July 3, 2011, Lafayette, Louisiana, 9:47 p.m., D.S.T.~

Dear Journal~

Happy (almost) Fourth of July!!

I hope you are staying safe and celebrating without getting too crazy.  You have to watch out, not only for yourself, but the next fellow, too.  They want to have fun as much as you do.

I am looking forward to tomorrow.  I will be going to the parade tomorrow morning (parade starts at 9 sharp!); after that, I will be going out to eat with Mike and Britnee.  Then, after that, we will go to Cajun Field, where they will have a huge Fourth of July celebration.  I will be singing tomorrow afternoon with my band, "CAJUN HEAT!" and then again during the special Patriotic Show.  

The only thing that will be missing: the fireworks.  It won't be the same without them.  Not even firecrackers or sparklers are allowed.  Anyone caught with them in their possession will be prosecuted and hauled off to jail; they will also pay a hefty fine.  So the only fireworks I will be seeing are the ones on television ... or any videos I see on YouTube.  

BUMMER.  You're talkin' MAJOR bummer!!  :(

Britnee, my roomie, is still moaning about the fireworks (or the lack of them).  I am not too thrilled about it either, but with everything being so tinder-dry, one can't take any chances without risking burning Louisiana all up to a crisp!

At least I get to see SOME fireworks, even if it IS by television or my computer!!  Better than not seeing ANY at all,  y'know??  :)

The weather is hot and dry.  The grass is turning brown and hard and the ground is cracking up.  The water table is going gown; the bayous are starting to feel the pinch of the lack of rain.  The alligators and other critters are going mad with the heat; if one sees a wild critter or an alligator, they'd best steer clear, or else they could end up as their meal!

The fishing and boating industry is taking a hard hit from the drought; people are losing money, and desperate times are ahead of us if we don't get any rain or relief from the heat/drought soon!

There may be a Tutt Low forming in the Gulf, so we may get some decent rain fall sometime next week.  I hope so; we could stand to get some beneficial rains!!  And it would spell slightly cooler temperatures too, which would be GREAT!!

Talked to my family the other day: they're gearing up for their annual trek to the Red, White, and BOOM! Festival back home in Nashville, Tennessee; at least THEY get to see fireworks live and in person while I have to resort to other means!  I am NOT happy about this stupid drought!!

My joints are happy, but as for ME, I'm NOT.  The stupid drought killed any chances of me seeing ANY fireworks this year for the Fourth!!  It's gonna be an awful quiet Fourth of July without any fireworks!! :(

Well, if I want to be human tomorrow (gonna be one LONG day!!), I'd best shut this down and go to bed.  So until next time, this is Ronee' saying so long; have a very happy and safe Fourth of July full of family, fun, food, freedom, and FIREWORKS (though not for me ... BLAST! :( )!  God bless!

~Love., your friend in Louisiana, Ronee' Le-Anne.  :)