"It’s cold. It feels like independence day."

I was quite the slacker on July 4 this year. I had out-of-town guests and I’d worn them out walking around the city before the big day hit. I did get out that morning and take a few pictures and then I got a few that night. From my pictures you’d never know that the Black Lilies played downtown, not to mention the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. My pictures didn’t include the thousands of people who came into the city for the fireworks and while I had the opportunity to take a picture of the spectacular death-defying fete of setting up a Ferris wheel on the Clinch Avenue viaduct, I was too dim-witted to recognize that for the amazing photo opportunity that it was. Later in the evening, I learned that I do not know how to photograph fireworks. I’ll work on that for next year. Still, I did get some pictures. Here is what I saw that day.