We had a 4th of July party complete with fireworks. A bunch of friends came over. There were 7 kids 7 and under running around, getting in and out of the pool and splashing water all over the food. There were 8 adults sitting around, shouting not to splash or squirt water in this direction.
note to self – move deck back a couple feet next spring
There were hot dogs, hamburgers, assorted dips, lots of chips, a fruit platter, a bowl of fruit salad and a lemon pound cake.
Then the whining for the fire works began, a full hour and a half before dark. We don’t do sparklers because most of the moms are afraid of letting the kids have them. The one mom who isn’t (me) admits to setting herself on fire with sparklers 15 years ago & so can’t argue with the danger. (but I would totally let the boys have them if it wouldn’t set off 5 other kids wailing to have them too. I was sitting down in a crowd, in a long skirt, after several beers, when my skirt caught fire. Not a situation the boys can repeat & it just smoldered anyway)
Eventually the men set off the display of roman candles, fountains & etc.
They were handled for the most part sensibly. At one point I did ask my husband if he was *supposed* to be holding a Roman candle while it fired and there were a couple misfires – one into a tree and one up the hill toward the spectators. No fires or injuries occurred.
The one bit of carelessness was in disposal. Empty fireworks canisters were tossed into the burn pile.
Take a minute a guess where this is headed.
After the fireworks were over, we lit the bonfire.
BOOM! BOOM BOOM!
Dud fireworks shot out of the bonfire in a brief colorful display. No one had actually said “Here, dude, hold my beer & watch this” but it was definitely that sort of moment.
No harm done though, just a memory that will be recalled every July 4th from now forward.
It was a huge bonfire 
That is my husband in the lower left corner spraying it, in the photo above & below, just to give some scale
It rained Sunday and that put the smoldering remains out. It also made it impossible to clean up the yard until yesterday. Sunday we went to Luray Caverns. Photos from that tomorrow.
5 comments:
Wow - what a bonfire! Sounds like you guys had a great time!
Sounds like wonderful time! Fireworks are illegal here :( I feel like my kids have missed something not getting to set them off and see them up close. We do go to a community fireworks display. That bonfire is HUGE!!!
Sounds like a typical 4th around here! Glad you guys had fun!
Wow, that was a big bonfire! I love your fireworks photos too!
"Here, dude, hold my beer & watch this" ... that cracked me up!
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