Snap, Crackle, Pop…

5 thoughts on “Snap, Crackle, Pop…”

1. Good Morning from Omaha,

   they have been firing off the fireworks in Omaha since early JUne. I think I am turning into a grumpy old man because I find myself complaining about the noise at 10 pm. And I 29 to rockport is closed because of the flooding so I can’t run down there and get my own supply of noise makers.

   they have some wonderful firework displays in and around Omaha that all finish with what I call the “kitchen sink”. ITs like they take what was left of the budget for fireworks and shoot it off all at once, belly bombs and all. I always get a big kick out of that.

   Strive for excellence, nothing but your best.

   Gene

2. Drew–

   Wow… this cartoon brings back memories of living in the arid West. DIY fireworks were always the highlight of our summers back then… unless the red flag warnings dictated otherwise.

3. The best fireworks are ones that you sit in a stadium to watch or across a river. I think that the rest should be banned, you could lose a finger, a hand, or a head with those things, or set fires like the one we (not including me) set across the street in a very dry field that fortunately we (not including me) could put out with a garden hose back in the day.

4. San Antonio has just joined other parched Texas cities in banning public fireworks displays this July 4th, even its own annual one. We are in Stage 2 of our drought, with Stage 3 being expected to be announced any day now. The rain we had blow through here the other night was welcome, but not nearly enough. It’s too bad we couldn’t figure a way to route the overflowing Mississippi River down here; we need it bad.

   I was in Colorado last week and was amazed to see Lake Dillon and other reservoirs so drained, as I had come up I-70 through Glenwood Canyon and seen the Colorado River at full roar. My father, who is a “winter Texan” and now up in Silverthorne for the cool summer, explained that the drainage was deliberate, as they were expecting two feet of snowmelt per day. I remarked that Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which are both down about 70-100 feet from their usual capacity, might just fill up this summer.

5. I love bubble wrap!!!!! 🙂

   Here in Minnesota, we have had several days, in a row, of rain. Rumor is that the sun will be out tomorrow; and I won’t believe it, until I see it with my own eyes.

   Pray for North Dakota…Devils Lake, Minot and all the communities along the Souris River; and the Bismarck-Mandan area and all of the communities along the Missouri River – which is flowing into South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and eventually Missouri and all points down stream from there. Snow melt from record winter snow falls, and rain from record spring rains, have caused the huge lakes and rivers upstream to reach their limits. The Garrison Dam, and other dams, are releasing anywhere from 120,000 cfs (cubic feet of water per second) to 150,000 cfs or more. One of my friends in North Bismarck, has 18 – yes, 18, sump pumps in the basement of his mother’s home, to protect it has much as possible. Haybale and sandbag dikes surround the other two houses and other buildings on their property, where they have a family business. Their attitudes remain more than half-a-glass full, as they see beauty in this new way (hopefully, not permanent) of life near the river.

   Amazingly, these communities remain hopeful and will find ways to celebrate America’s birthday with annual fireworks celebrations, parades, and/or picnics. As for me, I’ll stick with the bubble wrap. Fireworks give me a huge headache.

   🙂