blaze.

Here are a few little videos I made of the display put on for the adults. Check out how the first little clip looks like a smiley face when it initially explodes. Happy Birthday, America!