Independence Day

Following the July 4th holiday, we were scheduled for Summer Welcome - Freshman Orientation at the University of Missouri, Columbia with Grant.  But, the Suneson family often enjoys the 4th at the home of the McCords in Mount Alba, East Texas.  This year we figured we would spend July 3-5 at the McCord's then drive from there to Mizzou for Grant's orientation.

This year, we left Inga at home in Garland to take care of Strider and the tortoises.  Her care for the dog was a convenience, and besides she had a party with old high school friends and was not that interested in spending several days with us in Columbia, MO.  Grant had stuffed his pockets with some folding money in anticipation of a stop at the fireworks stand.  Who could resist pyrotechnics on Independence Day?  None of the guys could anyway.  We all bought a few ignitable-excitable spark and boom making devices.  The state-wide drought and burn ban (though not always a fireworks ban) was killing the profits of the roadside stands this year - but they offered no deep discounts despite the slow sales.

After Sue's fried chicken and famously fabulous potato salad for supper, we digested and then began to light up the gravel driveway in a celebration of liberty.

I find a fireworks display to be a visceral, multiscensory and primal enjoyment; the anticipation as the fuse takes spark from the punk and the quick sputter and sizzle as the flame races to the powder, the burst of light, color and smoke blasting into the dark sky, the scream, hiss and pop of the fantasmagoric gaudy display and the after-glow accented by the wafting aroma of spent black powder.  I am sure this is exactly what the founding fathers had in mind when they penned the phrase, "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".

Now that the Chinese make all of our July 4th entertainment, I now find reading the warning and sales descriptions most amusing part of the entertainment.  When searching the shelves for pyrotechnics, one has the choice of variously translated products, for example; the "Brutish Fish"  or the "Happy Panda".  Grant selected the Happy Panda to be used as the Grande Finale, primarily based on the English translated description, which reads (verbatim) as follows:

PERFORMANCE       Look at this lovely Panda! He can whistle, spit chry. stars, torches, etc.  And he can smile and blink at you in the dark night! Finale is huge cracker flower you may never see!

Yes indeed! HUGE CRACKER FLOWER YOU MAY NEVER SEE! -- I'm not sure if the advertised "huge cracker flower" is a clever Chinese marketing ploy aimed at the rednecks and crackers in East Texas, nor am I sure if this portion of the phrase "... you may never see!" is setting us up for something that we paid for but may or may not be seen once the fuse is lit.  So inscrutable!