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Happy Fourth of July, you crazy Americans. Don't blow off your pinkies!

A surprising lack of local explosions so far. There was a half hour period around 10 PM last night when the local idiots found in necessary to annoy everyone, but that was about it. I suspect this evening will be worse.

Don't misunderstand. I have no problem with setting off a few fireworks to celebrate the 4th, When I was young (pre Viet Nam), I caused a few visits from the local constabulary. But, what usually happens, and (fingers crossed) hasn't happened this year (yet!) is a LOT of people buy enough fireworks to blow up a WW II submarine, and they start the celebration July 1st and stop on July 7th. During that period there is a startling, distracting explosion every 15 minutes. I find myself thinking "Look! Whey don't we get all you idiots, and your boom booms together, and set EVERYTHING off during a one hour period. You'll have a spectacular display, and then I'll have some peace and quiet." So far, this year, it's been pretty good. Update tomorrow.

To all the Yanks, "may you have a happy, safe, and peaceful 4th of July."

I know what you mean - someone was lighting off fireworks at 11:30 last night - the 3rd, so nobody's holiday - and we're an all-volunteer fire force up here so it's not the best etiquette!!

At any rate, I'm all decked out in my red white and blue and send big kisses south of the border!!

Mark - You are on a ROLL ! ...

Hmmmmmmm.... Three stripes, each one inch wide. Ian must be loving THAT outfit ...

Off to the 4th of July parade in our home town. Again, for the 3rd year in a row, it is starting to rain out, break out the umbrellas

Here, they have their annual display at the ball fields/track a block behind my house. We used to be able to watch them from out back porch, but too many trees have gotten taller in the last 15 years and my neighbors didn't find it particularly patriotic when they found me in their yards on the Third, chainsaw in-hand. So now, we walk down there like everyone else.

I use the occasion to promote the business. We'll literally have several thousand people walking the street in front of my business tonight on their way down and on their way back from the show tonight, so we decorate the columns in front of the house with red stripes and hang flag banners, etc. And I don't know how it started, but we usually plan being "close to the gate" so when things end, we get back here quick, make root beer floats and "people watch" on the front porch. It's become a bit of a tradition at this point I guess.

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a LOT of people buy enough fireworks to blow up a WW II submarine, and they start the celebration July 1st and stop on July 7th.

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When I was a kid, I HATED loud noises. Now, I don't mind them at all if I know they're coming. But I still get twinges thinking about an M-80 going off close and unexpectedly. I think some fireworks just really go too far beyond what I think should be legal.

NH was the first state I've lived in that legally allowed fireworks, and I swear there's less of them here than in the different places as I was growing up.

Well, look at it this way. That's one week of the year when you can blast your speakers, and no one will care, since they'll be inaudible over the explosions.

My in-ear headphones have been coming in handy. I didn't notice any fireworks until I looked out my window and saw explosions in the air, less than 30 yards away.

Happy 4th to all.

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At any rate, I'm all decked out in my red white and blue and send big kisses south of the border!!

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I have just run out into my yard and into the path of those kisses. (BE STILL MY HEART!) Old guys, like me, can't take excitement like this.

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Well, look at it this way. That's one week of the year when you can blast your speakers, and no one will care, since they'll be inaudible over the explosions.

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LOL! Now why didn't I think of that!

Happy 3rd anniversary eve to me.

Time to cue up the 1812 overture, right before the cannons go off. Set that on repeat.

Interesting - right after a celebration for a day of independance, you get to celebrate the exact opposite.

Seeing how it’s still light out at midnight here, fireworks displays are pretty anticlimactic. Just smoke trails and noise. We save ours for new years eve.

I’m glad to see this string start out as “Independence Day” and not happy “4th of July”. So many people forget what the day actually stands for, and just think of it as a day of the year that pyrotechnics are legal to set off.

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thinking about an M80 going off

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Please don't do this to your speakers people, it's a violation of your warranty. Axiom's customer service can only go so far.

This, from a dude named TNTguy...

Anyway, what is/did everyone cook(ing) today? I attempted tri tip on the grill, with grilled artichokes and ribs. (smoked, of course!). It seemed to be going pretty well, and I had just put the ribs on, when poof! My grill ran out of gas. Arrgh! So now the tri tip and artichokes are in the oven, and the ribs are back in the fridge. Sigh. We'll see how it all comes out. (of course, I realized just before I put the tri tip in the oven that I'd had it the wrong way around (fat side down) so that could play into any possible badness, too...

This is why you always have a spare tank on hand. My tank's been waiting to fizzle out for quite some time now, but it keeps going and going.

I spend yesterday afternoon/evening/night driving north on the 101 from LA to Oakland. I got to see amateur fireworks shows from the car. Too bad the kid was asleep. We'll do some sparklers in the back yard tonight to make up for it.

Well, the meat came out pretty nicely. The artichokes--well, I think I'll stick to steaming them.

Was a great holiday as it usually is. Its extremely odd to me but I can't remember the last time we had a crappy day on the 4th.

We usually walk up the top of the hill my house faces so we can get a really nice view of the Omaha skyline... The best way I can describe it is like watching Baghdad (either war) being bombarded. Its really impressive (we sure like our explosives out here I guess).

Like the good american I am I do my part in supporting communism and picked up some fireworks myself. Felt like blowing s*%$ up this year.

We eat artichokes like the English eat peas chez Colquhoun - I've never thought of grilling them. What do you do?

Here's the recipe I used. I warn you, we didn't like it very much. The marinade really diluted the normal, yummy taste of the artichoke. The garlic mayo isn't half bad, though!