'Merica

Kris takes a selfie with the lake for her wife squad.

Happy Birthday, America. . .

. . . er, rather, Happy Commemoration of the Day a Couple of Wealthy Oligarchs Decided to Publish a Break-Up Letter to King George III, as the Rest of the Cowardly Founding Fathers Decided to Wait a Couple Months Before Signing It.

(American History is fun.)

Anyway, this year to celebrate our mutual loathing of all things monarchical, the Houghs opted to return to our family lakehouse up at Eight Point Lake.  The weather was pretty oppressive this weekend - mid-90s and sunny, with zero chance of rain - so having access to water (i.e. a lake) was essential.  Plus, most towns throughout mid-Michigan had cancelled their firework shows due to Covid-19 (yes, that's still a thing), but up at Eight Point Lake - where folks are naturally spread out - people planned on lighting off their own firework displays (as you'll see in a sec.)

I think, as parents, it's a legal requirement that you show your kid fireworks on Independence Day.  Pretty sure.

So yeah, here's a brief run-down of how we spent our Fourth of July this year. . .

You can almost feel how hot and humid this picture is. . . mid-90s, not a cloud in the sky.  All weekend.

Alayna's BFF, Maddie, came along with us for the weekend.  Alayna does much better if she has a squad-mate in tow for things like this.

The lily pad is a big hit with kids.

We rolled in about 1pm, and Yours Truly immediately set to work getting bronzed.  An hour or so later, however, I received notification that I had a package (a new uke) arrive at Dad and Cindy's from Amazon (I scheduled/arranged it to arrive there, as their house is about a half-hour closer than our house in Midland.)  Not wanting the package to sit in the mid-90s sun for a prolonged period of time, I left the cottage and drove in to Clare to pick it up.

My newest axe, the Cordoba 25T-CE.  I've been wanting an acoustic/electric ukulele for awhile, so after months of research online - hours upon hours spent perusing multiple sites - I landed on this one.  There were nicer-looking instruments out there, for sure, but none that were rated as well for sound.  It handles a lot like my existing Cordoba tenor, but has a different tone (it's solid acacia wood instead of solid koa.)  I'm a big fan.

Dad took the girls out for a ride in Cindy's new golf kart.

The Cannonball and her floatie.

About to enjoy a Rough Rider - my favorite of La Gallera's line - on the mandatory sunset cruise.

Abby works on Nana's hair.

A solid portion of my Eight Point pictures are always taken on the sunset cruise. . .

   

 Typical Hough sunset cruise.

Obligatory sunset pics. . .

Another one of these shots.  'Cause I'm artsy.

Alayna and Maddie

Back on shore

We opted to have a bonfire that evening, but the bugs - as usual - were pretty bad.  We didn't linger too long.

 

At the end of the night, the fam decided to check out the televised play, Hamilton, which debuted on Friday on Disney+.  I absolutely loathe Hamilton (the historical figure, not the play), but relented to watch the play anyway (it is Fourth of July weekend and everything.)

The next morning, getting ready for the day with a coffee (and pictures.)

Kris wanted a picture of me in my red-white-and-blue tie-died shirt that she made for me one evening while her and the other moms in our friends group were tie-dying shirts.  I suppose it's my most patriotic pajama shirt.

After breakfast, Dad, Abby and I drove into Lake Station to pick up some non-projectile fireworks (my parents were afraid projectiles would damage the boat hoist covers.)  We found this shower fountain and couldn't possibly pass it up (the kid looks absolutely INSANE.)

In the afternoon, following lunch and the eventual arrival of the Whites, it was finally time to take the kids out on the lake to enjoy some boating and tubing.

 Some footage Kris took with her phone.  I didn't bother bringing my SLR up to the cottage this time around - I feel like I have enough tubing pictures at this point.

Back ashore, I helped myself to one of these bad boys (that you can only purchase up in the U.P.)  Upper Hand Brewery is a branch of Bell's, believe it or not - this was a pretty decent hot-weather, low-ABV beer.

A couple moms, tanning their butts.

 Abby's a big fan of running off the dock. . .

Gotta say it, I'm a big fan of smoking a pipe.  If this is what ends up killing me, so be it.

Some post-dinner hanging out on the back deck.

The kids, watching some TV in the lower level of the cottage (that random kid was one of Bradley's friends, I forget the dude's name - I think it might've been Slater.)

The Cannonball and her go-to picture face.

Kris and Jill took the golf kart out for a quick trip down South Shore Drive, stopping before they hit gravel, as they knew the parents would freak out if any dirt got on the golf kart.

Going out for an evening, not-quite-sunset cruise around the lake with the Whites (sans the little kids, thank God.)

(I'm more patriotic than you.)

Not sure why I look handicapped here, or why it looks like I'm feeling up my dog.  I was just trying to pet him.  Oh well.

Another Kris selfie.

In celebration of my 40th Birthday (which is coming up tomorrow), Cindy made a brownie cake for me (well, really for the kids - I don't get down with sugar very much.)  Instead of waiting for me to blow out candles and go through the whole song-and-dance of wishing me a Happy Birthday and everything, Jill and some of the kids prematurely tore into it shortly after dinner.  Definitely a lotta love in this family. . .

Preparing for the night's firework display. . .

 

Kicking off with the evening's sparklers. . .

 

Look - a high schooler playing with sparklers.

Awaiting the start of the fireworks

So the tradition up here at Eight Point has a lone water-skier, bearing a flare as a signal torch, cruise along the entirety of the lake's shore.  As he passes by each cottage on the lake, the residents of each cottage light of a few flares - provided by the lake's residential organization.  Ultimately, the lake is lit with red flares (this year, I'd say about half the lake was lit up.)

As you can see here.

Brian lights off our flares.

Flares along the neighbor's shoreline (their cottage is frickin' huge.)

Lights around the lake

After the flares had been going for awhile, we decided to dig into the sparking shower fountains we purchased earlier in the day. . .

Behold - the fury of the previously-mentioned Tommy Rocks incendiary. . . 

Tommy did not disappoint.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel we had a few 'deluxe sparklers' that we had picked up for the younger kids. . . not much to these things.

Abby's $5 'sparkler gun.'  Total waste of money, but I guess she was happy with it.  Whatever floats your boat, kid.

- Brian