The Most Memorable Fireworks Show
Happy Independence Day
My most memorable Independence Day went like this: My dad (who is almost radically averse to buying fireworks) was outvoted by the family and forced to buy the gigantic “Battle of Yorktown” display at the Red Devil stand near us. When night fell we gathered on the sidewalk where the magical box of “safe and sane” fireworks sat. Several futile attempts were made to light the “punk”, which was a weird lighting device invented by the fireworks companies to frustrate kids and parents alike. They never worked and my dad was forced to resort to matches. It was a windy night, but dad charged head on and finally lit “The Niagara Falls”, a medium-sized cone that shot off a “waterfall” of blue sparks. No one paid attention where the remainder of “The Battle of Yorktown” was placed in relation to the cone and (you guessed it) Niagara Falls became “Entire Box”. The wind bent the stream of sparks onto the box which, as advertised, ignited in one gigantic burst of flame. It was as if a magnesium comet streaked across our neighborhood! All of us watched in awe as the Battle of Yorktown went up in a swirling, spinning, sparkling ball of colored flame. Amazing! Just as suddenly it was over and what had been the most exciting thing in the world quickly became a black heap of crappy, smoking char. It took several seconds before someone asked: “Is that all there is?” My dad shit a brick.
State Fair
For the third time, judges have accepted my work for the Fine Arts competition at the California State Fair. One of my “homeless” pieces will be on display this year. Details next time, but you can see the series at the Folsom Borders Store.
