Celebration has begun

[bobm]

Fireworks sales begun yesterday morning in Clark County, Washington. Yesterday's eve started off with a BANG and a bang and then MORE BANGS ! Sadly , Vancouver, Wa., Clark County's largest city banned the sale and setting off fireworks this year. However, there are county islands inside this heathen city and the vendors, including a Christion High School, Costco, etc. are selling fireworks with lines of Vancouver citizens at each location. So to the so called progressives.

 

[Smart Red]

Celebrating with fireworks is an admonition handed down to Americans since the country began by Adams.

The cities of Boston and Philadelphia both included fireworks displays as part of the celebrations of Independence Day in 1777.

One of the Founding Fathers, John Adams, predicted that Independence Day would become America’s greatest holiday. This is what he wrote to his wife Abigail on July 3rd 1776:

“(This) the [fourth] Day of July 1776 will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”

Nanny state liberals.....bah!

 

[Nyboy]

I have been lighting them everytime at country house.

 

[digitS']

There is a fire in Central Washington of 34 square miles in size.

Between Bob and that fire are a number of smaller fires.

Interestingly, none of the Pacific Northwest large fires (click) are in the area of Extreme Fire Danger near Kennewick.

Steve

 

[dickiebird]

I hate fireworks!!!!!!!!!!

THANX RICH

 

[thistlebloom]

My son is working on the Brian Head Utah fire. It's currently burned 60,000+ acres and there are over 1800 firefighters working on it. It was human caused. Not fireworks, but a guy torching brush around his cabin that got out of control. Makes you wonder what some people are operating with instead of the usual gray matter.

Using a torch to clear brush in a forest in a dry summer...

So, while I like to celebrate our country's independence, when the neighbors start setting off fireworks it does give me pause. I check for the smell of smoke all night, (and subsequent nights...) we live in a heavily wooded area and it wouldn't take too much carelessness to shoot a bottle rocket into the trees and have it smolder for a few days before igniting.

That guy in Utah with the torch is unfortunately not so rare. Call me crazy, but I just don't trust people to be thoughtful when they are partying with explosives or other incendiaries.

And that puts a lot of people in harms way for stupid reasons.

 

[digitS']

July 2 was when the decision and vote for independence was made.

The written declaration was prepared and signed 2 days later but the commitments had been made on the 2nd: "The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America." John Adams

December 15 could also be celebrated for the ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791. They are often considered as more important than most any other document. It's a little understandable that there is no real agreement to celebrate nationally since it might result in another paid holiday. Also, those first 10 amendments seem to be used in an online argument for any individual point of view, whatsoever.

BTW, Congress approved 12 amendments so a date when only 10 had been agreed upon might be seen as inconclusive.

Steve

 

[Zeedman]

I've always enjoyed shooting off fireworks; but I have a fairly large property, respect my neighbors, and have a charged water hose long enough to reach any point on my property. I also only do so on the holiday itself... not for a week before & after, like some in my neighborhood.

We've had a lot of rain (another 1/2" today), really frustrating from the garden standpoint... but the silver lining is everything here is wet, very little chance of stray sparks setting off a fire. It nearly always rains here just before the 4th, or just after.

 

[digitS']

I need to get the ladder out and clean my roof gutter. I guess I may as well carry it out one more time into the little dahlia garden, climb up and paint the vent in the garage gable. I was trying to avoid that ... maybe the dahlias will be too tall to get it in !

The gutter, anyway, if not shaky digitS', will be safer if'n I get the tree leaves outta it.

The near neighbors can be counted on to not be firing off bottle rockets. There are duplex rentals nearby. Nearest has been the same family for a good 5 years but I never know who is living on the other side of them. People who care little about watering the lawngrass and not street asphalt, evidently. Water flowing past in the street gutter every single morning won't help with bottle rockets on the roof.

A quarter-inch summer rainstorm is unusual. There is a chance that we can get through an entire summer without one. It's disappointing to have so little rain during the growing season but that's the way it is in the Wild West.

Snow and rain early this year amounted to something. And, that's the way it is in the PNW but there was soil moisture more than usual. Wild grasses around here are over 5' tall. Let's see, we had right at 1" of rain in June. That's not bad. ... locally ... but my roof gutters. oh boy!

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

I also enjoy shooting off fireworks, but never at city house. Country house has large pond that we shoot over.