I Sure Do Miss The Fireworks At Lagoon...

Last night our town's yearly celebration, Festival Days (formally Festival Days...) came to a close. And they finished in style with music and fireworks. As our family watched from a couple of miles away, I thought back on all the times we used to watch the fireworks from Lagoon Amusement Park.

I sure do miss those fireworks.

When we heard the first booms echoing off the mountains to the east, I almost left my camera inside. but, the draw that I might get a fantastic shot or two of the show proved stronger. I didn't get very many good shots. I mean, I like them, but they're not all that great.

The smoke from last night's fireworks drifted north and hovered over Lagoon where once hundreds of rockets took flight and delighted patrons and drivers on I-15 alike. But years ago the powers that be at Utah's largest amusement park decided to cease the aerial entertainment. Even though I've been disappointed there's no more Lagoon fireworks ever since, I can understand why the decision was made.

But I tell you this, if I ever get to the point where I have the resources and money is no object, I would gladly pay for fireworks displays to be launched over Lagoon on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Pioneer Day and Labor Day. However, if that never happens, fireworks from Lagoon will forever live in my memory.

The Fireworks At Davis High School...

It seems everyone has that favorite place they go to watch fireworks. If you're an American, you watch them on the 4th of July, or the day your state celebrates its statehood. And, when I lived in Europe, they went crazy--literally--on New Year's Eve.

If you're lucky, you don't have to go far to reach that favorite spot to watch fireworks. Many can just walk outside their homes and look up. That's the best. For several decades we were those people, the lucky ones. We could just walk outside, look to the west and enjoy the fireworks display presented by the local amusement park.

Those days are apparently gone forever.

So, we decided to check out the fireworks at my high school alma mater, dear ol' Davis High School (whose fight song proclaims that we'll fight for it...). Residences of Kaysville, Utah know that the school puts on a kick-butt show.

This year, we stayed home.

Today was one of those crazy days with conventions and parades and minor incidents with children and trailers filled with water and when the time came to load up the van and fight the crowds in order to get the best vantage point from which to watch bombs bursting above our heads. The picture above is what the Davis High School fireworks look like from 10 miles away.

 It would be nice to be one of those "can see the fireworks from our house" people again.  I guess we just didn't appreciate what we had when we had it. Happy birthday, America, the land that I love!