USA: 232 Years Young

Fireworks are legal to set off in Vancouver, WA for a solid week before July 4th. After the big day, you even get an extra 24 hours to detonate your surplus. With all the lawn mowers, leaf blowers and weed whackers around here, fireworks are just one more loud bang to add to our modern-era noise stew. I wish there was a quieter way to celebrate the outcome of the Revolutionary War. Next year could we all sit around and read poetry out loud?

All these fireworks can be bought from the literally hundreds of tents set up around the city, mostly as church and high school fundraisers. Coming from California where fireworks have been illegal for many years (too much of a fire hazard), I'm kind of in culture shock. We used to buy ours on the border of Daly City--a damp town--back when I was a kid. I guess it's nice to see and hear fireworks in abundance for a solid week. I...guess... (trying not to sound like the neighborhood crank).

The Vancouver National Historic Reserve boasts the largest fireworks display west of the Mississippi. That's gotta be big.

Here's a home-made fireworks display from 98th Street. This must be equal the fireworks on the shores of the Mississippi.