Fireworks
I'm grateful to the criminals in my neighborhood who defied the law and set off a long and beautiful display of fireworks last night.
Lydia/Dan/kids stopped by yesterday evening on their way home from an afternoon of boating. They picked up the supper I'd made for them and then scampered away. Had to hurry to feed the kids and then get downtown to the Norfolk fireworks at Towne Point Park. I was all set to go with them but at the last minute the thought of that noise, the crowds, tremendous heat, still 90's at 8:00 P.M., I just couldn't face it.
So around a quarter to ten when the noise began to erupt out on my street, Porque Choppe and I went to sit on our porch and enjoy the illegal fireworks display. It was great. I was in my long flannel nightie but once the sun set, things began to cool off a bit, so I was quite comfortable. Two neighbors were doing the fireworks, one at each end of the block across the street from me. In spite of huge, old trees, the fireworks were easily visible since they were aimed at the airspace in center street above the cars. Little Porque Choppe sat on my lap, shivering and shaking like jello in a high wind. She has chihuahua issues with both thunder and fireworks. However, I enjoyed the whole thing; the comfortable rocking chair, the stool to put my feet up, the little worried dog, the cooler breeze, and the beautiful, against-the-law, fourth-of July festivity.
Every year at this time I wonder about how these impromptu displays get paid for. A friend told me that a little 20-minute kaboom can run upwards of $7,000.00 plus. Of course, there are some extremely affluent people in this community, but most of them live right on the water. I'm quite certain that the fireworks I saw last night were paid for by people of a humble income. So how do they do this year after year...and why?
Last year on the fourth, Lydia/kids/i were at the beach on Isle of Palms at Wild Dunes. The family in the next house, a very big and enthusiastic family, came prepared to celebrate Independence Day with a bang. Four adult men spent lots of the afternoon setting up great big PVC tubes made of plumbing pipe. They arranged circles in the sand above where the tide would reach. Inside each circle was a well-thought out supply area with tongs, long-reach lighters, and boxes and boxes of mega-expensive fireworks. As it began to get dark, Lydia took Benny down to the town beach to see the official fireworks. I stayed home to babysit Sadie. Finally dark arrived and the crowd next door set up shop on their porches while the men went out onto the beach to do the display. It lasted for forty-five minutes. The most spectacular, gorgeous display I have ever seen.
Suddenly police arrived and stopped the party. I heard the home owner arguing with police who said, "No. It stops now." "But," the guy complained, "we're just working up to our grand finale." "Nope," said the policeman. "Stop now." Police left. There was a gap of about five minutes of quiet.
Then all hell broke out next door as a glorious eruption of red, white, and blue exploded in the sky over the water directly in front of me. Gigantic star displays, circles of stars, an immense flag made of stars, on and on it went and all the neighbors on their porches screamed for joy and applauded their hands off. And then the police were back. This time cops gave the homeowner a ticket. Guy said, "I don't have time to go to court." Policeman said, "Fine. Pay up right now." The neighbor laughed and said, "OK. It's only $500." He opened his wallet and shelled out money, handed it over, slapped the policeman on the back and asked if he'd like to stay for a drink. The policeman, not amused, said that no, he certainly would not like to stay for a drink and he left amid the applause of all hands on surrounding porches. No doubt that fine was peanuts to a man affluent enough to provide his family an enormous beach-front home that they only have time to visit on week-ends.
However, on 38th Street a $500.00 fine would be a big deal, so I'm glad the cops didn't hassle our local display providers last night.
Lydia/Dan/kids stopped by yesterday evening on their way home from an afternoon of boating. They picked up the supper I'd made for them and then scampered away. Had to hurry to feed the kids and then get downtown to the Norfolk fireworks at Towne Point Park. I was all set to go with them but at the last minute the thought of that noise, the crowds, tremendous heat, still 90's at 8:00 P.M., I just couldn't face it.
So around a quarter to ten when the noise began to erupt out on my street, Porque Choppe and I went to sit on our porch and enjoy the illegal fireworks display. It was great. I was in my long flannel nightie but once the sun set, things began to cool off a bit, so I was quite comfortable. Two neighbors were doing the fireworks, one at each end of the block across the street from me. In spite of huge, old trees, the fireworks were easily visible since they were aimed at the airspace in center street above the cars. Little Porque Choppe sat on my lap, shivering and shaking like jello in a high wind. She has chihuahua issues with both thunder and fireworks. However, I enjoyed the whole thing; the comfortable rocking chair, the stool to put my feet up, the little worried dog, the cooler breeze, and the beautiful, against-the-law, fourth-of July festivity.
Every year at this time I wonder about how these impromptu displays get paid for. A friend told me that a little 20-minute kaboom can run upwards of $7,000.00 plus. Of course, there are some extremely affluent people in this community, but most of them live right on the water. I'm quite certain that the fireworks I saw last night were paid for by people of a humble income. So how do they do this year after year...and why?
Last year on the fourth, Lydia/kids/i were at the beach on Isle of Palms at Wild Dunes. The family in the next house, a very big and enthusiastic family, came prepared to celebrate Independence Day with a bang. Four adult men spent lots of the afternoon setting up great big PVC tubes made of plumbing pipe. They arranged circles in the sand above where the tide would reach. Inside each circle was a well-thought out supply area with tongs, long-reach lighters, and boxes and boxes of mega-expensive fireworks. As it began to get dark, Lydia took Benny down to the town beach to see the official fireworks. I stayed home to babysit Sadie. Finally dark arrived and the crowd next door set up shop on their porches while the men went out onto the beach to do the display. It lasted for forty-five minutes. The most spectacular, gorgeous display I have ever seen.
Suddenly police arrived and stopped the party. I heard the home owner arguing with police who said, "No. It stops now." "But," the guy complained, "we're just working up to our grand finale." "Nope," said the policeman. "Stop now." Police left. There was a gap of about five minutes of quiet.
Then all hell broke out next door as a glorious eruption of red, white, and blue exploded in the sky over the water directly in front of me. Gigantic star displays, circles of stars, an immense flag made of stars, on and on it went and all the neighbors on their porches screamed for joy and applauded their hands off. And then the police were back. This time cops gave the homeowner a ticket. Guy said, "I don't have time to go to court." Policeman said, "Fine. Pay up right now." The neighbor laughed and said, "OK. It's only $500." He opened his wallet and shelled out money, handed it over, slapped the policeman on the back and asked if he'd like to stay for a drink. The policeman, not amused, said that no, he certainly would not like to stay for a drink and he left amid the applause of all hands on surrounding porches. No doubt that fine was peanuts to a man affluent enough to provide his family an enormous beach-front home that they only have time to visit on week-ends.
However, on 38th Street a $500.00 fine would be a big deal, so I'm glad the cops didn't hassle our local display providers last night.
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