Yesterday we went to the Isle of Palms beach (at The Citadel Beach House) to see the USAF fly-by.  There were 4 F-18's with a 5th flying outside the formation for photography/video taping.  They were scheduled to pass the IOP at 1318 hrs and, lo and behold, they passed IOP at 1318.  And if you weren't looking for them, you almost missed them.   They were a few hundred yards off shore and about 500' and going I would guess in excess of 450 knots.  As I watched I remembered why we called them "fast movers" in Vietnam.  Wow.  Great show.
The holiday was fine.  Hot, as it is supposed to be in  July, and slightly overcast.  But on the beach there was a nice breeze so it wasn't unbearable.  Whenever I am inclined to complain about the heat, I remember how it was growing up in Miami without AC or fans.  My brother and I learned the secret of lying on the cool spot on your sheet and, when that is hot and wet with sweat, moving over to another cool, dry spot.  Doing this all night allowed us to get some sleep. 

I also thought of the troops in Iraq and A'ghan.  They are in the middle of summer, too, with ambient temps in excess of 98-100 degrees.  They have full battle-rattle, including armored vests, kevlar pots, weapons and ammo, canteens with water, and all the other things one carries to survive and fight.  It's no comparison and I refuse to complain when I consider those guys.  Hooah!