Well, it’s the 4th of July. People are firing mortars, there are occasional whistling bottle rockets, and someone just set off something massive in front of the house. (And yes, we shot off some bottle rockets, whistling bottle rockets, Roman candles – and some sparklers and black snakes.)
The explosions will intensify when it gets dark (in an hour or so) and will literally sound like a war zone from then until midnight. Plus the stragglers. Someone set off some large explosions around 1:15 this morning. Tomorrow isn’t a holiday. I’m going to work from home on the 5th because I don’t think I can function well on three or four hours of sleep. Mrs. L.A. will start her day late.
But it’s only twice a year (with New Year’s Eve). Tonka’s not frightened, and people gotsta cut loose.
I can see the sky plainly to the southwest of me. That is the direction of the river. So we have seen some of the fireworks show. Can’t hear anything. I suspect we will before morning when the yokels from town drive out looking for a lonely backroad to shoot some off on. I hate that.
Yeah, the neighborhood pyrotechs have started in here too and it’s not even dark yet. They had a snitch hotline last year but I think it got discontinued. Oh well it’ll be over in an hour or two…or three or…
I’m getting tired. I read that as ‘the neighbourhood psychopaths’.
No hotline here. Technically, the mortars and such are illegal (I think) because we’re not on a reservation. But I’ve never heard of anyone being cited. Everybody has mortars. It would be pointless to enforce the (presumed) law.
Things that go boom are illegal here, unless your last name is Kennedy. In that case, there is no repercussions for trying to blow up your offspring…
Now six feet over the state line, there are pop up stores selling World War III, and all the cars parked in front have my states plates. Funny that…
Non-stop since about 4pm here (actually there have been nightly minor skirmishes since – I kid you not – May 30.) I don’t expect it to stop until 2am. Even if my house burns down.
I just heard my first series of pops. Sounds kinda close. I am well off the county road, if I can hear it they are at least a mile from me. The sheriff deputies will be patrolling the state highways looking for drunk drivers. Not that they ever come as far down the county road enough to be near the end of my drive. Oh well. The dogs didnt seem to hear it yet.
Yep, that’s where I got my fireworks, such as I had. The bottle rockets had been in the storage trailer that we’re having demolished. I found them when I cleaned it out. They’re probably ten years old. The Roman candles are only a two or three years old. I didn’t buy any mortars. Thousands of people buy uncounted mortars and bring them up here, so there’s no need. Mrs. L.A. drove along the beach yesterday, going to the corner market for spinach for dinner, and a guy just around the corner had very large mortars set up on a frame in preparation. We live about 400 feet from the beach, so we just look at what other people bring.
Here’s a video from 2015. That was a calm year. It was a bit more lively this year.
Normally, the explosions of M-80’s and a lit up sky extend far into the night, and you can smell the stench of spent fireworks if you have open windows. Last night, however, we had heavy storms with severe lightning, so much of that activity didn’t take place. I’m expecting it tonight, though.
Yep, looks familiar. We’ve watched the show being put on while on Lummi Island and it is unbelievable. One year, they launched hundreds of those chinese lanterns. Good thing the wind pushed them out over the water…they would easily start fires if they touched down before they went out.
We had thunderstorms last night. Loki had 100 mg of Trazadone, Ella had 300 mg, Kali likes thunder. Not sure if any of the booms were pyrotechnics, and we were in bed early after a day on the water.
The Puyallup tribe has 5 acres out on the flatlands where people can go to blow up their money. The place I lived in before here had a partial view of it. Folks’ll be out there every night for a few more weeks before the tribe calls it quits for the year.
The neighbors started the barrage at around 8:00. They had something that would go boom when it was near ground level and then boom again when forty or so feet up. Usually the second boom was nearer our house and therefore louder. Noir Kitty learned by the sound which fireworks these were and began anticipating with dread the second boom. That set the tone for the rest of the night.
I tried distracting him with treats. Usually, I toss them one by one and he chases after them with almost doglike glee. This time, he slunk around in an unenthusiastic half-crouch.
He started to bolt a couple of times during the night before stopping and hunkering down in place, apparently realizing there’s no safer place to go anyway.
I was very glad to see him waiting for me as I came down the stairs this morning, wanting attention and asking for breakfast as usual. He had a traumatic life before he came to us and I worry about the emotional scars he carries. Same goes for other animals and people with PTSD and other problems. I used to love fireworks but because of this, am pretty much over the whole thing.