Recalling memories of Fourth of July and Canada Day

Say what you want about SAN DIEGO'S FIREWORKS FIASCO (all of the evening's pyrotechnics erupted in 15 seconds because of a technical glitch), but at least it was a memorable night.

Here, ROUTE 1 readers recall their own mid-summer memories by answering the following FRIDAY QUESTION:

"What are your favorite Fourth of July (or Canada Day) memories?"

SANDYE V. -- The 4th of July was my aunt's birthday, so we always gathered in her big back yard in Homewood, Ill., to eat and play with sparklers and jump off the picnic table into a tiny inflatable pool. My grandmother would freeze snowballs from Christmas and we'd run around and throw them at each other.

KERI M. -- Going to the lake with my family. They have Pancake breakfast and a big Canada Day parade down the main road. 

JIM S. -- The Kieler 4th of July Picnic when our boys were very young. It's a throwback to days of the old. Corny - but sweet - live music, bingo, beer tent, greasy burgers and all those games where the kids toss coins or spin wheels. Won many a dish and liter bottles of pop. One year, Jay's name was pulled out of a hat for a $1,000 prize!

BRIAN M. -- Literally, my first night back in America after a week in Nogales, Mexico, in 1998. I and some adults and a bunch of teenagers were returning from a church missions trip in Nogales and we spent July 4, 1998, at what's now Angels Stadium, seeing A's vs. Angels. Our group of about 15 was in the last row of seats on the highest level at Angels Stadium, and it was the most fun. Of course, there were fireworks.

RICK T. -- Lighting those black charcoal snakes.

ERIK -- It was ironic, we thought at the time. On the night in 1992 when Candlestick park hosted a fireworks display to celebrate the nation's independence, five Cardinals pitchers and four Giants pitchers had combined to toss shutouts for 12 innings. Todd Zeile's RBI single with two out in the top of the 13th won it for St. Louis. Jill and I watched the eventual fireworks from our seats in Section 18, Row F of the lower boxes (betcha can't get those seats at a Giants game these days!) and since many people had given up hope for the Giants long before the fireworks display, the traffic out of the 'Stick parking lot wasn't even that bad.