Fourth of July in the "Barrio"

Growing up in a state that outlaws fireworks (other than the professional shows) has apparently left me a bit skittish when it comes to the fireworks. Unless they are shot up by someone who is paid a large sum of money to do so, they just make me very nervous (yes, even the sparklers, I'm lame like that). That's not to say that I think all states should ban all fireworks. Though when my neighbors,who I wouldn't even trust to light the candles on a cake, are in possession of fiery exploding things in very close proximity to my house and they continue to shoot them up until the wee hours of the morning and for days after the fact, I wonder if maybe a full-on ban isn't such a bad idea.

The view from the roof just amazes me. I just can't get over the fact that one can just buy these things. The ones that shoot up more than 10 feet are illegal within the city limits, but as you can see from the picture below, that stops no one.