Celebrating July 4th Back in the 60's

My Dad would buy the Red Devil boxed assortment of fireworks from the local fireworks stand or Payless Drug Store over on Delaware Street.  I would be really excited about the holiday, putting up the American Flag on the front of the house, barbecuing yummy food and waiting for the sun to go down to set off  fireworks. 

My Dad, being safety minded, would have the old beige rubber bucket filled with water, ready to put out a potential fire.  We would set up our fireworks by the front street curb, the type that were shaped like cones and spewed out wonderful colors of blue, red, green yellow....sometimes they would whistle.  Speaking of whistling, rememember "Piccolo Pete?", which would set off a shrill whistle for about 20 seconds?  How about the silly "Burning Log Cabin?"  It was a cardboard likeness of an old log cabin.  You would put this cyclindrical piece of pyrotechnics in the faux chimney and it would smoke.  DUH.  Oh yes, Smokey Joe...was a stand up piece of cardboard depicting a black man in a suit and hat...he kind of looked like a bum.  There was a slotted hole at his mouth, where once again, you would put the fireworks cigar in his mouth and he would smoke.  Woo hoo!  I loved the spinning fireworks.  We would hang them on a nail on the front yard tree, light it and they would spin and spew out beautiful colors....  As for me, the wimpy one...I was scared of the sparklers....my sister Anne Marie would light a few for me and then I would gingerly hold them as far away from myself as I could.  I grew out of my fears when I was maybe 10 years old?  As my older siblings grew up and moved from home, it was just me to carry on the tradition of fireworks.   The parents weren't really into it anymore.  I would stand out there pretty much alone and set them off.  I do remember one year my Dad came out and lit every one of them off at once, to get it over with.  Shortly after that, I too, moved on to make my own family memories at July 4th. 

Anyway, here's a few photos from the family album.  Kathy, Alan, Anne Marie and myself...and our Boxer dog named Bing.  I cringe now seeing him bite at the sparklers.  I think his whiskers got singed a bit.  We know better now!  Backyards barbecues, home made potato salad, hamburgers and hot dogs and home made pie.  Great times to remember then and now.  I plan on taking the 54 Pontiac out for a spin tomorrow, July 4th, 2010 and displaying the American flag on the rear windows.  After all, I am just a kid at heart!

(Note!  See Kathy bent over....with the scarf on her head?  I bet she had curlers under that scarf!"  I'm the blonde on the left. 

Note the log cabin on the left!