Fireworks on the Fourth of July are a family tradition at our house. Our neighbors back in Kansas used to buy a box load of fireworks for our annual neighborhood party. It was sort of a bring your own fireworks party. BYOF. After the city would shoot off 10 thousand dollars worth of the taxpayer's money we would set up our little fireworks party in the middle of the street on our block.

Fireworks were illegal in our county but not in surrounding counties or in Missouri. The roads into our county were lined with fireworks tents and everyone flocked to them. The police ignored the law unless someone complained. So for 5 years or more we had a nice neighborhood outing with all the neighborhood kids setting off firecrackers and bottle rockets. The adults either handled the large ordance or sat comfortably in folding chairs with cold beverages in hand watching it all. There was a certain amount of danger to all this. We all had wooden roofs. It all came to an end one year when a police car showed up and asked us nicely to shut it down. A neighbor, probably smiling at their curtained window as the squad car pulled up, called the police. That was the last year we had our little party.

We are in Arizona now and we will go up to Fort McDowell Indian Reservation to watch a huge display put on by the Indian community there. It seems ironic that Indians celebrate the 4th of July but this event puts a lot of money in the tribe's pockets so irony takes a backseat to practicality. It is a great display with great food and free entertainment. Be sure to move your mouse over the free entertainment link's menu on the left hand side of the page. It is the most unique menu effect I have ever seen.

There is a great web site that explains how fireworks works. At this site you can learn the names of the different kinds of shells and impress everyone. Here is a short video explaining the process of building a aerial bomb.

Have a great 4th!!!!