Just about perfect.

This year's 4^th of July fireworks show.

Despite my usual grumbling that we left home too late, all was well. Line at McD's was short, and we managed a parking spot at the small trailer court that sticks out into the huge empty field/marsh/dirt bike land just east of the Fairgrounds where the firemen set off the pyrotechnics.

Not only were we able to park in the court, but we got the front corner. Our first ever attendance at this annual event was quite near here, and found us wafting in the aromas of fireworks and dodging little glowing embers, as this spot is almost always straight downwind of the displays.

As it was tonight.

All the other spectators on the east side were behind us, except for the cute little girl who came up to speak to us, with something serious to say. Unfortunately, she was speaking in Toddler, so we have no idea what message she was trying to relay before she was herded back by the teen on a bike.

Shortly after it got close to true dark, the wife noticed the back-up firemen bailing out of their fire truck, parked across the empty field on our left.

With smoke coming out around their rig. Which they promptly extinguished with a quick spray. Don't know if they set themselves on fire, or if the spectators above sent something down their way. But the show was off to an exciting start.

As is usual, the show was warmed up with a pre-game show. All the private (and illegal) rockets, whistlers and Roman candles, flying in from around the field. Which were cool under the quarter-moon.

For a minute or two. Then the three (or was it four?) big rockets and booms headed up, and all of a sudden the private stuff looked cheap and wimpy.

And this digital camera... have I mentioned before how happy I am with this digital camera?

The fumes of burnt phosphorus and sulphur reached us before the tenth explosion (wife said they had over 600 rockets), drifting down to engulf us with memories of so many 4^ths of July. Wasn't too many booms later that we heard the not-so-gentle patter of ash and fragments on the roof of the SUV.

Eldest son and I each got ash in our eyes, since we were both hanging our heads outside. A piece about the size of a square quarter hit me in the neck, and landed on my lap. Not so exciting, except that many of these were still glowing red hot when they hit the ground.

As did one rocket, which blew up on the ground at the launch site.

And when all was done, and the grand finale smoke cloud had drifted across the marsh and greasewood on our left, eldest son got out with a flashlight, and began looking around the vehicle.

Some of the pieces were a little large. And one was metal.

Maybe we want to be just a little further back next year.