Celebrating the Fourth

As a little girl growing up near Eugene, Oregon I remember family picnics, running in sprinklers, waving sparklers and going to see the big fireworks display at Autzen Stadium on the 4th of July.

While it's the fourth of July here in Czech, none of those things are happening today. BUT! My nod to America's birthday is my first ever harvest of cherries from our own tree after eleven years of living at our house.

To say we've had problems with our fruit trees around here is an understatement! Our yard is a haven for birds and deer, and both have decimated any hope of cherries through the years. I think we're on our third try with this particular tree as the deer like the bark and constantly chew on it, which ultimately kills the tree.

But somehow this tree finally managed to survive after all the unwanted attention from the deer, and today rewarded us with some beautiful red cherries in celebration of America's birthday. At least that's what I told myself as I picked today!

Although there are no fireworks going off here this evening in honor of America's 239th birthday, I'm happy to celebrate with something red to honor my home country.

Happy Birthday America!