The 4th Fireworks 2006

Last night (Fourth of July 2006) we had some ‘fireworks’ at our house. Firecrackers I had gotten last year for my birthday and hoarded most of them until this year (my birthday is two weeks after The 4th), and a package we had gotten from Costco this past week. They had TNT firework bundles, we got one around $50 in price. In it was a bunch of stuff, mostly all “fountains” which are boxes or cylinders of pyrotechnics that flow up and then down as would a “water fountain”. There were small ones and bigger ones. Some of them threw the pyrotechical stuff way up, oh, 7 to 8 feet or so, which was nice. Most of them were very similar, employing different schemes in how it all came out, arranged in a different pattern of usage, strength of each stage, loudness of any sounds varied as well.

Some of them were super good, very enjoyable, rememberable — others nice enough, but forgettable in their own right.

One package was of several of one kind called “Cuckoo” — a very pleasant smaller-medium one that we thoroughly enjoyed, and used them all but two, saving the two for another night this week or next. We used up everything else that throws off sparkles and pops and bangs and stars and colors, except for a large handful of my good old Firecrackers.

I’m itching to get to SC and purchase some really cool upwards mobile shells or rockets or both. I read an article online about some good things to get, and that whet my appetite for what we witnessed our neighbors doing a few nights before … which none of such was in the package we got. It was a cheap package, we didn’t know what was in it precisely, but had not HIGH expectations. I know the sort of thing to do in the future is to get a bigger package from Costco, they had two packages of higher price with BIGGER cyclinders than the one we got, and then also get some pieces from SC or AL at a fireworks store. Some good ones are called “cakes” of some nature, basically a bunch of things that go up with just one fuse lit. Like to be used as a small show, or a finale, or whatever, I mean, there are good ones that stand alone, or are partial pieces to be put into segmental sequentialness for a great show.

I love fireworks, big shows, professional ones. But I have to say, what I’ve seen this year is driving me towards DIY fireworks, not MAKING them, but the pyrotechnical shooting them off at home idea. It’s particular to me that I’ve always loved that idea, but hadn’t explored it at all. I finally got my DH to get me some firecrackers last year, so that was the first step on the path to wonderful family pyrotechnical fun year round.

We really enjoyed the fireworks this year, a nice show a few days before the 4th from our neighbors, then some sparklers, firecrackers and a few small fountains on our property the 3rd, and the full package show on our property on the 4th. The children really loved it. They said it was the BEST time they’ve ever had. Bar none.

Oooh la la.

BTW It did rain yesterday afternoon, quite hard, but it was done before 4:30pm — giving a few hours for it to dry out before the sun started going down, and then awaiting absolute dark before starting our festivities with fire. It did cloud up again, and then at dark, dark enough dark, we went out and it was slightly dropping rain drops in a sprinkle almost fashion, but not true sprinkling, gaping wide sprinkles, maybe is the way to title it. Sometime into it the gappage was less, but still not a full sprinkle. We got our whole show in fine.

We heard that other areas got dumped on and didn’t get their community shows on. I know that Atlanta’s Centennial Park show was re-scheduled for tonight, the 5th, but on The Weather Channel this morning they mentioned that and that the forecast was more likely for rain tonight that it had been for the night before when it DID rain out the show. I don’t know what it’s like in Atlanta right now and what it’ll be like later, we live way outside to the NE, but here it’s overcast-ish and getting darker and it’s not even a quarter to Four yet. Darkness doesn’t fall until after 8:30pm anyhow, but it’s just a telling sign for heavy rain clouds above, if it feels this dark –which it does feel like, as if it’s Wintertime, the darkest part of the year, short days, as if it’s closing in on 5pm.

It’s Summer though, and it’s such a hot time we are in now, I was outside a little bit ago and the lack of sun, those heavy dark clouds, have really cooled down the day. For that I’m thankful. I have no beef with the weather, I am not talking about Atlanta Fireworks with any intention of us going to them, we wouldn’t go into Atlanta for that. Ugh. (Yeah, we are country folk at heart and do live in the “country”)