My neighborhood sounds like a war zone...

[Aurora]

In Illinois, fireworks are illegal, but you'd never know it in Chicago. We're close enough to Wisconsin and Indiana that people drive over the border, pick them up and have a heyday here over the 4th weekend. Airborne shells, firecrackers, M-80s, you name it. I'm looking out my kitchen window at a real colorful show in the alley right now.

Anyone else's neighborhood under the rocket's red glare this weekend?

[Disney4us2]

None here yet. Fireworks are illegal here in Los Angeles county. Just over in the next valley they sell them and I am sure some will find there way to our area.

[caryrae]

In MN you can do small stuff, pretty much just not anything that explodes or goes up in the air, of course we threw in a few here and there. The strange thing was there was no one else in the neighborhood shooting anything. I would have thought we would have heard a lot last night with people having to work day after the 4th and it gets dark so late.

[mgmnut]

Fireworks are illegal here in Massachusetts too, although some are lobbying to change that and it looks like they may succeed. Right now people just go over the boarder to New Hampshire for them.

They were going on for a while last night, and pretty loud. One of my dogs was freaking out, she was climbing the walls and shaking like crazy the poor thing. she hates loud noises like fireworks and thunder. I have 3 dogs, 1 is deaf so she had no idea why the other one was freaking out, and the 3rd dog could have cared less.

I have no problem with people enjoying themselves and lighting them off, even if they are illegal, as long as it isn't a bunch of kids using them to blow up mailboxes and stuff

[Ed]

We live about a block and a half away from our town's lakefront, which is where our community fireworks display is launched on the 4th and New Years. Our poor dog gets totally terrified by the noise, and unfortunately we will both be at work tonight during all the noise, and he will be confined to his crate. He'll need lots of consolation when we get home.

Several counties in Central Florida - ours included - have banned all but the professional displays this year due to the high risk of wildfires. Excellent concept, but I suspect the bans will be largely ignored. We can only hope that sheer luck prevails, and wildfires are kept to an absolute minimum.

Y'all have a happy, safe and sane Independence Day !

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Anyone else find it ironic that folks from sea to shining sea are having to rebel against their state and local governments to shoot fireworks in their back yard in celebration of Independence Day?

Just found it amusing this morning

[Mfarquar]

Anyone else find it ironic that folks from sea to shinning sea are having to rebel against their state and local governments to shoot fireworks in their back yard in celebration of Independence Day?

Just found it amusing this morning

HAHHAHAHAHA - SO TRUE! Very good point!

[Ed]

Anyone else find it ironic that folks from sea to shining sea are having to rebel against their state and local governments to shoot fireworks in their back yard in celebration of Independence Day?

Just found it amusing this morning

HAHHAHAHAHA - SO TRUE! Very good point!

Agreed, somewhat, but independence is one thing, while risking burning down your neighborhood and/or injuring innocent bystanders is quite another thing.

Don't get me wrong - - I enjoy fireworks as much as the next guy - - but I just wish more people would use the grey matter and either follow the fire and personal injury safety rules or leave the fireworks to the pros.

[mgmnut]

Agreed, somewhat, but independence is one thing, while risking burning down your neighborhood and/or injuring innocent bystanders is quite another thing.

Don't get me wrong - - I enjoy fireworks as much as the next guy - - but I just wish more people would use the grey matter and either follow the fire and personal injury safety rules or leave the fireworks to the pros.

I totally agree Ed, I live in the North East and it is in no way dry right now. I would have no problem lighting off some fireworks, I know I would use the proper caution. I would not however light them off if I was in an area suceptable to wildfires or an area too close to someone elses property that could cause damage. People sometimes just don't use common sense.

[BluewaterBrad]

Oh Yeah!!

[White Rose]

I believe fireworks are technically illegal in the state of Maryland, but people definitely still set them off anyway. Luckily, I'm situated in an area close to several local, small beaches, so most people go there to set off fireworks. Works the best and the sand eliminates the possibility of large fires breaking out.

[cather74]

I'm on Long Isalnd and my neighborhood is like the Gaza strip. Even last night. We have a newborn baby and I'm stunned he slept through it. Oh well....happy fourth!!!

[MNNHFLTX]

Agreed, somewhat, but independence is one thing, while risking burning down your neighborhood and/or injuring innocent bystanders is quite another thing.

Don't get me wrong - - I enjoy fireworks as much as the next guy - - but I just wish more people would use the grey matter and either follow the fire and personal injury safety rules or leave the fireworks to the pros.

Agreed, Ed. We are in an extreme drought situation in Texas and all counties in our area have banned the use of fireworks. Normally I look the other way when a couple of our neighbors set them off, but if they do so tonight I will personally ask them not to. The grass and vegetation are like tinderbox around here and I'm sure it would only take one wayward spark to set them off.

Certainly it's possible to celebrate our Independence Day without personal fireworks....

[Daisy'sMom]

I hate the fact that anyone here can buy those nasty things. Being a former trauma nurse, we use to call the evening of 4th of July, idiot night. People would light the stupid things while holding them and off with their fingers. Of course they would be to drunk to realize it.
Now I worry about our horses and our dog. They hate the sound of these things. Yesterday afternoon some fool was already exploding them while we were walking the dog. In the daylight!!! Idiot!

[Ian]

No comment.

[Stitchahula]

for those of you with dogs that freak out with the sound, go to your vet before the 4th next year (or call). They can give you something that will calm them down, it's gets them pretty groggy but that's better than having them freak in my book. My dogs have all like fireworks. In my old house we used to sit on the back deck and watch them and my 2 labs would sit and watch them with us.

[SamLowel]

There were plenty of shenanigans down here in Nashville the last few days! While I like fireworks as much as the next guy, I'm glad that they are done for the year.

[teambricker04]

I live in a high rise on the lakeshore in Uptown (Chicago)... it was INSANE last night. While it was neat to watch, we were shocked to see people shooting fireworks INTO the playground where kids where still PLAYING. One of many reasons my family was tucked in for the night early... We are waiting for our trip next month to see them