Fireworks

Yesterday we had dinner on the levee and a fireworks show that was awesome! Command decided we needed to have a break from working long hours every day and planned a party for us that was wonderful. The levee is outside of our camp and we walked out the gate and past the fence with barbed wire, and there was a feeling of "escape"! We went up the levee (it has to be about a 100 feet wide) and they had been cooking a huge pot of jambalaya (rice, chicken, sausage and spices) all day. It tasted so good! Some local people brought their children and it was fun to see children playing. When you are in an environment that only includes adults all day and being surrounded by death, seeing children adds a dimension of "life goes on" that we don't normally have. After the fireworks and dinner, they built a huge bonfire and we stood around the fire to keep warm. It was chilly, but not bad by Midwest standards. The boats had their lights on and went past us on the river and it was so awesome; the food, the fireworks and the ships passing by all lit up. There couldn't have been a better treat. It is something that all of us here will always remember.