Here we go dear readers!The Independence Day is a very very special
day in the Lander year. For the occasion you are allowed to do several things which are normally not allowed such as walking with an opened alcohol container or driving your car even if you're a little bit drunk (= opened alcohol containers are normally not allowed in the street).
The party starts the night between 3rd and 4th when Dr. Bills, a rich dentist of Lander, offers the town some magnificent fireworks which are accompanied with music, while a voice tells the story of the independence over the radio. What's more the smokes coming out of the fireworks remember the war.
Florian and I looked at fireworks from a patch together with Florian's boss and her big family. We were offered beer and a very good margarita (probably a little bit too strong...). Afterwards I went sleeping (!)
The morning of the 4th I went to the parade with many other people of NOLS. We were all very excited looking at the trucks parading in front of our eyes. People from trucks kept on throwing candies and other stuff in our direction. As I believed I could finally catch something, it was a water balloon!! I got totally wet and everybody laughed out loud! (in the picture you see Matt, the intern working in our department, and other NOLS people).
After the parade we went to the City Park for the Buffalo Barbecue. We paid 6,50 $ for what you see in the picture below + lemonade. The meat is definitely tasty here! After lunch we chilled out on the grass before trying some balance exercise on a rope. It was funny and I wish I could do better as they say it's helpful for climbing learners.
It was about 3 p.m. as we decided to leave to Lucky Lane -where I live- as some neighbours were having a party. The evening before I had prepared 2 cakes: one for my neighbours' barbecue and the other one for the next barbecue at Marianne's place, my colleague where I could ride my first horse. Basically, on Independence Day I had been eating through the whole day.
Marianne lives in a ranch a couple of miles away from the town. I got there with Erin and Claudia, my boss. The place is marvellous; you see a picture of the view of her property where they use to have cows and horses. There we had the most tasty meal of the day. They cooked hamburgers, pasta, beans and some other good stuff which I really appreciated. (I took a picture in the kitchen of Marianne as we were helping her getting ready; see below).
After that Claudia, Erin and I went to the rodeo, which was the most sensational experience of the day. There were cowboys capturing horses, cows, bulls, steers with their ropes. Some other cowboys (and also some cowgirls) rode crazy dangerous horses and bulls. Then some other tried to take the steer from the horns to push it on the ground. It was simply
amazing!We left after more than 2 hours to get to my boss' place from where we looked at the last fireworks of the Independence Day. Essentially everybody makes fireworks: I could count till 12 different firework sources but they were many more (in a town of less than 7000 Inhabitants!).
It was a great day as I could experience so authentically the Western spirit even if some American people coming from other states of USA found it a little bit "American" exaggerated.
Thank you all for your e-mails and comments. Keep on writing, I'm looking forward to hearing about you!
cheers,
Antonella
