Poster work by Alex For those who celebrate our nation's Independence Day, Alex and I would like to wish you a happy celebration. And a very SAFE one!!! I would like to add a few words of caution. I do not celebrate the 4th of July. For the most part its because this time of year is an unhappy memory for me. I am terrified of fireworks! When my children were small I was doing an outdoor display for them when I lit a punk and started to put the punk on the wick of a Piccilo Pete...but before I could do that it exploded out the side, it imbedded in my face, singed my eyebrow and hair on the left side and had it been an inch farther I would have lost my left eye. So the message is simple...fireworks can be a very dangerous thing, I was very experienced with home fireworks and still an accident occurred. The estimate for calendar year 2006 was approximately 9,200 injuries. Bottle Rockets Bottle rockets can reach speeds up to 200 miles per hour; are a significant fire hazard; and are susceptible to ricochet which means they can end up traveling in any direction. If they land on combustible materials or dry brush a fire can start very quickly. When a bottle rocket detonates, the casing can burn for a few seconds or a few minutes. A few seconds are all that is needed to start a fire. Sparklers Sparklers present a silent danger. Sparklers do not blow up and they do not have trajectory but they do get very hot. A typical sparkler can burn at temperatures up to 1,800 degrees. Such temperatures can quickly start fires and at close range can burn skin and eyes. Cherry Bombs The destructive power of cherry bombs makes them particularly dangerous. The M80 and M100 cherry bombs are illegal in many states, and for good reason. Sixteen M80s or eight M100s detonated together can be equivalent to a stick of commercial grade dynamite. The same general principles that apply to commercial and military explosives apply to fireworks. The explosive power of these fireworks can be doubled when they are compressed or contained. As the Fourth of July evening approaches, PLEASE do not become another statistic! (and don't forget about the animals who are scared to death too) Thanks for looking and for previous comments! (many thanks for well wishes, back to bed and rest for me)