Friday, July 25, 2008

Economy, schmeconomy--Let's have fireworks!

In the neighborhood just below ours people have more money than sense. For the past three years, the "covered-bridge neighborhood," as they call themselves because you must pass over a covered brige to enter their neighborhood, has hosted a fireworks extravaganza that can hardly be topped by any city fireworks show. The rumor is that they spend well over $100,000 on the fireworks. They even hire P.G. Fire Department to be on hand in case anything goes awry. This year you could hear the music the show was set to. We live above this neighborhood, so we get to enjoy the show quite well from our house or our local park. With the economy in a bad way this year, I thought maybe they wouldn't have the show, but nope--the show went on. Watching the fireworks with us were all of our neighbors. One family is dangerously close to losing their house because her husband lost his job and then got deathly ill while he had no insurance. It almost seems indecent to be watching money figuratively being blown up in the sky while families like our neighbors are hurting so badly. It's kind of like wearing a mink coat while volunteering to help out in a food bank.


Some good friends of ours live in the same ward as the "covered bridge" people. He says their neighborhood also has a handful of families losing their houses. The fireworks this year were bought entirely by one person. In the past, it was still primarily this one person, but a few families helped chip in a few thousand. Perhaps he makes so much money that a mere $100,000 wouldn't even begin to deplete the interest he earned on his millions this year. But still, $100,000 on fireworks?


Grumblings aside, it was a fun time for our family. Graciously we thank who ever it is that does this each year. It really is a highlight. If anyone would like to view the fireworks with us one year, come by our house around 9:30 p.m. And as long as this economy doesn't dip into a great depression, you can count on this family providing a really good show.


Nohea getting a cool down by the pool before the fireworks. Our pool comes with a blow-up duck. Top that, covered-bridge neighborhood!


The girls and Jesse waiting for the fireworks to begin. Jesse hates the fireworks. He has to stay indoors once they start. Could someone please get some pants on the baby?


Lissy giving her new trademarked thumbs up that makes an appearance in all the pictures, while Lilia shuts her eyes because furbies hate bright lights.



The fireworks from our view at the park. This shot, of course, does not give the fireworks their justice. My camera sucks at taking night pictures. For really great pictures of fireworks at night, read the James' blog.

5 comments:

Angela said...

Our first year in Montana brought me the knowledge that my husband is a pyromaniac. Montana fireworks and a pyromaniac? Never a good thing. We had those neighborhood fireworks where everybody brought their goods to the cul-de-sac to let the boys become men again. You would go in the houses and it would sound like it was raining from the firework debris. The cost of our night of fun (or a night of anxiety for an overprotective mom)?
$200!!! And I just about choked when Brad told me how much he had spent. "$200 on fireworks that you're just going to explode" is just one of the lines I gave him that summer. Not that nice, though.
$200,000 on gun powder? Are they crazy? Score for you, though. I wonder what hey would have done if their covered bridge had went up in flames? Maybe next year they'll have Hannah Montana there.

Morkthefied said...

That would be truly awesome to have an HM appearance. Kulani corrected me that it was only more like $100,000, so I've made the necessary changes.

Angela said...

Only, huh?

Ellen James said...

That is crazy. That was my exact conversation with Rick. I was planning out 3 1/2 weeks of schedules for the kids (don't ever do that...not really worth the vacation), and put those fireworks on there. I even said to him, "With the economy such as it is, I really doubt they will even do them, but be ready just in case." When I talked to him that next day, I was shocked to hear that they really still did it, and as nice as always. He, of course, is always the optimist. He said that maybe if they have $100,000 to spend on fireworks, that they are spending much more than that already helping others. Who knows. I am still a pesimsit (is that the right spelling? not sure).

Miss you & the neighborhood...but not complaining about my current one in Rome, just wish I could have been there with everyone.

Morkthefied said...

I have new thoughts on this subject. For one, whoever it is that does these fireworks every year is already a legend. Everyone around us has come to expect it and enjoy it. So, in that regard, maybe $100,000/year isn't asking that much to be a legend in North Utah County. I mean, how much have the Ashton's dumped into Thanksgiving Point for their legacy? When we're all old on our rockers what will we remember and what will we talk about? Chances are, we will still be talking about those yearly fireworks.