'Merica

Happy Fourth, America!

We Houghs mixed it up this year. I'm sure you're aware that, for the last four years or so - since Covid, that is - we've celebrated Independence Day up at Eight Point Lake with my extended family. It's been our go-to for years because, with good weather conditions, one can't beat being on a lake for the holiday, and the lake association's annual flare thingy and its members' personal, firework displays, while not rivaling Midland's by any means, is enough to scratch the itch that you're doing something for the Fourth.

'Good weather' is the kicker, here. This year, we did not have good weather for this weekend - it was to being on-and-off rain all weekend, with my birthday (July 5th, greatest of all calendar days) nearly solid rain all, damn day. This prohibited us from spending our usual extended weekend up at the lake this year, because none of us wanted to be cooped up in the lakehouse for days on and end. If we're up at Eight Point, we want to be out on the lake - we can sit around indoors at home.

A collection of abandoned smartphones at the Bos residence. 

Fortunately, our good friends the Bos family threw out a last-minute invite for a Fourth of July, poolside grill-out, which worked out perfectly. The weather was partly sunny and cloudy for most of the day, with a chance of sporadic rain around dinner time, before ultimately clearing up in the evening. This meant we could hang out by their pool for most of the day, seek temporary shelter under their backyard pavilion if/when it rained, then take the kids downtown for Midland's fireworks.

And, if the weather holds out on Saturday, July 6th, we can always hit up the lake for their annual flares at that point. We'll be crossing our fingers.

So here you go, folks - a change in plans for 2024, which, you know, seems to be the continuing trend for this year.

Enjoy. . .

Folks began to arrive at the Bos' house around 1pm - we were starting early because. . . why not.

Damn It Tom, Erik the Red, Morgan 'Baby Driver' Larson, and Mitch the Pro hanging out under the Bos Backyard Bar (The BBB.)

Grilling up assorted dead animals.

Johnsons were the first to arrive (featuring Ella, who's recovering from knee surgery), followed by us and the Larsons, then the Sheahans.

The Nadgaudas were also able to show up, as they haven't left for Indiana yet.

Kris and Danielle catch up on teenage girl gossip.

Cooling off the dogs in Mitch's pool fountain.

Hot Dads by the pool.

Rocking my usual Fourth of July outfit.

The rain held off for most of the day, but it was pretty overcast for most of the afternoon. Oh well.

Kris, Danielle, Courtney, and Deanna by the pool.

Rob MacLeod - our newest recruit to the tribe - showed up in similarly festive attire.

If it's one thing the Bos' have a lot of, it's pool noodles.

Pretty sure Mitch was the only dad that got in the pool today.

We had a couple hours of solid sunshine at one point, so the adults circled up around the pool and drove the kids away.

Kris, Susan, and the Cannonball.

Danger on the horizon. . .

The Hough girls with Bos' new dog, Charlie.

The girls were getting bored at the Bos' house, so Alayna offered to drive them up to Taco Bell and Starbucks. Of course.

Devouring their spoils at some local park.

Meanwhile, the rain had finally kicked in, so the adults hunkered down under the BBB.

Abby, riding around in the back of The Black Pearl (what Alayna is calling her car these days.)

Rock and roll.

So then Alayna went ahead and did something stupid. According to Michigan law, a teenager can only have one non-family member in their car at any given time (excluding to and from school-sanctioned events.) While her, Abby, and Ella were driving around, it was decided that they should swing by the Larson residence and grab Jackson. Instead of dropping off Abby and Ella at the Bos' house on the way there, Alayna - being a thoughtless teenager and everything - decided instead to just swing by and grab Jackson straight away. When they arrived back at the Bos' house, you can rest assured we tore her a new asshole, and she ended up losing car privileges for a while. Parenting rules.

Erik retrieves a dead shrew from the Bos' pool filter.

(Not sure what she's losing her shit over, here.)

Ella and Abby, catching up on snacks.

Later in the evening, after most of the other families had gone home (most folks had to work on Friday), Kris and Courtney took the girls downtown to the Tridge in order to check out the city's annual firework display (while me and the remaining dads continued to hang out back at the Bos'.)

(These firework shots were all taken from the Cannonball's phone.)

Abby and Ella, watching the city's display. Happy Fourth, America - hopefully next year we'll be able to make the whole Eight Point thing happen again, but this year was still pretty damn fun. Until next time. . .

- Brian