<p>YAY! We had a few - like 2 - hours of sun this afternoon! Hope springs eternal…</p>
<p>We really need our rain back. It is 85 degrees back home. And lots of happy Mariners’ fans, per our local paper’s webpage.</p>
<p>Hey, I guess it worked! We’ve got a lightning storm outside and a few drops hit us on our way out of the movies tonight. 
Thanks, NE friends! Hope you enjoy the sunshine!</p>
<p>We left Cape Cod this morning on the perfect beach day-- and the first sunny day we’ve had all week. Figures!</p>
<p>I keep telling myself it’s just as well. We all fry in the sun anyway. But still…</p>
<p>D1 says it’s 85 and sunny today in Boston. Where was that weather last week when we were there?</p>
<p>Deep south Texas here. No significant rain widespread rain since LAST September. Two summers ago we had 22" in July. I would welcome that now, but I’m afraid it would only come with some horrible tropical disaster. Not looking forward to the inevitable water rationing. </p>
<p>Ok, back to my rain dancing…</p>
<p>We went to see the fireworks (together, apparently, with half a million people) and it was a lovely, balmy evening, with a near full moon.</p>
<p>Happy days are here again!!!</p>
<p>Marite-We watched from Boston Commom, a beautiful night.</p>
<p>We can see the fireworks from our house… this is the first year I did not invite lots of folks over… cause the forecast was so lousy… and voila!!! we have a wonderful evening, perfect temperature, clear skies… and the company called last minute, turns out we had a great crowd and enjoyable fireworks…one of the kids even commented “I feel like I am in Beijing” and today’s paper said the city of Portland had hired the company that did the Beijing Olympics… how lucky are we??</p>
<p>We watched fireworks on our lake - all just done by different families. But quite excellent. Don’t remember doing that in past years. With little ones, we were focused on our own little mini fireworks and sparklers. </p>
<p>Loved seeing the displays last night, but have to say I was wistful for the days of little ones and sparklers.</p>
<p>We watched fireworks here last night too. A related report I saw stated that there has <em>never</em> been measurable rain in San Diego on July 4 since records have been kept starting around 1850 or so.</p>
<p>No fireworks here, except in restricted areas. Some idiot set off fireworks in North Houston and burned down an apartment complex. We’ve had three people in Houston die from heat in the last week, even though the city and Reliant Energy set up cooling stations all over town. </p>
<p>Oh yes, my HOA also sent out a letter warning homeowners they will be fined for all the dead grass. That’s always a nice gesture in summer here.</p>
<p>Fireworks are illegal here. The only thing allowed are the big commercial shows put on by cities which are done such that they don’t start fires.</p>
<p>We really noticed all the fireworks stands in the NE when we were there last week since there are none around here.</p>
<p>I’m glad it cleared up for fireworks in the NE. I read that NYC had the biggest display in the nation so that must be something to see.</p>
<p>The display in Boston was pretty spectacular, too. We were on the Longfellow bridge, so did not hear the Pops and Neil Diamond, but a few people began singing “Sweet Caroline.” We saw David Gergen making his way through the polyglot throngs.</p>
<p>Two days of sun! I’m so much happier. Our yard is still so wet though, that yesterday I found a snapping turtle the size of a dinner plate crawling across the back yard! But…there are no ponds or streams neaby. Wildlife must be totally confused.</p>
<p>We left New England on June 24th. I was practically jumping up and down on my airplane seat, anxious to break thru the clouds and see the SUN for the first time in weeks! We were in the Carolinas for 9 days. Every day was bright sun, blue skies, temps 95 to 100 degrees. The only time we complained about the heat was during an hour-and-45-minute walking tour of a college. Otherwise we were happy - because D kept getting texts from her friends back in New England: “it’s raining” “it’s thundering” “we’re having a hail storm.”</p>
<p>Apparently we brought the sunshine back home with us. Today is sunny, dry and 80 degrees. </p>
<p>D, S and DH are the tannest people in town. On the other hand, you can’t tell I even left the rain-soaked area. My family wore #10 sunscreen and laid in the sun. I wore # 30 and stayed mostly in the shade. </p>
<p>Bonus - the local fireworks were delayed last week due to rain, they’re having them tonight so we aren’t missing them!</p>
<p>marite, et al, - will someone please explain the significance of Sweet Caroline on the east coast?</p>
<p>We were at a wedding in Boston last weekend (the bride’s name is a derivative of Caroline), so I thought it was cute when the band played Sweet Caroline, but then someone said the song is a huge east coast ‘tradition’. Huh??</p>
<p>“Sweet Caroline” is THE song played in every bar/club/party/wedding/ juke box, always riles the crowd up into a raucous rendition of the old song.</p>
<p>teriwtt, I think it is a Boston tradition, since it is played at Boston Red Sox games. They even had Neil Diamond perform at the July 4th festivities in “Bahston.”</p>
<p>“Sweet Caroline” is the theme song of Red Sox Nation. It’s played during the 8th inning of every Red Sox home game.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
[Boston</a> Red Sox - Another mystery of the Diamond, explained at last - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/05/29/another_mystery_of_the_diamond_explained_at_last/]Boston”>http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/05/29/another_mystery_of_the_diamond_explained_at_last/)</p>