And the Rocket's Red Glare.....

It seems like.....no it IS LIKE I work every year on the day the fireworks are delivered to the fire station. :) I have also worked every year on the day of firework setup. I take my turn working 4th of July. They always deliver the fireworks in the blooming middle of the day when it's extra hot. It stinks getting all dirty and sweaty and splinters in my fingers, but it's for the ultimate good of having a beautiful display of fireworks for the Independence Day celebration. The smell of fireworks is one of my favorite smells- it brings back memories of my youth......ah, memories.......when we would do snakes and sparklers in the driveway of Dad's house in Provo. The neighbor boys would do smoke bombs in everyone's mailboxes and everyone in the cul-de-sac would put together the big ones for a good show. Then we'd get on the roof , lay out our blankets and watch the Stadium of Fire show. :)

Setting up a fireworks show hasn't made it lose any of the awe I feel while watching it. :) It has made me appreciate all the people who set off the large fireworks by hand, the way our city does. :) We set up racks and carefully insert the explosive shell into the slot, having been instructed to not hold your hand or face over the hole while it goes in. :) The fuse is taped to the side so that a brave firefighter can then light it with a fusee during the show. :) In all the years I've been here, we've only had someone hurt once when the shell exploded before it left the rack. He was okay- lost his hearing for a couple hours though.

I also worked at the Stadium of Fire one year- the summer after I graduated- putting together the big fireworks displays that look like a picture of something.....Statue of Liberty, Flag, Soldier.....you know?

I have a really great memory of the 4th of July the year I lived in DC. I went into the city with a family I babysat for and we laid blankets out by the Potomac, across from the Jefferson Memorial. It was HOT and HUMID- but there is nothing quite like Independence Day in the nation's capital. :) I might have distorted memories.....but it seems that some of the fireworks were in the shape of happy faces and some were in the shape of words. I haven't asked to see if anyone else remembers that the same way I do. :)

Here's a question for y'all: does anyone else bawl like a baby when you hear the National Anthem and stand to salute the flag? I do. I'm tearing up now just thinking about it. :) I also tend to cry when I see soldiers in uniform and imagine the bravery they have to support our nation's freedom. I cry when veterans are asked to stand and I see the humble older gentleman, and now men my age and younger, stand with pride for love of this country. After Christmas, the 4th of July is my favorite time of year. What a GIFT from God to live in a free nation!

And so, next year, when it's time to unload and set up the fireworks, I'll try not to complain. :)