OK, it is that time of year again. I am wondering how many out there have the same love of home lit fireworks I do. We are having our normal BBQ, pool, and hottub party and then the fireworks. My questions is how much do the rest of you spend to let things go up in smoke? I spent 700 on fireworks and just short of 300 on food and beverages. Is anybody else as crazy as me? BTW, if you want the best deals on fireworks, go down to FIRECRACKER ALLEY, the Puyallup Tribe's firework location in Tacoma and go see Kirby JR, his stands are the ones with the Superman "S" on them and stand 31. If Kirby is not around talk to Cosmo. They will hook you up! They almost filled my full size Dodge truck bed with great stuff. And all the stuff I got is the safe and sane type, shells, cakes, etc. Tell them Big Jim or King James, my nickname when I use to work with Kirby, said to check them out. I will try and post some pics of the stuff going off. Kirby also can get fireworks for the New Years Holiday. Which is my second favorite party. Lastly be safe and have a good holiday everyone. Oh, and check your local laws BEFORE setting off fireworks! Tacoma has increased their fine and you can even get a ticket for driving through town with the fireworks.

Crazy about the 4th, well yes I am. And most of my friends too. Always have loved it. We've spent a good portion of the evening tonight lighting them off, of course my kid got a little pyro in him too. We spend a bit, and the parties go for the 3rd and the 4th. But seeing as I do not have the funds that a couple of my buddies have, what I spend is a lot, but miniscule to them. We have anything from sparklers, to tons of rockets, smoke bombs, mortars, found one stand willing to part with some M-80's, lots of good stuff, and then the big stuff which is made by my airline pilot buddy, who is a pyro, acetelyne bombs made with hefty garbage bags, and some years we've had advertising balloons or a waterbed mattress for the grand finale of a boomb, more like a bomb. Not suggesting anyone try this, but they are the ultimate big boom. I'll try an attempt at getting some pics of Stam lighting some off. I had to mention that my crazy buddy is an airline pilot, just to make ya feel comfortable while flying the friendly skies. Love it. We even got a goofy, and I mean really goofy local parade here, call the Maxwelton parade. I think we'll be hitting the beach while that is going on though.

Its a big deal here in the neibourhood. Fire works are kinda funny here. You can buy anything you want.. and I mean anything. They have very large retailers ( outside of city limits ) and you sign a piece of paper stating you are not going to light them off in Idaho.. As if

I live out in the country for the most part, and everyone in the neibourhood has 1 or two acers. We go to the folks behind us ( the one and only time I do anything with these people a year) and they proceed to blow up about 1,000 bucks worth of whatever. People who say " they don't make em like they used too" are wrong. They make stuff now thats off the map. How somebody has not been hurt is beyond me. A couple of years ago, somebodys kid took a mortor round, a big one.. set it down on the drive way without the tube and touched it off. I could not hear for a week.

When I was a kid, good fireworks were hard to get. They had to be imported for the most part from Wyoming. However, they could be had if you knew where to go. There is a town named Notus, that had a reputation for selling " under the counter to the right people". We would get somebodys older brother to take us out there. It was just like a drug deal.. danger.. suspence.. illeagle. To a 12 year old, it was as cool as it gets. You would go into this place ( Moores grocery) and ask for Bud the owner. He would come out and you would say " got any fireworks" and he would say sure and point you to a table with sparklers and crap right out in sight. Then you would ask him " got any better stuff" and he would reply " what makes you think I do ?? who told you I did ?? " I mean it was like buying a kilo of coke. He would take you into the clothing store next door and into a back room, where the holy grail of all fireworks were stored. We would have maybe 10 bucks to spend and it took an hour to decide what we wanted. he would get pissed. One thing stands out. Back in the day, there were 50 different kinds of fire crackers. Now there are like 3. I suppose they were all pretty much the same, but in our minds each one had a different quality. We would spend hours picking the strings apart, and for a week before the 4th we would light them off one at a time. I have had a bunch go off in my hand trying to get them to go off in the air.

The only thing that we used to get that I have not seen in 35 years is a true to life Cherry bomb. Those things rocked. They could shake the windows for a block. The 4th used to be a big day, right up there with Christmas. These days its a pain in the ass because you usually have to work the next morning.

