Witches and Fireworks

I never thought I'd connect those two subjects in a single post, but both things came up today during a road trip to Santa Paula to visit the inlaws. Apparently witches need love too, because on the way up I saw the following bumper sticker:

Nothing Says Lovin' Like Something From The Coven

I'm not sure how well Pillsbury would appreciate this modification of their famous slogan, and no, it was not affixed to a broom.

The fireworks part of the trip came as we passed through Fillmore. This town is probably the only city in Ventura County that still allows fireworks sales, and they're making the best of it. Highway 126 is the main drag through town, and in the distance of less than 1 mile, we counted 24 fireworks stands. Apparently every non-profit in town has a booth, and they obviously aren't just catering to the locals. This highway is heavily traveled between Ventura and Santa Clarita, and I'll bet you that a bunch of the fireworks lit off illegally tomorrow night in other parts of LA and Ventura County will have come from Fillmore.

Fireworks are not allowed where we live, and I wish we could have shared the same experience with our kids that I had as a kid. July 4th was always very exciting, and as long as Safe & Sane fireworks were supervised by Safe & Sane adults, the whole event was, well, Safe & Sane. I can't remember any injuries during the many years my family celebrated with fireworks, and I wish my kids could enjoy the same fun.

My neighbors don't feel the same constraints I do about using illegal fireworks, and I'm sure they'll be out tomorrow night trying to blow each other up with everything they can find. They don't just travel to one of the four cities in Orange County which sell fireworks, they also get the big stuff from Mexico. I keep my distance just in case they do something really stupid, or in case the cops show up and break up the party. It's always guaranteed to be interesting.

Have a wonderful 4th of July! God bless America!