Fireworks In The Sky, On The Field & On The Courts

While we certainly have no control over “Mother Nature” this past holiday weekend was a big disappointment in regards to the weather. Several days of sunny skies around the Jersey Shore came to an end on Friday and visitors and locals alike had to scramble to make the most of a sun-free weekend. The poor timing was bad for just about everyone, especially those in the tourism industry who were banking on a big weekend but instead had to suffer through three days of clouds and scattered showers.

In Beachwood the 68th edition of Fireworks on the Toms River brought out another large and enthusiastic crowd and they almost made it through the night without getting wet. Rain started falling in the second half of the 30-minute extravaganza but that did not dampen the spirits of young and old alike, many of whom annually conclude the holiday by taking in the fireworks show. In some ways 4th of July just might be the best holiday of the year as it comes with no presents or pressure and is a day all Americans can celebrate and enjoy.

About the only positive associated with a cloudy Sunday was it hade me in front of the TV in the afternoon to witness what many are calling the greatest tennis match of all time. Rafael Nadal outlasted five-time defending champion Roger Federer in an epic men’s final at Wimbledon that saw the two slug it out for nearly five hours plus a couple of rain delays. The match ended after 9pm in England and with no lights had it gone on much longer they would have had to finish it today. The shot-making was incredible and it was gut-wrenching and nerve-racking to watch as the two slugged it out on the grass court.

After the tennis match finally ended I could devote all my attention to the Mets-Phillies game…one that would take nearly 7 hours to complete when you combine 12 innings of baseball with a near three-hour rain delay. The Mets finally prevailed and when it ended the sellout crowd of 45,000 was done to a couple of thousand wet stragglers. After that you could watch the Yankees rally to edge the Red Sox in extra innings to complete a marathon sports day that at least helped make up for the lack of sunshine.