The 4th of July - continued

We were all set up in the front of the Mall, ready to sit down and watch the fireworks.   Just after finding a nice spot to settle down, we heard a bunch of announcements saying that because of an incoming lightening storm, we all had to exit the Mall.  

After the very long and emotional day of keeping the boys inside of the Mall, despite their exhaustion and high emotions, the event police started shooing everyone out until the lightening went away.  We were very hesitant to leave, since we didn't think the boys would be able to handle exiting and re-entering the Mall.  So, we tried to slowing edge towards the exit, without actually leaving.  Unfortunately, the more the even police tried to empty the Mall, the more Emmett wanted to comply and the the more Robert put his foot down, refusing to leave.  Both dug in their heals and there was a clash of wills for about 30 min.  

Finally, Emmett won out, as the event police started to get much more insistent.  We joined in the last of the hanger-oners, and made it out to the road.  There, we were hit by a second problem.  The middle of D.C. was blocked off, and so we couldn't leave if we wanted to come back in.   However, the storm had made its way to the heart of D.C.  

None of the crowd knew where to go.  Finally we found out that one of the Smithsonians was opened  to the public.  All of us in that area filed in and sat down all over the floors.  We spent about an hour there before the storm passed and everyone was pushed back out.  The storm had passed, but it was still drizzling.

The boys joined some other people in the open spaces of a wall.

It was pretty miserable as we waited for the fireworks.  But there were suppose to go off at 10.  The time for the fireworks kept getting pushed back, a half an hour at a time.  Because we never really knew when the fireworks were going to go off, we didn't dare go back into the long line to go back into the Fair.  Instead, we found a good spot and waited.  

We did have a pretty good view where we were. 

Finally at 11:59, the fireworks started.  

They were Trump-tastic.  We knew they were going to be crazy, and they did not disappoint.

Happy 250th, America!