The forecasts of rain cancelled most of the scheduled shows around here. However, all the rain we've had over the last week must have emboldened the neighborhood to not worry about starting fires.

THUMP... BANG... "Oooooooh... "

Folks were setting off stuff that you'd expect to see at a regular show!

We had a lot of neighborhood celebrants too, last night.

I was glad to find, this morning, that I didn't have a large bottle rocket stuck in the vinyl siding on the front of my house, the way I did a couple of years ago....

I think someone had come through the neighborhood shooting 'em at houses that night.

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Ukraine -- now more than ever

I have some rich neighbors down the road in a huge house on several acres that have put on a good show for years I can watch from my driveway. My next door neighbor and I were talking yesterday how they have their house for sale they probably won't do a show this year. We were wrong as they did a show last night that must have lasted nearly an hour. They set off the really big stuff and can't imagine how much it must cost them.
It's only been a couple years now that fireworks have been legal in Michigan although many used to bring them up from Ohio. It's pretty common now for lots of folks to be setting off their own displays and even out here in the country I can see them all around me at some distance.

It's nice to live next door to the rich folks.
Unfortunately our neighborhood is so poor, I is the "rich folks"

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Forum consigliere

Our subdivision HOA (1800+ houses) puts on a really good show every year. Unfortunately, I couldn't convince the family to go to the show last night due to the recent rains and the potential mess it creates at the site. A few of the neighbors were outside lighting off small bottle rockets, etc. so I had my son gather up about three pounds of gun powder and we lit it off in three batches. A pound of powder makes an impressive flame, lots of light, and puts off quite a bit of heat!

Fireworks like many other things in my state were outlawed/super restricted decades ago. Just this year they approved (if the county/ city approved) some small ground type stuff and sparklers.(can only be sold for a few days a year)

With that said I live on a large lake (130 miles of shoreline) and many people put on fireworks displays that rival commercial legal fireworks shows. Some of these things go on for hours as they have that much stuff. Of course people being people if one neighbor is outdone he gets more stuff for next year and the keeping up with the Jones battle continues.

You go down to the shoreline, go out in your boat or stand on the long bridge that crosses the lake you can see world class fire world displays as far as the eye can see. As stated most of this is illegal but to enforce this it would take thousands of LEOs and for the most part unless someone is totally stupid or they get complaints all is well and from what I have seen the cops seem to enjoy all the booms and lights in the sky as they drive around . Most everybody does this at the lake shore and fires out over the lake so we do not normally have any unplanned for fires.

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Any consumer products safety commission firework is legal here. However, ironically, they can not be legally discharged in the city limits. The police do not enforce that when it comes to private property. It seems mainly a way to let the city feel civilized compared to the vast and lawless wild known as "out in the county", where fireworks are legal to set off to your hearts content.

Local place sells the illegal to own big aerial mortar type boomers by having the buyer sign a waiver stating a use for railroad signaling. It gets loud around here and the mutt spends the evening trying to climb up her own tailpipe.

Every other year my folks would load my brother and myself in the old Dodge and head for the Pittsburg, PA are to visit family. The highlight of the trip was the So. Carolina stop on the way home and pick up some the good stuff that was hard to find down here. Mostly bottle rockets and firecrackers with the occasional nice bangers thrown in.

We made them last as long as we could, getting creative with string, tape, slingshots and kites, piecing together tiny mud and wood structures just to blow them up. Any misfires or duds were saved for alternative uses. Somehow watching an aerial repeater for $20 burn up in a few seconds just ain't the same.

Had to laugh at that. My Lucy-girl has a very similar reaction.

f.t.

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South Carolina-God's country

Here we have a gigantic display put of free of charge by the Butt family (of HEB Grocery Stores). They set up at the park next to the ship channel, and many people go out to watch from all sizes of boats. The southeast wind carries the debris away from the marina and town, ashes fall into the channel, safe.
It's a hour long show, operated by some family from up new england way, I believe, and it's spectacular, especially from the water.
This year halfway through they had a short round and WOW! was that ever something. Nobody was hurt, but only by the grace of the Almighty, I swear. It was one of those that makes a huge ball of tiny white stars and going off at about ten ft. above ground...
I used to be jumpy and have bad dreams after big loud explosions but I've finally been freed of that.

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Halfway and one more step

Hold my beer and watch this.

