dont fail the fourth
The studs and duds of fireworks: Putting on a home pyrotechnics show? Chooseyour weapons wisely
Begin with a heart. Then you can move on to the much more complicated, smileyface.Photo by Alison Jackson-Bass
Colorful smoke. Awesome. Next please.Photo by Shawna Scott
A mass of Roman candles is a beautiful sight.
Fourth of July weekend is a great excuse to celebrate our country, freedom … and home-based pyrotechnics. Fireworks are to Independence Day, what gifts are to Christmas. And just like gifts, there are studs and duds.
The Duds
I was 10 when I first saw a snake (see video below) and I was unimpressed then as I am now. It looks more like snake poop than the predator I run from — don’t waste your money on it.
Other money-wasters — smoke bombs. Every celebration I go to, people buy them, light them, but no one loves them (short of the 10-year-old boy who puts a lit one in his sister’s closet). They don’t fly or sparkle; they smell horrible and if someone lights one in an elevator, you’ll be taking the stairs for a week.
The Studs
Top of the list has to be sparklers. Multi-color or standard — take all the money you would waste on snakes and smoke bombs and buy more sparklers! Kids love them, adults love them, you can’t go wrong. Fun tip: Grab your camera and swirl the sparkler in patterns. The camera picks up the entire pattern making great pics.
Roman candles, bottle rockets and cones definitely make the A-list. They're the big league of home fireworks. Unfortunately, the more you use them, the more creative you get. If you have ‘tweens or teenagers beware — inevitably a roman candle will be aimed at a car, person or pet or combined with another firework. In other scenarios, hundreds get taped together creating something more like a Roman bazooka than candle (see video below).
Finally, let’s not forget every dog’s favorite firework — spinners and wheels. I have yet to find a dog that doesn’t chase and attack. For that matter, I’ve seen humans do the same. A whirling, moving object is irresistible to all species it seems.
As far as pets are concerned, consider putting Fido in the house or on a leash. As funny as it is to see him running around with a Roman candle in his mouth (see video below), no one needs a third-degree burn or lost limb this Independence Day. Aside from that, Happy fire-working!
Dud: Snakes. Why waste the money?
Roman candle bazooka:
42,000 bottle rockets. Make sure you're in a far-off, distant, wet field before trying this:
Dog snatches a lit Roman candle. Funny, but completely unsafe:
