Bombs bursting in air

I heard the other day on NPR (so it must be true, right?) that our forefathers celebrated our Declaration of Independence with fireworks.

As they are now, fireworks were an expensive undertaking, so the Europeans who imported them from China were mostly royalty, and would use them to commemorate events such as royal birthdays and weddings. It was a rare thing for common folk to even see them, never mind being invited to do so. So, a fireworks display in a public celebration was a political statement as a symbol of democracy and the power of the people.

It made me happy to learn this, as it's always been my favorite part of the holiday.

Yesterday, as I planned to meet some friends in Westchester for a fireworks show at Kensico Dam, once again, the rain threatened. For any of you who live around here, you'll probably sigh, as it's rained here every day for over a month. I actually loaded the car in a deluge, but as we drove south, the skies cleared, and a few minutes after our arrival, this was the sight that met us:

The crowd was far thicker than I had ever seen it before, and one of our friends speculated that it was because a lot of the smaller towns hereabouts have foregone their displays due to budget issues. We grumbled a bit because we had to sit off to the side, and knew the surrounding trees were going to partly obscure our view. But a wonderful potluck picnic dinner, accompanied by a lovely Captain Lawrence wheat beer, made us comfy and mellow in all that crowded din, although we were hard pressed to hear the Westchester Philharmonic over it all.

Soon, the display started, and although we didn't get the full view, it was an impressive show, nonetheless, made more so by the backdrop of the Dam itself, which is impressive and tall, and quite magnified the thunder of the fireworks.

Here are a few shots I managed to get, or the slideshow here. I hope you enjoy them, in the name of democracy, of course!

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.