As has become our tradition, we hosted our Fourth of July Cookout and Fireworks Show. This year, the 4th was on Wednesday, so we couldn't decide whether to do it on the weekend before or the weekend after. Finally we thought, "Everyone is going to have the 4th off anyway...they can recover then!" So we did it on the Tuesday evening!
A couple of weeks prior, Russ and I went out to buy fireworks. We decided we'd spend $200 each, for a total of $400. Not bad for things we're just going to set afire. Once there, however, they offered Mr. Coupon a chance to join the "Fireworks Club" wherein we'd get all our fireworks for half-price for the next three years. The trick was that we had to spend $400 to get in the club. Well, we were going to do that anyway...so deal! But wait...another catch. If we picked out $400 and got in the club, then it would only cost us $200...which isn't enough to join the club! So we had to pick out $800 worth of stuff, ring it up, that would qualify us for the club, we'd get it all at half price ($400) and it would still qualify us for the club. Tortured logic, I know. But it worked. We ended up spending our $400, but got $800 worth of stuff.
We invited everyone from the neighborhood, friends, co-workers, etc., to come on out. We took off work early on Tuesday. Russ cooked, and cooked, and cooked. Damian and Garry cleaned the house. (Mostly Garry did.) Russ wanted an inventory of the fireworks, so Garry and Damian took pictures of every single item.
Finally, folks started to arrive. Food was grilled, drinks served, much visiting was done.
As things began to dim, we brought out the bottle rockets and taught the youngsters how to launch them. Then the little spinning helicopter things. Then smoke bombs. We paused a bit for more darkness, then brought out the sparklers.
Finally it was dark enough to begin the real show. Garry lit the fire pit. Folks took spots on the lanai and porch.
Damian announced that the event was begun!
Garry, Granison, and Cory took turns lighting the fireworks. They announced to Damian what the item was and Damian wrote it down. Then they launched it, we ooo-'ed and aaah-'ed then the crowd rated it. Damian wrote the score down. Now we know how good the items were and whether we should buy them again in the next three years!
Many of the effects were basic fountains, but were still very pretty.
Some of the things turned out to be bigger. Much, much bigger. And prettier. Fortunately, the neighbors weren't likely to report us as they were all sitting on our porch watching!
All-in-all, it was a great night. The food was fantastic, the visiting was great. The show was just the right length with plenty of nice effects. After the finale, everyone said their goodbyes and drove home. It seems they all made it safely.
The next morning, The Three of We surveyed the damage. Hehe. Dishes, food, buckets of melted ice. A lawn littered with the husks of burned out fireworks. Clean-up begins.
Oh yea...one humorous note. We bought Roman Candles, and all the grown-up boys wanted to light one and hold it as the balls launched. So they did. Garry, however.....
...well, Garry thought the fuse went on the
bottom of the thing, so he lit his and held it aloft, with the fuse pointing downward. The first flaming ball exploded out and--since he was holding it upside down--slammed into his leg and scorched his shorts!
