Do Fireworks Go Bad?

While at the house in Deltaville cleaning up and preparing for our party, I came across some fireworks that have been around for quite some time.  These particular explosives were a birthday present to one of my kids (seriously, why didn't I ever receive explosives as a gift??).  So the question was, do bottle rockets go bad?
I looked this up on the handy dandy internet and in short, no, there is no expiration date on fireworks.  However, there is a chance the humidity could make them a tad unstable.  So, we're going to get my dad the retired firefighter to set them off and see what happens.
Can't be worse than nearly blowing up a sailboat, or having a mortar fly straight for the audience, or have a firework fall and shoot inches from the truck hood.  I'm not admitting that happened before, just that those scenarios could be worse.

Bring on the explosives!

Snake Oil

Campho-Phenique.  

 According to the website, it can be used to treat 

insect bites, scrapes, minor burns and sunburn.  

All of these maladies were experienced during my childhood in Deltaville.  

Sometimes all at the same time.  

My grandmother swore by Campho-Phenique.

Itchy Bug Bite? Use Campho-Phenique.

Burnt yourself playing with fireworks? Use Campho-Phenique.

Scraped/cut yourself on the rusty old lawn mower you were sitting on 

while your cousins pushed you around the yard at high speeds?

Use Campho-Phenique.

I should point out that Campho-Phenique has a very unique, very strong odor.

Apparently, the odor becomes more pungent (if that's possible)
the longer it steeps in the medicine cabinet.
These photos are of the actual bottle we have in the bathroom.
The label indicates it expired in 1989 making this the very same bottle I used as a kid.

Campho-Phenique bottle expired in 1989 and Vicks switched to plastic in 1990

You can read about my grandmother's cure for sore throats (and loud obnoxious children) here

Heritage Day Part Two

After the festivities of the day, i.e., 5K's, crab races, shopping the vendors and watching the parade, our family gets ready to head to the large family picnic up the road. 

Midge and the Brat Child riding on Aunt Margaret's golf cart.
Notice the RV's in the background.
My family truly knows how to throw a party.

So we head over to the western side of Sturgeon Creek

It's always a good time with lots of food, lots of people and lots of laughing and story telling.

And this year, there was a band



And after/during the dancing and music, there are fireworks.

Heritage Day

July 3, 2010, Deltaville celebrated is 23rd annual Heritage Day.  Back 23 years ago, when I was 11 and they started these Heritage Day celebrations, I thought it was stupid.  Celebrate Independence Day on the Day of Independence, not some celebration on the Saturday before July 4th.  Today, I still think it's ridiculous, sort of like calling Christmas "Winter Holiday".  Still, it's a lot of fun with craft and food vendors set up mext to the tennis courts, the local Rescue Squad out with their Rescue Squad Unit, Crab Races, a Pet Parade, a Children's Parade and a regular parade.

Ethan in the Rescue Squad Ambulance, hopefully not a sign of things to come.

This year the parade featured about 500 fire engines, 3,000 Shriners, 10 vintage cars, 10 pretty girls and a John Deere Tracor.  That was it.  I think every Shriner in the Commonwealth of Virginia from Richmond was there driving every form of small motorized vehicle.  Though I didn't see any pink Barbie Jeeps. 

 

The best part of the day was taking in a Deltaville Deltas game at the Deltaville ballpark with fellow blogger and Mathews resident Chesapeake Bay Woman and her friend. After the game (and some wine) I walked back to the family picnic to take in the evening's fireworks. We were so close the ash and embers rained down on us.

 Nothing like major explosives professional fireworks to round out a great day.