Happy July 4th

...the holiday at least....i am no longer a fan of the fireworks part...it's noisy, smelly, frightening, dangerous, and environmentally hazardous.

as a kid, we would have a block party and make ice cream, bbq hot dogs and do our own fireworks. and all the clean up.  the fireworks were a little less spectacular, but a lot of fun.

when we moved here, we discovered the gathering of others, and their fireworks, along the water areas here in puget sound. but as i watched these displays, i noticed all the trash being launched into the water.  ]well....over it[  i didn't care for that.

then we got a little dog who HATED the noise of the fireworks.  she trembled in fear with every explosion.  and now my cat has decided she doesn't like it either.

so i will enjoy the gathering of children, adult and grand, and then send them off to watch the fireworks while i stay home with the dog and cat.

i know many many places outlaw them, and that is good, but i also know that the making of the fireworks themselves gives people jobs....so it's a case of 'you can't win for losing'....unless the trashy parts of the fireworks can be made bio-degradable? or eatable to wildlife?