It's as though every person in town is given 50 pounds of explosives and sent to the streets. The town sounds like a battle zone from around 8 until 1am.
Thursday, July 5, 2018
3rd of July
For reasons lost in history, Butte does the 4th on the 3rd. I've heard various reasons, but no idea which, if any, are accurate.
It's as though every person in town is given 50 pounds of explosives and sent to the streets. The town sounds like a battle zone from around 8 until 1am.
What you're looking at is not the 'main event', when a fireworks show is released from the hill in the background with the lit 'M'. This is just everyone in town shooting off their own fireworks. There are few or no restrictions of size of the fireworks. Anyone can buy M80's, mortars, etc. It's 5 hours of anarchy.
It's as though every person in town is given 50 pounds of explosives and sent to the streets. The town sounds like a battle zone from around 8 until 1am.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Any flashbacks to 'Nam? Maybe not an appropriate question to ask. If so, sorry.
ReplyDeleteVietnam was now over 50 years ago. Sometimes when it gets concentrated it does make me uneasy.
DeleteNo worries, mate.
Almost all restrictions on fireworks were removed earlier this year for my state; modified by local ordinances, of course.
ReplyDeleteThat means anyone can shoot off any fireworks in their backyards they desire, regardless of the city noise or open fire ordinances. So, since the 1st of July, there have been sporadic explosions of varying reverberations all throughout the town.
Last night, I was serenaded with a cacophony of pops, fizzles, hisses and booms all around my home. Through that din, I recognized a pattern of sound that made me pay very close attention: bursts of tat-tat-tat-tat pop-pop-pop, repeated three times with short intervals between the repetitions.
Well, I'll be damned, I thought. Some manufacturer has designed a firework to sound like semi-automatic rifle fire. Art imitating life?
Don't know about there, but I figure about 10% of the bangs here are either rifles or pistols. It is Montana, after all.
DeleteI would love this. Then, my cat would be in the closet and I have no dog.
ReplyDeleteAnn's cat disappears for the day, but in the 'neighborhood blog', there are two missing in the next two blocks. Happens every year.
DeleteThis makes me laugh after just reading a blog where fireworks weren't allowed but were shot off anyway. We had a display near us that rivaled the town's show. But only because we were near. It wouldn't have bee seen for miles around like the town's.
ReplyDeleteIt's allowed here, and the police shrug at quarter sticks of TNT going off, or the .338 going off up the hill.
DeleteVery mixed emotions. Watched the Capital celebration on TV and the smaller fireworks across the river from my window. Also felt concern for animals and those with PTSD.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it's tough on both.
DeleteExtraordinary!
ReplyDeleteodd, actually. An anachronism, I think it's called.
DeleteThey just allowed us citizens of Pennsylvania to have all kinds of fireworks. I expect to see more people missing body parts.
ReplyDeleteER docs, the good ones, vie for these shifts....in a few years they will be trauma surgeons.
DeleteOnly little fizzler allowed here. Trips to Wisconsin required to get the big bangers...
ReplyDeleteWish it were so here, too, Ray. The noise this year was tough for me, for some reason.
DeleteI am so over fireworks. The fires today are laying a ground of smoke that will go on for weeks. And Pioneer Day, the 24th, is still coming.
ReplyDeleteThe jet flyovers on Wednesday got both of our hackles up, very low, very loud.
I can imagine, the flyovers. Once, decades ago, I was fishing an isolate area of the Skagit River in the day,in a narrow valley, trying for winter steelhead. Suddenly, before I could really react, two A-4 Intruders went by at around 400 ft, sound reaching me as they went past. This was late 80's or so, but suddenly I knew exactly what Charlie felt when they were out there. Just for a moment. Then I went home to our house on Green Lake in Seattle, and had dinner with my family. I hope Victor Charlie, wherever he is, had a good day.
DeleteAnarchy, indeed.
ReplyDeleteTo paraphrase Jake in 'Chinatown', "It's Butte, Jake."
DeleteFirst off, great photo! If people were allowed to do that here, we'd have wildfires until Christmas.
ReplyDeleteIt was a difficult even after these 5 decades, Pat. Not sure why, but I was not easy in the front yard with what sounded like .50cals, rpgs, on and on. I had to go inside and put on earphones.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean. We could hear the finales of a couple distant shows. I told my wife it sounded like a bombing run of a B52. It definitely took me back also. Mike, it ain't nothing but a thang....
DeleteNothin' at all.
DeleteMy dogs would go into such terror when fireworks went off. My heart would break as they refused comfort. Looking at me so appalled that we weren't all running for the hills.
ReplyDeleteIt's a strange thing indeed this fireworks business.
XO
WWW