I started this post a few days ago but for some reason I'm finding it hard to finish it... so lets hope this comes out making sense :)The 4th July (Independence Day - no not the movie) started early this year. How so you ask? Well one super cool awesome thing about the states is you can buy fireworks! One not so cool thing (if you're not involved) is that means for days (sometimes weeks) before (and after) the 4th you have people setting off their own fireworks (and thus scaring the crap out of my dogs).
This happened on Saturday. Calmly watching a movie and a whole bunch of bangs and booms start going off. Well both my dogs (small Jack Russell mixes) flipped out. So in order to calm them down I took them outside to show them it wasn't scary. No-one is trying to break in etc etc. Well one of my girls was really scared, and the other protected us by barking at them. About 15 mins later they stopped (luckily they're expensive so people can't buy mountains and have it going for hours at a time) but that was my notice... it had begun.
Last year I happened to find a place that sold some fireworks so I have some (and lazily didn't get a chance to use them so now I will when mum visits so she can see them :D) but this year I didn't see anyone around until after all the stuff was gone (granted I didn't really LOOK for them, just if I saw them I'd get some).
One thing to note is different states have different fireworks laws. It's illegal in Iowa to buy the big booming ones but you're allowed to buy the sparklers, and the little fizzy things.. basically the "safer" stuff (I say safer 'cause of course there's still a risk with things you need to light, but you aren't likely to blow your hand off). That doesn't stop people from buying them in other states and selling them illegally, or buying them in other states to use themselves... it just means they need to be really careful abut when and where they let them off so they don't get into trouble. I personally have the little ones... I'm not rebel enough for the hard core stuff.
So this year (like last) we went to a local place to watch the fireworks. This means driving on a dirt road, paying a donation to the local volunteer fire departments (who were of course on stand by) and sitting in the back of my truck waiting for it to get dark enough for the fun to begin. We were with friends this time (last time we were loners) and that meant little kids running around with sparklers and other people setting off some of the safer stuff while they were waiting (and the sheriff driving up and down the road checking us all out).
There were some really cool fireworks like ones in the shape of smiley faces, and stars. It goes for a while too... about a 1/2 hour non-stop. There are air fireworks and ground displays. Being on the dirt road (as opposed to the field below where they're being done) means the ground displays don't really mean anything to us but they're still pretty from a distance :) Plus it was pretty awesome of the ice-cream truck to come by... even if my ice-cream barely lasted a minute before it melted too much :( Next time - popsicle!
I did have plans to go to a friends cookout but it turns out that was cancelled due to the heat (SO hot and humid) but I really hope next year to at least start our own little tradition of maybe having some friends over and having a BBQ. We went to a friends to do that last year but this year they had family plans.
I hope you all don't mind that this is about fireworks and festivities more than what the 4th July is all about (please read the Wiki link above for info if you want to) but I hope I'm right in thinking you care more about what it's like to be here to celebrate it, rather than yet another person posting what it's all about.
That's pretty much it. There's a LOT of different places doing fireworks so you can go to multiple "shows" if you want. People like to get together and BBQ and drink and have fun. LOTS of Americana around (I bought some souvenirs for mum :D) and basically just a country-wide party :)
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