Tuesday, July 04, 2006

More fireworks

I'm just home from having spent nearly an hour down at the beach in White Rock, watching at least eight different displays of 4th of July fireworks. All those little border towns sure know how to do up a show.

The ones from Blaine were near enough to reflect on the water -- double-value for every explosion.

Nature even put on a bit of competition, with a few dramatic lightning bolts as if to remind us who's in charge. And not to be outdone, the moon shone through a hole in the clouds, a white road extending across the bay.

One of the best parts of the fireworks show is always the booming effects, especially the way they echo off the water, rolling up onto the beach.

But then on my way home, I heard the radio news. Israeli jet pilots have been told to stop flying so fast over the Gaza -- to stop breaking the sound barrier. It seems that sonic booms are part of the fear tactics designed to terrorize the people there. As I pull into the driveway, my thoughts about all those booming fireworks shifts.

I think context must make all the difference when it comes to big noises from the sky. Lucky me for living in a place where my experience of explosions is something that's exciting -- a celebration, not a part of war.

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