Fireworks
I think this is the second July 4th that certain fireworks have been legal in Connecticut. Growing up, we occasionally had access to illicit fireworks, mostly small firecrackers and fountains, and I remember that the fountains were pretty tame. Just a calm stream of sparks shooting four or five feet into the air, and that was it. So when I saw that fountains and sparklers were now legal here, I wasn’t too excited.
Last night Cindy brought home a small assortment of fireworks that she got for half price at one of the many fireworks tents that pop up around here in parking lots each year. I wasn’t expecting much, and started setting up chairs about ten feet back from where I was going to light them. She wanted to err on the side of caution, so moved them back to about twenty-five feet. I lit the first one and moved back a bit. Imagine my surprise when large sparks of many colors began shooting 10–15 feet into the air and landing close to 15 feet away, accompanied by pops and bangs almost as loud as small firecrackers. These weren’t the fountains of my youth. These were actually fun to watch. And they were legal. Next year, I think we’ll be looking into one of the bigger multipacks that I’ve seen at Sam’s and other stores.