New Town...Same Result

Years ago, the city where we lived at the time banned fireworks on our big holidays--Independence Day, and Pioneer Day (the day our state celebrates not quite statehood, but something like that...). And because people like to celebrate summer events with fireworks and since we're people, the restrictions sort of hurt.

Not that we were big fireworkers, but it's still fun to have the option. 

During those holidays we'd sit on our porch and watch neighbors a few blocks away blast their celebrations skyward. Oh, the fun they must be having. The next day I'd look across the street and see an open field of tall weeds and beyond that, a mountain. It made sense to stop us from lighting off fireworks, no matter how safe we were.

A few years ago, we moved to another hillside in a new town, this hill not as steep and not as weedy. On Independence Day a few weeks ago, we watched neighbors explode fireworks as they like to do. Some were really close. We considered getting some fireworks, but we decided against it. We'll watch the neighbor's, we thought.

What a difference a few days, little rain, taller weeds, and higher temperatures makes.

Today we got the message that our neighborhood is once again under firework restrictions...not only fireworks, but other things as well. Once again, I understand the reasoning and I support it.

New town...same result.

I think because I'm getting older, living without personally setting off fireworks and putting the hillside (and my fingers...) at risk is less and less appealing to me. Just another thing I can live without. I'm wondering if my neighbors will read the notice, and even if they read it, will adhere to it.

I guess we'll see.

This Year's Pioneer Day Celebration...

Looking at our three unopened boxes of Pop-Its on the kitchen counter reminded me of how things have changed. Of course, the whole world has changed this year...family gatherings, picnics, baseball games--all changed.

But those Pop-Its boxes...just pathetic.

And what's worse is, we bought those for the Independence Day holiday and never used them.

We're not allowed to set off fireworks in our neighborhood and after seeing reports of terrible fires due to fireworks, our fireworks ban is understood and appreciated. Still, we picked up the boxes at the grocery store thinking we might go outside and glean some enjoyment from them.

Nope.

My wife and I were talking about the month and the holidays that fall in July. There's Independence Day, of course, but our state has a holiday on July 24th, the day pioneers entered the valley in 1847. For my family and my wife's family, July has come to be a reminder of lost love ones. My mother passed away on July 1, and my wife's father passed away on July 21. For both funerals, holidays were taken into consideration.

Tonight, I stepped out onto the back deck and heard distant booms. Some people were celebrating--there were more displays yesterday, of course. Usually Utahns like to light off controlled explosions before, during, and after our July holidays. This year, it just seems different.

I wonder what next year will be like.

For us, it'll remind us of more than just getting the day off work.