Every Fourth of July our town pulls out all the stops and puts on a pig roast' bar-b-que cook out and fireworks display in the city park ( Craighead Forest ). The fireworks can be seen for miles around-I know, because I have missed the last two years, but have sat behind our shop and watched the fire works go up over the trees from our backyard ten miles away.
I have loved watching fireworks since I was a kid and the most we could afford were the small firecrackers-which was probably good, since fire works can be dangerous in the hands of a child. I learned this myself at about ten years old. I lit the fuse of a firecracker that I held in my hand. When it fizzled out and nothing happened, I blew on it-not a smart thing to do. The firecracker went off in my fingers; luckily it was a small one and only burned the tips of the two unsuspecting fingers holding it. Hurt like heck for several days! But, I learned a valuable lesson.
The danger of fireworks is the reason that my husband and I have always taken our kids and grandkids to public displays where someone else sets off the fireworks at a safe distance away. We get to see the beautifully remarkable lights and colorful images without being exposed to the dangers. I remember many beautiful sights when our children were young and we lived in Dallas . We would drive up on the highest over-pass and park on the side along with hundreds of other vehicles and watch the fireworks set off by the fire departments in safe areas far below. I always found it strange how they could shape an American flag with all its Stars and Stripes or the huge
Lone Star emblem from bits of colored lights.
Our
Fourth in the Forest is a scaled down version of what we saw in Dallas , but even so, it is wonderful and safe entertainment for our children as well as the adults. We sit on one side of the lake and the fireworks are set off on the other. As they reflect from the lake water, it is a treat beyond description. Some fireworks are even designed to glow under the water (hopefully this isn't harmful to the fish) and really is a wonderful sight. It is a perfect ending to a perfect day of stuffing ourselves with bar-b-qued pork, beef, and all the fixings!
This year again, my husband and I will probably stay home and watch the fireworks from our backyard after having our own cookout. The kids will continue the tradition of going into town to the park and get the close-up view that we enjoyed when we were younger, while my husband and I sit in our more comfortable chairs and hold hands as the evening gives way to darkness and the sky begins to light up with its first explosions of Celebration.
Happy Fourth of July to Everyone at SearchWarp and beyond.
