I started Independence Day by going to the sweet corn patch, under one of our irrigation pivots, early yesterday morning and breaking some fresh ears of Obsession, a white/yellow mingled variety. Went back to my shop and shucked it and put 45 ears in the freezer for future meals and cookouts. When leaving the sweet corn patch I noticed that one of our sunflower patches for doves is in full bloom, so I swung by it for a quick pic as the heads were turned facing the early morning sun.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

We have two small fields like this this year, for doves, and I will be planting a 10 acre field in brown top millet either Monday or Tuesday. It matures in 60 days so it should be just about ready for the early season which comes in on the first Saturday of September, which this year is the 6th.

I came home and cooked a rack of baby back ribs along with two ears of the fresh sweet corn, on the grill, for my wife and I. We had a great lunch and I headed down to the river, about two miles from my home, to meet friends for an afternoon on the sandbar.

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

I say "sandbar" tongue in cheek because the river is a little high right now and it's underwater, but as you can see we made the most of it and anchored on top of it and kept cool in the cold water. Lots of friends met up there and we stayed until about 5:30 when we left and went back to the dock at the landing and had boston butts, chicken and ribs that had been slow cooking on a big homemade iron grill all afternoon. A fresh coleslaw and a homemade blackberry cobbler accompanied it. About the time we finished a rainstorm blew in from across the river (South Carolina). We sheltered in and under some of the houses there until it passed, and I headed back home to Queen.

I realize how blessed I am to live where I do, have the opportunities I have, the family and friends I have, and just wanted to share a tiny bit of it with my forum friends here. My wish is for a blessed weekend for you all. It is not lost on me that I have these opportunities because armed citizens took matters into their own hands when they decided freedom was more important than fortune or even life itself and sacrificed for me, delivering us a nation of free men. May we never forget that.

May God bless America and those who defend her.