Fireworks for regular folks

[heidiiiii]

In the state of CT, the only fireworks that are legal to possess are the sparkler type. They have so many types of sparkler fireworks out there you could get dizzy trying to figure out what you want to purchase.

I have a fear of them. I will buy the kiddy type but that is as far as I will go. I fear the sparks could land on someones (or my) property and start a fire..or someone could get burned.

Just having a fireworks that are run by the professionals are good enough for me. But I am a chicken so I do not judge anyone else that can do them without fear. I wish I could get over it sometimes.

What about you?

Do you do fireworks on the 4th? What types do you set off?

[christinee]

In Florida, fireworks are completely legal where you can buy them in the grocery store. LOL All kinds too, not just sparklers. When we lived in the city near Ft. Lauderdale, I hated 4th of July because the fireworks were non-stop and they scared my dogs terribly. I remember spending last 4th of July with two 30 lb dogs on my lap shivering in terror while the neighbors lit fireworks nonstop for about 4-5 hrs. The only thing that worked (literally!) was when I played my classical music cd's at full blast to drown out the fireworks. That seemed to calm the dogs somewhat but made hubby go crazy since he hates classical music (he's a die hard Slayer/Thrash metal/grunge music guy).

Now that we're in a very rural area, I expect it to be quieter. This will be the first 4th that we're spending here so I can't say for sure.

[CJEP]

Last year there was a large fire started in my town because of illegal fireworks that people lit off. Luckily the fire department was able to contain it before it did any damage to any of the neighboring houses. We live in a town just outside of Boston so it shocks me that people are idiotic enough to light them off and I have been hearing them for weeks already and know I'll be hearing them for at least another week. Unfortunately our fire department and police department our short due to budget cuts so they aren't even doing anything to stop it. I guess it will take an idiot burning down a neighbor's house for them to actually do something.

[uppitycats]

We have this really quirky law here in Wisconsin -- it's legal to buy fireworks, so there are fireworks available in all sorts of places...

but it's illegal to use them, unless you have a permit. The shops get around the permit requirement by also issuing permits -- and supposedly you then are able to go to their designated property and shoot them off there.

Yeah, right. Everyone shoots them off everywhere. Especially here in my rural area, folks started on July 1, and I suspect we'll hear fireworks through Sunday.

My husband has had training in the use of fireworks, but we don't buy anything but caps which we use to toss under the porch to scare out the raccoons from nesting there. (Yes, we're careful to be sure they're extinguished thoroughly, once they've gone off.)

I don't know what you mean by "kiddy sparklers".. ALL of them get VERY hot -- 1000 degrees fahrenheit for even the "cool" ones...and so they're VERY dangerous. Kids think of of them as toys, wave them around, poke each other with the "spent" rods -- not realizing that not only are the rods sharp, they are also HOT.

My cats hate the banging. One flees to the closet and won't come out most of the night.

Law enforcement tries to curtail the activity, but with so much of it going on, there's no way they'll get to everyone!

[heidiiiii]

I call them kiddy sparklers because they were the only ones we were allowed to use when I was a kid. I did them for the girls when they were younger but they were heavily supervised. Carrie, I remember when I was a kid...my aunt and uncle would come down from Saugus with a package of fireworks for us. The only ones I remember vividly were these things called worms. It was a round coil and you lit the middle and it would unfurl like a worm or snake.

We have neighbors that LOVE to set these things off constantly. Especially at 11pm-midnight. Nothing like jolting you from your sleep.

[fantail]

In my town this is the second year they allowed fireworks in town. They have been going off since the 1st, but I love it. Every one is out in their yards watching. The dogs do go a little nuts, my pug is no acception, but doesn't seem to bother her too much if she is inside. She chases the smoke....

I love the smell in the air.....reminds me when I was a little kid. It's nice to see people/neighbors out talking with one another.

[Jeffrey]

my dad usually gets a few of the smaller variety but this year he found out how to make this homemade thing from a tin can and powdered coffee creamer and black powder. supposedly it makes a really small mushroom cloud thing...it should be interesting.

[sweetpeas]

We now have fireworks here practically all year round (though it used to be just 5th November and New Year). There is an age restriction for buying them (over 18 only) and shops have to be licensed to sell them, but there is always a huge problem with kids getting hold of them and throwing them at other people/each other! If I had my way there would be a total ban on sales to the general public and it should be organised diplays only that have to be fully licensed!

[Wolfie]

They also sell fireworks here as well....all kinds. But you cannot light them off! We have bags of them in the closet! Can't use em. However our town does celebrate the 4th by floating a huge raft in Seeley Lake, and set them off from there. We can see them from the deck and the loft windows, so beautiful! Alas though, try to set some off and you are found out? FINE AND POSSIBLE JAIL TIME!

I remember when I was a child our dad lit off scads of fireworks, and we were watching them and we smelled smoke. He has set the house roof on fire. No fire department, too remote, but we used our hose and my brothers climbed up there with buckets of water and it was put out pretty quick. Sort of put a dent in our fun though.......

[Minis On The Edge]

Anne, I was thinking about that crazy law here in Wisconsin the other day. All of the grocery stores here have EVERYTHING but according to the news, we can not use any of these things unless we have permits. It's kinda crazy when you really think about it. A few years ago, we ended up in the emergency room with my son and there were so many people there because of injuries from illegal use of fire crackers n Stuff. One kid lost 2 of his fingers and had them in a jar of ice. After sitting in the ER for a few hours we went home cause David decided he would rather be in his bed because he was not gonna be seen by any doctors soon. So, I guess you can say I am against it.

