Independence Day on the Bay

Thanks to some very generous new friends, Matt & Lisa, we got to spend this 4th of July on the water!  We motored out to Boca Ciega Bay in mid-afternoon and enjoyed a little kayaking and swimming before dinner and fireworks.  Our hostess had prepared several racks of ribs and though she brought some sauce to top them off, the meat was eagerly falling off the bone and needed no supplement.  They were easily the best ribs I’ve ever tasted.

The bay began to fill up with anchored boats waiting for the many fireworks shows to come.

After a week or so under storm clouds or the constant threat of rain, the day’s weather could hardly have been more perfect.

Even the dragons came out of hiding to enjoy the day.

(not to kill the mystery, but it’s just a kite)

We were closest to Gulfport’s (very impressive) fireworks display (shown in the two pictures below), but there were several shows visible from the bay.  We saw about four separate shows coming from the beaches (St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island) as well as the show from downtown St. Petersburg, and myriad private and community displays.

(I took tens of pictures, but most of them are too blurry.  Who’d have imagined how hard it is to track and photograph fleeting explosions of light in the dark, from a moving boat.)

Thank you Matt and Lisa for an amazing experience and a great day!