The Fourth was quite a bang around here – and happily so. Fireworks displays were canceled everywhere due to our dry conditions, as usual, and the winds we’d been having. Personal fireworks are illegal in the cities and counties around us, yet they are still sold in certain parking lots haunted by pyromaniacs. (Or so I’ve heard.) Then, late afternoon on the Fourth, a miracle occurred. It rained!
With the rain came people granting themselves permission to light their displays. I’m sure the police were grateful for the moisture, as they would have undoubtedly been chastised for enforcing the fireworks ban which is in place for our own safety! God was watching out for them, I believe.
Of course, we did our daytime racing cars and battle tanks, getting our kicks out of the sparks and whistles as we dodged the rain. I didn’t have much left in my arsenal, but we felt it was okay to risk it. And then, at night, came the most stunning display we’ve ever seen from our lot. My daughter and intended were leaving around 9 pm when they called us to come to the bottom of the driveway. As far as the eye could see, beautiful brilliant lights filled the sky. My neighbors to the right and across the road were competing with their displays. We had front row seats to the best show I can remember in years.
For once we humans actually did a fine job of using our common sense – ignoring the ban once it rained and stopping the displays around midnight. It was a really good Fourth around here.