Gratitude Monday: Celebrating the nation

On Friday I mentioned that we in the United States do not celebrate our independence with displays of military might, but with community parades, picnics and fireworks.

(Oh, alright—if you want to count the artillery pieces fired during fireworks-related performances of the 1812 Overture, go ahead. But it’s a stretch.)

And I have some examples for you, taken by my friend Chris at the Warrenton, Va., Old Town Fourth of July parade. Such as this demonstration of sheer mechanized power:

Or this exceptionally fluffy dog:

And, finally, the closest they got to a fly-by:

I am grateful to be a citizen of the country where—for all the faults in our government and our society—a toddler in a pink toy Jeep is how we express ourselves as a people on our biggest national holiday.

(And I'm grateful to Chris for sharing her photos with us.)