FOURTH OF JULY

You did not see this photo. You did not see those things go up in the air.

The Fourth Of July used to be one of my favorite holidays.

My flags out, Independence Day 2014... Yes, that is the Australian flag in there, too. Just because I can. One year I put the Union Jack out there, too. It looked beautiful.

It was a day when we would put out the flag, and in the early evening we would get in the car and head to my grandmother's house, which was 7 miles away (about 10 km). On the way there, we would stop by a fireworks stand, and my father would always buy lots of fireworks.

Something sparkling on the ground that did not occur.

Dad only bought 'safe-and-sane' fireworks: sparklers, fountains, pinwheels, and things that made smoke. Nothing that exploded or went into the air. Any time I've purchased fireworks -- with very rare exceptions -- I also always kept it safe and sane. Call it a family tradition.

Safe and sane. No noise. Brick pavement. Enclosed back yard. Garden hose (not visible) located just to left of picture.

Now, many cities are banning all fireworks completely -- including something as relatively harmless as a sparkler. Sparklers are about the sanest firework out there, yet even they are banned in many places.

Safe and sane. Several years ago.

But laws are not always logical in their application.

But I digress: As I said before, the Fourth of July used to be one of my favorite holidays, but not so much anymore... It's a holiday where the weather usually turns from grey to sunny (although this year we've had sun since May), and it happens to be in the summer, and occurs when the sun still sets as late as 8:45 and the sky is still light as late as 10:30 p.m.

So that part of it is still cool.

Another safe and sane shower of sparks on the ground.

I still put the flag out front, even if the holiday has lost its sparkle, being that I no longer have the freedom to even light a sparkler in my back yard without breaking the law.

I also grill hot dogs with friends. This year most of my friends have other plans already, but I'll grill hot dogs anyway. Sometimes the neighborhoods on nearby hills shoot off fireworks, and they are easily visible from my back patio. So I may see some of them this holiday.

Perhaps I might -- just might -- light a sparkler, if I have any left over from previous Fourths. Just don't tell anybody.

 

I once used this as my Facebook profile photo.

Have a great, SAFE, and sane Fourth!