Like a thousand, thunderous, marching soldiers, the storm rushed to our southwestern flank as the trees stiffened and postured, ready for battle, like great sentinels.  The lightening cracked and thunder roared like munitions over head while the rain fell like shrapnel.  The landscape shuddered and quaked beneath the campaign until a fracture of sunlight broke through the olive-drab assault, and peace and tranquility were again restored.  Free from the tyranny of Mother Nature’s wrath.

As we approach the 4th of July, celebrating our independence from England and honoring our forefathers who fought, drafted and adopted the Declaration of Independence, I thought it befitting to share a few, fun facts.

John Adams believed we should celebrate Independence Day on July 2nd, the day the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, rather than July 4th when the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826 – the 50th anniversary.

Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.

Early July 4th celebrations sometimes included mock funerals for King George III.

Massachusetts was the first state to make July 4th an official state holiday.

In 1870, July 4th became a federal holiday.

In 1941, a provision was added to grant the 4th of July as a paid holiday for federal employees.

56 signers, including the infamous John Hancock, signed the Declaration of Independence.

$3.1M worth of American flags are exported each year with Mexico as the biggest consumer.

England, once our adversary, is our 8th best trading partner, valued at $114.1B

The Liberty Bell is tapped 13 times on July 4th in honor of the 13 original colonies.

Celebrate our nation’s birth with zest and fervor.  After all, she’s the greatest country on God’s green earth!

Plant of the Week

Tiny Dancer Sneezeweed

You gotta love the name…  Bright yellow fringed flowers that resemble a dancer’s twirling skirt surround a spherical, brown cone.  Blooms August – October.  Prefers sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.  Grows 18-24″ high and 12-18″ wide.  Attracts pollinators and is native to the Midwest.

“Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men, and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.”

-Dwight D. Eisenhower

Best wishes for a happy and safe 4th of July,

Kim, Tom & Tim Sweeney