The ladybug ended up on our picnic blanket which we’ve laid out on the lawn while waiting for a few hours for the fireworks to begin. I can’t wait for next year; it’d be amazing if they ended up having them on the Hudson again.

Last night, with the Hudson celebrating its 400th birthday, (kind of ironic since the river existed before it was named) the fireworks were launched of off 4 barges along the Hudson River. We prepared by getting annihilated during the afternoon by Natalie’s home made sangria, took a power nap late in the afternoon and set out to the Hoboken Piers around 7pm in order to get a good viewing spot.

It was the closest I’ve ever gotten to the NYC fireworks; they were literally exploding above our heads. There was nothing special to them but I’ve kind of gotten used to it over the years. The smiley faces have been around for well over 10 years now, and its pretty much the sound of them exploding that turned into a thrill for me. I also seem to have never learned my lesson about bringing a tripod. It’s pretty much impossible to keep the shutter open for at least 2-3 seconds while trying to hold the camera still. I did get a couple of good shots, however I was disappointed at myself for not taking a tripod along with me. Next year.