Fireworks for July Fifth

Fireworks for July Fifth

Fireworks for us cousins during the 1950s
meant Grandpa Neal’s birthday, which was July 5.
The clan celebrated with cake, homemade ice cream
and fireworks. Treats, served up by our moms, 
and singing happy birthday came first. 

Then we kids played with sparkler wands
and black snakes that squirmed out of the sidewalk
with an odd smoky smell, leaving black marks. 

Our dads launched the real fireworks into a pasture. 
One year a spark fell into the box of fireworks
resulting in a memorable finale, with rockets
shooting in all directions. After things calmed down, 
Grandpa quipped, “I’ve never seen a bunch of
Presbyterians move so fast.”

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Black Snakes fireworks. Thanks to cousin Vince Wells for remembering Grandpa's comment! 

Another post about Kenneth Neal.