I remember playing with them as a kid though. My uncle who was very close to our age came over with a " mega bomb" he had made by emptying the powder from firecrackers in some paper and taped up with masking tape (He had been making this for a while and used a LOT of firecrackers to get it that size for sure). When my mom left to go to work, we buried it in a patch of grass and lit it and boy, there was dirt EVERYWHERE and a hole in my parents lawn! We never did own up to that one (I hope she never reads this ) but I think about that now and about how we could have gotten hurt. I was about 11 which means my younger brother was 8 and my big brother & uncle were 14 & 15.

[Shakyshaky]

You can buy them here but you are not suposed to set the morters off with out a permit. Dh has always done them on the 4th. One year he got a pack that had been wrapped wrong and it fell apart as it went off. Noone was seriously hurt, but he's much more careful about inspecting them before he lights them. We have always talked to the neighbors before we set things off and most come out to watch.

[Deb]

I've seen a lot of kids with some nasty burns because of fireworks so I'm pretty much in the "leave them in the hands of the professionals" state of mind. Of course, like Tracy, when I was younger, I didn't see it that way. There was a little matter of a couple of M80's tied to an arrow that went awry, and another incident involving a bridge being set on fire. But nothing was ever proved so no charges were filed.

Deb

[Shaleace]

New York State its illegal to set off fireworks, or own them. Already yesterday there was a report of a woman who lit what she thought was a candle in her house and was holding it when it went off. Every year we have reports of these accidents. I'm really happy that they are illegal, but as you get to the PA border with NY the first thing you see are large billboards advertising fireworks. So I don't know if the law really does a lot.

[fantail]

You should hear my neighborhood right now! Sounds like a war zone....but kids are ooohing and ahhing, running around. People are having a blast....it's nice.

[nuttiwebgal]

well the day is over and the fireworks were wonderful.

here in Mo and in our town unless there is a burn ban due to drought you can light off all ground types of fireworks. in the country we do the airals I love fountains and spinners.

we start the youngins off with snap pops and using a punk for smoke bombs...that was Pixies favorite. next yr Nannie will get her some small firecrackers and show her how to do them correctly.

my family has always celebrated the 4th with lots of bottlerockets and sparklers and everything in between!

Happy Birthday America!

nutti

[More Minis Dollhouses]

The fireworks were really awesome around here. I dont light them myself because Im scared of them but I got to see everyone elses.

Here in Florida they are legal and Im fine with it. If they are used safely then there should be no problems.

Im wary of laws that prevent or ban things due to their "safety" issues. It just sounds too much like having a nanny. There are plenty of way more dangerous things out there that are allowed and are done everyday so why not some fireworks a few times a year? I believe things like these should be regulated to keep them safe but banning is just way too over the top.

[stitch2]

I have not posted before so I hope I have done this correctly.

Here is a fireworks site for those who did not have a community show.

Click here: Fireworks

Our grandchildren liked it. It can be noisy.

My brother-in-law had a roman candle in his back pants pocket at one family show and it put him the hospital for two days. Nice to look at, not for our family any more.

Stitch2

[stitch2]

The link does not transmit live so here is the URL:

http://www.maylin.net/fireworks.html

Stitch2

[heidiiiii]

OMG..I did not sleep well last night. If I could figure out who in the neighborhood was setting off bottle rockets at 15 min intervals all the way up till 1am last night...I would have grabbed them, taken one of the fireworks and shoved it where the sun does not shine!

I hope we do not have a repeat tonite.

[cheherzad]

We are in a pretty rural area here in Southern CA, thus no legal private fireworks. Our house is located right across the street from the high school football field where the fireworks display is set off. They explode right over your head with an enormous sound. Every year our place is the gathering spot for family and extended family, friends and extended friends. The guys start barbequing early in the day; ribs, chicken, hamburgers, hotdogs. We make up gigantic fruit bowls of watermelon, strawberries, kiwi, peaches, grapes and whatever else we can find. Potato salad (as only this grandma knows how to make it ) Salsa, chips, sodas, beer, and every dessert known to man. In the early evening we set up all our chairs in front of the house and blankets for the little ones. We also synchronize a couple of car or truck radios with the fireworks display and the show begins. Of course I secure all the animals in the bedrooms so they don't run amuck. They do stress a bit, but are okay when we sit with them after it's all over. This year our two youngest members, 3 month old Jayden- great granddaughter and 2 year old Emily - granddaughter were overwhelmed by the noise. I walked Jayden around, and daddy held Emily (she hid her eyes through the whole thing). I think we had about 40 people this year. Some of the young marrieds told me this was more fun than Christmas. Of course my husband an ex military man always hangs up flags and strikes colors at the end of the day. It's become such a tradition here, I don't think anyone misses shooting off their own firecrackers.

[chesterfieldzoo]

My dogs all freak out at all the popping. I ignore them hoping if I don't make a fuss they will learn not to be scared. We used to have a nieghbor with a fireworks factory connection. He always had the coolest stuff. All the neighbors would come out to watch and the next day all would pitch in to clean up the mess. He was mega careful. No one ever got hurt. I personally don't like sparklers. As a kid the sparks burned my hands and as an adult I had a neighbor who's little girl got her hair set on fire from some sparks.