Better half went to Boom Town, shhhhhh.....But the real treat is tomorrow at Camano when you can see fireworks for literally miles from Camano, Stanwood, Kayak Pt. and Everett. Big stuff too. The guy two houses down has big bucks and rivals Ivar's for a display.

Jim, I think you're crazy, but not dumb and ugly cuz I'm still recovering from an injury and don't need stomping just now.

When it comes to the 4th of July, I'm totally boring. I think my mother is part Scotch, and I can't stand the idea of burning my money. So I don't. Not one dime. I'll go watch one of the major firework displays; they have pretty impressive stuff. But buying even a grocery sack full of fireworks for home, let alone a pickup full, is the furthest thing from my mind.

I plan to go fishing tomorrow somewhere uncrowded. That just feels like a better use of my time and money.

Sg

My boss spent some serious duckets on explosives this year and I get to help him blow them up

Do partake heavily of the devil water prior to igniting any devices that will cause your medical insurance deductible to be met. It saves me the trouble of medicating you.

And of course I would never secretly enjoy listening to some drunk who blew up a homemade bomb scream "My wedding ring, my gawdamn wedding ring was on that finger. Somebody has to find it." Last time that happened the dog found it first.

Happy B-Day to America.

OK, I spent another 140 tonight. I now have somewhere in excess of three or four hundred shell breaks. Not counting cakes and other stuff. I will have to do the final tally tomorrow before I light it all. Vince, I don't partake of the devil water too hard when lighting stuff, and I don't have anything modified to blow my fingers off. So you won't have to worry about me. Any buzz makes it hard to figure out which fuses to light. When there seems to be three or more per firework, it is time to pass the torch off. Although when I was a littler kid, I did blow my fingers open with some thunder bomb firecrackers. Man those fuses were FAST! Then they made the firecrackers and bottle rockets illegal. Oh the good old days. Bandaged fingers, blisters on arms from sparklers and deaf for a week from all the noise. I still have scars....

Kirby and Cosmo.

Jim, just giving you pyro's (that includes me) a hard time. If I had the chance, and someone else's money, I'd lite off a grand worth of skyrockets. Big ones, bigger than you could sneak across the border. Like the kind I was using when I accidentally set a few acres of wheat stubble on fire, and woke up probably half a small town in Kansas, a long long December ago.

I think I'm going to spend this evening laying on my ass, listening to the booms. If I'm feeling energetic, I'll go outside where I can spy at least a little of the big downtown shows.

Then when it's over, I'll go back inside. The rest of you can worry about the massive Lk. Union traffic jams, and the bits of red and black paper all over your damn yard tomorrow...not to mention missing parts.

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Fish on...

Todd

i've always been a total cheapskate when it comes to fireworks. my yearly budget was typically $20 or so...pick up a brick of firecrackers and a couple bricks of bottle rockets.

now my town is the only one in the county to have outlawed fireworks, so i guess that tradition's dead now.

I'm walking down to Gasworks tonight. I love that show and it's only a 20 minute walk.
Just finished a dungi lunch along with deer burgers...time for a nap before the fireworks.

dont buy them have anuff crap to pick up on the 5th from all the folks that blow [censored] in my yard on my house on the cars in the boat .its like a freakin battle field down here untill 2:00 in the morn .yeah one year in spokane drunk punks down the street caught my back field on fire with some of those montana rockets now those were kool.I like fireworks just in the right place .

I can see the Monroe fireworks show from my bedroom window. Didn't even have to get the 19 month old kid out of his PJ's

I used to be a Grade A certified pyro/mad bomber. Used to spend $$$$ on ordinance of all calibers too. I even dabbled in the home manufacturing process a bit as well. My all time greatest left a 4x4 crater in the mudflats of Totten Inlet. Then I got married and had a kid, and now I just meet with glaring disapproval every time I mention buying a friggin' pack of bottlerockets.

$1000.00 for fireworks is money well spent. I can't think of anything I'd want more.

In the 70's we used to go the Rez and whisper "where's the silver salutes?". These were not in the fireworks stands but in car trunks. I believe they were the equivalent of a half stick of dynamite. A block away you could feel the shock wave on your face. Those were the days. Now I think they are a waste of money and freak the pets out too much. So, yes, I am a hypocrite.