A Quiet July 4th

Our flag -- an official version 1789 to past 1812 -- hangs on the front deck rail with two cats supervising. This flag has 15 stars to signify that many states in the Union at that time. It was in 1789 at the ending of the Revolutionary War that New York became state and this was the flag flying here in Oxford at that time. It is also similar to the flag flying over Ft. McHenry in Maryland when the British ships were firing their cannons and Francis Scott Key wrote the words to the Star Spangled Banner. After that someone did none of us a favour by setting them to music which no one can sing.
Well, that's it for our holiday. The morning started with parades in each town and villages and wretched firecracker and fireworks later into the evening. They were muffled and far away so no problem really. But the backyard neighbour who set off a cherry bomb at 1:42 p.m. and jarred all of us out of our naps, he is another matter!
End of brief history/.legend...