The 4th of July...2009

I have always loved fireworks but I'm glad that it is over this year!!! What happened to the good 'ole days when fireworks were only legal to light off on the of the 4th??? This year (and last) I've had to hear the squealing, cracking, and whistling of random fireworks beginning as early as the 1st! It is not really me who has the issue with it...it's the dogs (even more specifically, Baylie). At the first sound of a boom, scream, or pop she is set off on a barking spree that is tough to cease! Each night has been an adventure...I even brought my big box fan into the bedroom to help drown out the outside noises and although it helps, it does not prevent the barking! So on the 4th with my brother, (his dog Kailey) and his girlfriend Amy in town for the holiday we'd planned to have a simple BBQ/swim/hang out evening at Mom's house and then the two of them were going to the bluffs to see the big fireworks. Now...the planning began because my sister and her husband had gone to Canada on a weeks vacation and were now in Seattle for the 4th. Typically they give tranquilizer pills to their dogs because the fireworks upset them so much...but mom and I weren't comfortable just giving them pills and leaving them alone at their house so I picked them up on the way over to the BBQ. It was practically a zoo in the backyard once my carload arrived...it was the 4 of us (Mom, Wayne, Amy, and I) plus my brother's friend Jake and then 5 dogs...my 2 (Baylie & Ginger), my sister's 2 (Blue & Liberty), and my brothers 1 (Kailey). All the dogs had fun and enjoyed the smells of the BBQ. After dinner I stayed in the house while everybody else went outside to light the few fountain fireworks that Wayne got while the dogs and I watched through the window. Baylie (of-course) barked at every sound and flicker of strange light, Ginger and Liberty seemed intrigued, Kailey hid down the hall under a bed, and Blue slept on the couch. I drove Blue and Liberty home around 10pm but as I drove up their street there were still some big parties happening in the street and aerials exploding over the golf course. I decided that without the tranq. pills I was afraid to leave them alone in case the dug out or ran away etc. just one day before Sherry & Matt got home! So I went inside to get their beds and drove home for a "sleep-over". All the dogs were crazy tired and we went strait in to bed...I read for a while to make sure everyone settled in comfortably. They all slept well until 4am...when Blue and Liberty had to go outside. The bathroom break was no trouble but settling everyone back down in hopes of taking in a couple more hours of sleep was another story!!! By 6am I gave up and woke up to feed my girls breakfast and take Blue and Liberty home for their breakfast. I may have gone overboard a bit but I couldn't bear to think of anything bad happening...as it was today I've seen multiple "lost dog" signs on the mailboxes! All in all...it was a happy laid back 4th with just a few extra precautions! Hope yours was good too!