Rich on the Road

Thursday night in Addision -- at the Kaboom Town celebration -- instantly makes my Top Ten 4th of July (even though it was, technically, on the 3rd of July) Memories -- probably Top Three.  More on why in a moment but, first, let me recap the contenders.

1986.  Grand celebration for the re-furbished Statue of Liberty in New York.  KDFW-TV (then a CBS affiliate) sent Clarice Tinsley and I and a crew of 4-5 others to cover it.  We had a blast doing stories in the days leading up to the 4th.  I sailed into New York harbor on a foggy morning aboard the historic tall ship Elissa from Galveston.  I featured Texas rockers at a famous New York nightclub.  But, it was all topped off by watching fireworks over Lady Liberty from a park in New Jersey on the night of the 4th.  Exploding lights framing the Statue of Liberty with the Manhattan skyline in the background and all reflecting off the water.  What a memory!

2004.  County Fairgrounds just outside Yosemite National Park in Mariposa, California.  Old-fashioned fireworks with Catherine and the Nugents (sister, brother-in-law, beloved nieces) on a perfect summer evening. 

Sometime in the 90's.  Catherine, daughter Kristina and me in the back of my pickup at Vista Ridge Mall in Lewisville with the fireworks exploding right overhead.  The oohs and aahs of a pre-teenaged child on a night to savor.

2008.  Might be the best ever.  Catherine, oldest son Nick (wife Simone, unfortunately, had to work) and I were invited by Kevin Raulie and the folks at the great Cavanaugh Flight Museum to a hangar at Addison Airport and one of the best 4th of July celebrations ever.  The Cavanaugh provides most of the vintage War Planes for the Kaboom Town celebration every year and we had the best seat in the house to watch them warming up, flying overhead and then returning to the hangar.

We got to meet an American hero -- Dana Bowman -- after his sky diving feats.  Dana is a former special forces soldier and member of the U.S. Army's elite parachute team, The Golden Knights.  He lost parts of both legs in a 1994 accident but went on to earn "worldwide recognition as a motivational speaker and skydive demonstrator."  Dana and his family live near Weatherford and I hope to do something with him someday on Fox 4 News.

But, the topper to the night was, of course, Kaboom Town fireworks.  Again, we had a ringside seat. 

And, when it was over, we beat most of the traffic out of Addison. 

A 4th of July to remember -- even if it was on the 3rd..

Rich