Hey, fellow patriots, old timers, and others, don't forget to "retire the colors," that is, take down the flag
at sundown, before you set off, or go off to watch the fireworks. A home health situation will keep me
from seeing them this year, but I love to watch where I can hear the percussion but don't have to hear
the often canned music that someone else finds stirring. My little ships flag on the porch looks puny, but
it means a lot to me, real stitched stars and stripes, not printed on the fabric. Old Glory is the only national
flag that changes (to add stars for new states), and that change is always made on the Fourth of July after
the state joins the union. My next door neighbor flies a flag continuously but doesn't keep it lit at night.
Many neighbors don't fly a flag at all. I think they're good folks who love their country but don't understand
the tradition that used to be shared by people of every political disposition across the spectrum. That to
me was the U.S. of A.