Happy 4th of July!

I am a little of a History buff.

I love visiting Historic places.

Because of living on the East Coast, there are a ton of Historic places to visit.

Sadly, there are a lot of them that I have yet to visit.

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I took a day trip to Fort McHenry, the home of the 'Star- Spangled Banner'.

The American Flag flew over the Fort during the war of 1812, also known as 'America's second War of Independence'.

A replica of the 1814 flag flies over the Fort 24 hours a day.

While we were there, there was an emergency changing of the flag.

The wind picked up and the larger flag had to be replaced with a smaller flag.

At least that is what the re-enactors wanted you to believe, as they were yelling at you to put down the cameras and help.

Actually he was yelling at me.  :/

My youngest son, standing on the other side of the flag, was one of the first to run up and help.

 

Here is a better picture of my youngest son  helping hold the flag off of the ground as it was taken down.

The boy took my sunglasses, then proceeded to somehow brake them.

It's a good thing he is so cute.

 The whole family helped put up the smaller flag, which was still pretty big in my opinion.

I am helping too.

I am all of the way down, holding on the the opposite corner of the flag.

See, Mr. re-enactor, I can help and take pictures at the same time, so stop yelling at me.

Up she goes.

On the morning of September 14th 1814, Francis Scott Key saw the American flag, similar to this one, through the fog and smoke.

It signaled to the Americans and the British alike, that America had held the Fort.

Francis Scott Key was inspired to write a poem on a piece of paper that he had in his pocket.

I am sure that it never crossed his mind that we would be singing that poem today.

 The Fort was a Port Defender until 1848.

A Prison during the Civil War.

A Hospital during World War I.

A Coast Guard Base during World War II.

Now a National Park since 1925.

I hope that I didn't bore anyone to death.  :)

'Bentley' says Happy Fourth of July!!!!

Be safe.

Happy Grooming, MFF