Fireworks stands pop up around here like mushrooms before New Year's Eve and the 4th of July. I'll never get used to them. I grew up in a state that banned all fireworks. Mom and I used to cross the state line to buy contraband sparklers for the 4th, in a state only slightly less restrictive than ours.

One stand is next to a produce stand Hubby & I occasionally shop at. The last time we went was sometime around the 4th. During our perusing, we noticed the fireworks proprietors smoking just outside their tent. That was the fastest veggie purchase ever.

We were waiting at a drive-through the other night when we noticed some mortars going off. I commented on how pretty they were. Hubby paused for a minute and replied, "They look like they're coming from the fireworks stand. You know, the one where the owners were smoking."

We sat the whole time waiting for the sky to light up, accompanied by BOOM-BA-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM.