PAST

July 4, 2004

NEXT

Not much of an image here and certainly not the quality of some of the past few years. But I did want to share a moment here. This picture was taken last night somewhere here in Tucson, probably about ten miles in the distance. 

As I had just moved out here to Tucson these past few months I am still getting to know people. The Community Church of the Foothills, where I have been recently playing music, was having a big event. I came and had a great time. But after sunset I took a walk, by myself, to the back of the parking lot which overlooked the town and watched as numerous fireworks displays went off in the distance. I think I counted about five really good ones in various different locations around the city. As I stood there alone, I reflected upon some of the years past. 

All my life I have witnessed Independence Day fireworks from all over the country. From some of my earliest memories I recall the various different places I have been to see them. Of course a lot of different years were just spent at home watching them on TV. But others were more memorable.

1973, The Timber Carnival. Albany, Oregon
I recall one year while I was growing up we were living in Scio, Oregon. The annual Timber Carnival was held in Albany, about 15 miles away. The carnival was held at a park directly next to the small airport where my father worked as an aircraft mechanic at the time. The fireworks displays there were always quite spectacular and would be easily seen from the airport. So dad decided to take us so we could watch the fireworks there, and to avoid the crowds of people and the admission prices into the carnival. 
  When we arrived in the area the local police were guiding traffic through the intersections and told us that nobody was allowed into the airport entrance. Although disappointed, my father accepted the restriction, and we drove away. After a few miles down the road I thought dad had suddenly lost his mind (perhaps again) when he yelled out a few words of profanity and quickly stopped and turned the truck back around. He had suddenly became quite aware of the irony that he had just been banned from going to his own place of employment. 
   Back at the intersection he came up with another one of his famous lies and told the officer that he worked there at the airport and desperately needed to stop in and get some tools that he had forgotten. Of course it surely didn't look very convincing with a wife and his two kids and several blankets all piled into the pick-up. When the officer didn't believe this obvious lie, he once again shook his head "no". Then my father dropped his head just a little, changed his tone, and with that amazing charm that had gotten him away with so many things throughout his life, he very calmly said, "Listen, I really do work there, and I don't have enough money to get into the carnival, and I just wanted to take my kids to see the fireworks." 
The officer looked into the vehicle at everybody, and when he glanced at me I gave him the most pathetic little look that any ten year old could give. He smiled at me, smiled at dad, shook his head, "yes" and stopped traffic coming the other way to wave us in.
We had a wonderful time that evening and the fireworks were amazing. It was actually the first time I had ever seen such a thing. All those amazing colors. All those beautiful bright flashes that just lit up the whole sky. always anticipating the next one and what it might look like. Then there were those ones that just looked like a big bright flash of blinding light, followed by such a loud, thundering boom that would send a shock wave through the air that you could feel. They always startle me so much. As soon as we would see that bright flash we knew what was coming. My sister would quickly put her hands up to her ears. Mom would cringe and say something like, "Oh no, not again. I just hate tho...."
(( BOOM ))
Dad and I would just laugh and giggle.