Folks,

Folks,

The July Fourth-Independence Day celebrations are upon us. There will be a fireworks display here in Lizard lick tonight. A local church will put on another tomorrow night. Why a church you ask? Perhaps it is because Pentecostal Pastors around here are well adept at dealing with fire and brimstone?

Last year, the city fathers and one mother hired a man to climb to the tip-pity tip-top of the town water tank with a roman candle. That provided a lovely but disappointingly brief shower of multi-colored sparks. Frankly, I would not have considered it much of a display had those sparks not fallen into the rear of a parked pickup truck where a jerry can of gasoline and a cardboard box of illegal fireworks (recently purchased across the state line) were waiting.

With much shock and awe throughout the crowd of onlookers, everything went up at once. Our brave fire chief jumped into the blazing truck and drove the conflagration away from the cheering crowd but that only fanned the flames. The truck was a total loss and though the town's firework(s)display wasn't much to look at, according to the newspaper, survivors questioned at the local hospital's emergency room all agreed that it was a truly remarkable finale.

I'm only guessing, however, I doubt that this year's fireworks display will top last year's. As for me, I've certainly learned my lesson regarding storing my stash of fireworks in the bottom of the gas barbecue grill...

Happy July Fourth!