Stupid but true Fireworks story.

The summer of 1969 my very favorite cousins came to visit us. Somehow, I guess because the eldest was supposed to be responsible (snerk)and could drive, we got hold of Black Cat fire crackers and bottle rockets. I'm not proud of this but I was a kid. I know it was stupid but for some reason after we'd finished studding pine cones with Black Cats (fire crackers) and lighting them, after we'd all had at least one fire cracker go off just as we were trying to throw them at each other (giving us numb fingers), after all this someone decided to light the bottle rockets. For those who might not know, we called bottle rockets, bottle rockets, because you put the long thin piece of bamboo attached to the fire work in a bottle to prop it up. Then you lit the fuse and ran like heck. Laughing so the bigger kids wouldn't know you were scared to death after the Black Cats numbed yer fingers. CokeCola bottles were THE best because they were glass and heavy. Besides you got to drink the colas. Well this particular afternoon we found ourselves with bottle rockets and no CokeCola bottles. So my cousin, the eldest, responsible one? Decide that it would be responsible to put the thing on the back of the car and point it across the street. The kid who lived across the street thought this was excellent so with his permision we lit the bottle rocket and aimed it across the street as his yard.  Zoooommmmm, shoooooooo, bang. Every thing went great. You have to understand we lived in a different time. No ordinance against fire works. As long as we weren't hurting anyone or each other and as long as we were staying in the yard? Well it was okay. The first bottle rocket was such a success that eldest and responsible of us, with the urging of us younger and stupid  kids, decided to shoot another bottle rocket. Carefully he placed it on the car's bumper. Carefully he lit the fuse. Soon as we all heard the hiss of the fuse we all scattered. Everything was going great just like the first one. Everyone had their fingers and were yelling with delight. Then it happened. This one made a straight line for my friends front door. Zoom. We held our breaths. Dumb. Then something even more spectacular happened.

My friends father opened the front door and stepped out onto his front porch.

He did.

And I am telling the truth here. I promise.

The story was this. It went right up to my friend's father and Bang. Part of us told the story that it just went bang at his feet. But, depending who told this story, others claimed it made it into the house.

This guy he was  tug captain with most of his kids in high school.  He was tough and neither he or my father suffered fools. Luckily, his responsible eldest made it a habit of running over our mail box. Both dad's were fathers to rambunctous kids and all of us had messed up some how while we were running the road and basically trying to grow up in one piece. Well he did a miracle. We were all just waiting for the rush of words and at least one swear word. That was the miracle. All he did was laugh. Laughed so hard it was funny to see. I think he was relieved that none of us had put an eye out or blown off a finger AND he was even with my dad for all the times his eldest had hit our mail box.

I won't ever forget that day.

The moral of this story? 

If you ever shoot off a bottle rocket for heaven's sake do not put it on the back of the car and aim it across the street at your neighbours house even if you have their kids permision. Don't be stupid. Also don't run with a sparkler. You might put your eye out.

Well you might.

Playlist

Smash mouth * I'm a Believer * cause I like it.

That is all.

Back to Independence Day to do list.