May30 , 2003 - page 3



cream cone. I watched several of the younger kids struggle in catching a fish, because they held the dish in the water for too long and it crumbled. When the time was right I showed them how it was done and caught a goldfish with no problem! In return for catching a fish I was able to take another one home. I posed for the camera with my new aquatic friend, which I named Wally. I later decided to part ways with Wally, and I set him free into the river.

Anyway, on to the most important part of the festival: the lightning bugs. They were out in full force and my friends and I watched them fly around. I wowed the crowd when I

showed them the old summertime trick of catching a lightning bug, and making a “glowing” ring out from the bug and a leaf. We ran into some of our other friends and talked with them for a little while and then it was off to a karaoke box. After singing a few songs, my friends surprised me by unveiling a hidden birthday cake and singing me happy birthday not once but twice. I was totally shocked by the whole thing. I just thought we were going to sing; I didn’t expect the birthday party surprise. The operation had been planned for quite sometime I learned, and I was glad to have such cool friends. The cake had strawberries cut to look like frogs, showing that my friends went the extra mile to get a cake just for me.