A Capitol Fourth Dress Rehearsal

Depending on the weather the day before and the day of the Fourth of July - and our mood - we sometimes walk over to the Capitol Fourth dress rehearsal on the westlawn of the Capitol building. That way, we avoid the already large crowds on the Fourth and get a flavor for the real show. Last evening we decided it would be a good idea since it was only 85 degrees, and the likelihood of rain was higher for today. After passing through security we located a spot to the side of the main section and plopped down for the next hour. We couldn't see much because everyone was standing, there were a lot of trees, and the screen that showed whatever was going on wasn't working. But eventually things straightened out and we could at least see the Four Tops after The Beach Boys finished up. The place was really packed and made me wonder how large the crowd would be for the real show tonight. There were quite a few goofs and delays throughout the rehearsal but no one seemed to care. The fireworks were on display and heard over by the nationals stadium that coincided with the end of the performances. This evening we will go over to the house office building park area and wait for the fireworks that start at 9. In Milwaukee the fireworks could be seen from our back yard. This comes pretty close.