Things that go bump in the night

Our friends Susan and Jon joined Sue and me for dinner Thursday and brought some funny little fireworks left over from the 4th of July. One was a Pagoda that supposedly would light up and float through the air. I was going to photograph this wonder, but the fireworks, which were cheap to begin with, only fizzled a little and blew out in a cloud of foul-smelling smoke. Sue, who is skeptical about backyard fireworks anyway, laughed uproariously and declared, "Isn't this just always how it is?" Her laughter was infectious and we decided the failure of the fireworks was actually more fun than the success would have been. And isn't that just always how it is?

Thank you for your appreciation of that last Bella photo and for your sympathies for my daughter. I am delighted to reveal that she is arriving by air Saturday night, her ticket a gift of her brother (Bella's father). She will be with us for a week of much-needed rest and recovery. The last time she was in town was Christmas of 2012, so we are very happy to have a return visit.