Explosives for the Fourth of July

This year, we even almost celebrated the Fourth of July. We had our American meal the Wednesday before, and Dan bought sparklers that we lit on this hemisphere's observation of the day. It was a little awkward because we were in the small shared outdoor concrete space for our building, wearing pajamas and lighting fires right in front of our basement neighbor's open window (behind which she was sat watching tv). But we soldiered on in the name of liberty.