Fireworks and UFO Watch

The Bass Festival is going strong in Rio Vista. Down town (yes, we do have a downtown!) streets are all blocked off and today at 12:30 there will be a parade. There's a carnival, lots of booths, lots of beer, and lots of music. The town is crawling with beer bellied fisherman with their bass boats and fishing gear. The Festival queen has been coronated - Miss Bass Festival 2006 - a proud moment for some young lady. It's all good fun in a small town, middle America kind of way. Last night the town had their annual fireworks display. Most towns do that on Fourth of July, but here in Rio Vista the Bass Festival is more important.

We decided we would go in to town to see the fireworks, which were promised to be spectacular. Since we couldn't get to the down town area without walking about 10 blocks, we decided to go up on the hill overlooking the Sacramento River. The fireworks were going to be fired at 8:30p from a barge on the River just south of Rio Vista Bridge. When we left home we had intended to walk around downtown some, so we left early - a little after 6:00. Since parking downtown was so terrible, we decided to go on to our fireworks watching spot. When we found the spot that seemed perfect, it was still daylight. Our spot was on an isolated road, in a turn out that backed up against a hill. We were sheltered from the wind and had a perfect view of the river.

Then the sun went down. Darkness the color of ink set in. It was the kind of setting UFO abductees describe. We were in pitch black on an isolated road and we began remembering every serial killer movie we had ever seen. The only visible lights were from boats on the river down below - too far away to be of benefit to us. A park, beach and camp ground were down the road from us, so an occasional car would pass, each containing potential serial killers. Windows up and doors locked, we waited, imaginations working overtime. Suddenly a car pulled up along side us. In the darkness we could barely see the park ranger sign on the vehicle - he was just checking to make sure we were ok.

Finally the fireworks began and they were all they were promised to be - genuinely spectacular and well worth the long scary wait. Our viewing spot was perfect, like we were right in the display. We decided then and there that next year we will take another couple or two with us and make it a tailgate party. We didn't see a UFO, or even a shooting star, but who knows - maybe next year.