Devon Staples, 22, was killed instantly in Calais, Maine, after he put a fireworks mortar on his head, marking the first death since the state legalized fireworks two years ago, NBC-affiliate WCSH6 reports. Staples had been drinking with friends when the incident occurred at approximately 10 p.m.

Fireworks: Maine Man Devon Staples Dies From Fourth of July Fireworks

Article described a fireworks "accident".
Somewhat loose definition of the word.

This is a good an indication as any of the complete disdain many have for restrictive laws being passed in "Nanny" States. The recent spate of laws restricting firearms are being ignored with the same type of disdain and images of Prohibition keep arising where for the 1st time most "law abiding" Americans decided to ignore a law that was passed "for their own good.
Is there really any wonder why elected officials are being held in contempt in many places?
Jim

years ago the fire department and the city put on fireworks displays. one year one of the mortars didn't shoot off right. for a couple of seconds nothing happened and then you could see all of the firemen take running very which direction. then everything started going off. the display that was supposed to last about an hour was over in about 15 minutes. it sure was spectacular though.

Why we "celebrate" Independence Day with fireworks I don't know. Having said that let me make clear I have no problem with small neighborhood displays at 8 to 10 pm. What I DO have a problem with is the launching of aerial bombs after 11 pm. This seems to be the prefered time in my neighborhood. I'm talking about those things that can vibrate the entire house. Too loud, too close, illegal and wakes Mrs. Bill. Perhaps if I made a funeral pyre of their house?

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Quando omni flunkus moritati.

Since there are several area Indian tribes that sell illegal fireworks legally, most of the neighborhoods sound like WW III before, during, and after July 4th.

Several house and brush fires but no injures that I know of.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

If I had been the coroner I would have ruled the cause of death was alcohol overdose. He had to be pretty well frog-eyed drunk.

I'd swear at least three JDAM's landed within a block from my place. Heaviest firework explosions I've heard outside a professional show.

Fortunately my splendidly silly little dog isn't bothered by fireworks or thunderstorms; but when the JDAM's went off he wuffed softly, as if to say, "Jeez, people, grow up!" Then he went back to sleep.

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Oh well, what the hell.

Fireworks have been illegal in Iowa since a spark set off the display in a store in my home town back in the 1930's. Destroyed most of the downtown area.

But, anybody & everybody has fireworks and booms & blasts the night away around here. (75 miles to SD is nothing for a fireworks trip)
I don't mind it a bit and have made the trip a few times myself.

They were going off 'til nearly 1am here...no matter that the ordinances stipulate no later than 11pm.

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USAF 1981 - 2001

They are illegal to set off in ohio but we can buy them here and sign a paper stating we are transporting out of state.
I'm kind of mixed on fireworks. The HOA and city have been cracking down on silly stuff like making sure your bumper isn't hanging over the sidewalk when your parked in your driveway but I have had to pick (illegal) fireworks off of my roof and no one cares.

You know you're at a Redneck fireworks display one one of the participants says "Hey hold my beer while I figure out why that one didn't go off!"
Jim

Where I live it's about half forest. We are going through some really hot dry weather and fireworks right now are a real hazard for me. Fortunately I have a couple of old guys for neighbors and they don't do fireworks. We have a state wide burn ban on right now but we still had plenty of fireworks last night. Actually we are still having fireworks.

The fire chief doesn't have the authority to ban them but he should. Maybe next year.

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That's just somebody talkin.

When I was a teenager we had a dog that wasn't afraid of fireworks. I'd light a firecraker and throw it, and he'd chase it. The thing would blow up in his face and he'd do the same thing with the next ome. I don't know who was the more stupid; me, lighting a pretty good sized firecracker in my hand and throwing it, or him chasing it.

Here in cesspool Ma. we are not allowed to have them but every state around us allow some sort of fireworks, even R.I. Thats okay New Hampshire not far away.

Here, we can blow holes in the sky till midnight on the 4th.
In actual practice, it's 11 pm somewhere.

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it just needs more voltage

Actually for down here in Louisiana it's been extremely quiet for the 4th of July. Was supposed to rain yesterday but didn't and for awhile this evening looked like the heavens were about to open up. We have had a very wet winter, spring with only maybe one week or so without rain. Didn't even open up the pool as it rained so much and pool chemicals are expensive. Frank