Fireworks

Fireworks that are legal in Oregon, those ones that you buy in the Fred Meyer parking lot, they're lame.

"Those which produce only smoke, sparks or fire and which do not explode, eject balls of fire, fly into the air, or travel more than 6’ horizontally and/or 12” vertically from the point of ignition. (See Oregon Revised Statute 480.127)"

No roman candles, no bottle rockets, no neat little airplane thing that shoots out a paratrooper. Just things like "California Candles" and Snakes that ooze out onto the sidewalk like short turds.
There were some fun sparkly things, and smokey things, even boring fireworks are still fireworks, and fireworks = fucking awesome! Luckily, from our 4th of July vantage point near 82nd & Powell, plenty of folks had plenty of clearly illegal fireworks. Things launched from cannons. Things that rained glowing embers a little closer to us than we really cared for. From every direction, folks who had clearly visited The Res or crossed the Columbia for the good stuff were putting on a show for the neighborhood.



The fireworks that are legal to purchase in Washington are crazy cool. There's like no laws up there. They're just crazy about the fireworks. For years, the fireworks mega mart just across the state line in the 'Couv has been Blackjack. Now it seems there's a fireworks tent across the road from Blackjack, one where a portion of the proceeds fund the big Fort Vancouver fireworks, (billed as the largest West of the Mississippi).

Via Cabel, check the bizarre packaging on some of these explosives. From intense to cute to bizarre. Also see the video of the madness that ensues on the road up to the fireworks stands in the 'Couve.