"sionnach" wrote in message
...
It's ten of ten, which means the FOUR sets of "official" fireworks that
can be heard from my house (ranging from 12 to about 4 miles away) are
going into finales, and some eejits in the neighborhood are setting them
off as well.
Brenin is under my feet shaking all over, Morag is running from side to
side of the house (depending on which set is banging loudest) growling
and barking, and Val (my sister's JRT/Chi) is alternating between running
in circles panting heavily and baying along with Morag....

Official fireworks are bad enough, but the genius(es) who decided to make
fireworks legal for sale in MD ought to be tarred & feathered IMO.
GRRRRR.

Muttley doesn't particularly like them, but all he does is stay close to me
and crawl part way under the bed. I had planned to go to Baker Park, in
Frederick, for their big celebration (as I have the past several years),
but dogs are not allowed on the 4th, and the weather seemed unsettled, so I
decided to stay home and mow the lawn, while Muttley watched from a safe
distance. It rained a little, but I thought it might clear up, so I put him
in the car and drove to a hill behind the library where the fireworks from
Oregon Ridge can be seen, and usually a small neighborhood crowd gathers
for a picnic. But there were only a couple of teens setting off some
firecrackers, and the rain got worse, so I went to Popeyes and got some
chicken and shrimp, which I shared with my dog at home. More drool on my
shoe while he waited to be fed a few small morsels.

Maybe growing up in the "hood" Muttley experienced the sounds of drive-by
shootings and other city noises, so they don't freak him out too much. But
coyote howls and the cellular barking communication network of the
neighborhood dogs - that gets him fired up.

Only the non-aerial and non-explosive types are legal in Baltimore County
and most of MD:
http://baltimore.about.com/od/living...ireworksmd.htm
http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/New...fireworks.html

But most people will push the envelope and get more powerful pyrotechnics
from nearby states (particularly, I think, the Carolinas, PA and WV), and
the laws are laxly enforced. For a list of all states and their laws:
http://www.americanpyro.com/State%20...statelaws.html

I sometimes wonder, when I hear loud bangs, especially at other times of
the year, if they are firecrackers or gunfire. Years ago, I heard such
sounds, followed by the sounds of projectiles ripping through the leaves of
trees a few feet above my head. I think there were some drunk rednecks at a
party nearby who were trying their trigger fingers at skeet shooting with
imagined clay pigeons. Shotgun pellets can travel a long way, and it was
time to hunker in the bunker.

Paul and Muttley