I love the 4th of July. Always have, always will. I can’t tell you how many years I sat on my family’s front porch on Pleasant Street watching the parade. I always loved the horses in the parade but the absolute best part was when my grandfather would march by with the firemen. Of course, those firemen have some goofy ideas too. These pictures were taken by my grandmother in 1980, the year of the very first Bristol Outhouse Race. And that dashing gentlemen riding in the Bristol Fire Department outhouse? That would be my grandfather, who is without a doubt the bravest person I have ever known. Happy 75th Pappa, the 4th just isn’t the same without you.
Now those were the days! Of course the year following this they made the course shorter and Grammy didn’t have to worry about losing Papa down the hill into the river. Some of the best memories I have are the 4th of July in Bristol. Parade going by the porch, bbq in the backyard, the firehouse, henna tattoos on the park, and of course a water fight in the backyard. My Dad was a proud fireman and simply a great man and he is missed dearly. Thankfully we still have Mom/Grammy to reminisce about the wonderful times we had. The 4th is just not the same without him, but he’s alway close in our hearts.