Gratitude Monday: Responsible pyrotechnics

As you know, California is in the midst of a multi-year drought that is having a (you’ll pardon me) trickle-down effect into our live in many ways. People and companies letting lawns go brown from not watering (or tearing them out and replacing them with drought-resistant landscaping), restaurants not automatically giving you glasses of water as you sit down, excess-use charges for homes and businesses.

There were even reports of replacing fireworks displays with laser light shows.

So I was surprised on Saturday—on the stroke of 2100 (the universal Start the Display time across the country)—to hear the distinct sound of explosions not too far away, and looked out my balcony to see beautiful fireworks going off from the direction of Cupertino.

Surprised and grateful.

If I were in Virginia, my neighbors would have invited me to join them in the cluster parking lot to set off sparklers, worms and other small fireworks. And of course there would be displays in every town in the Commonwealth.

But none of that individual stuff here, not with conditions as dry as they are.

So I’m here to tell you that watching those mostly red, white and blue starbursts through the trees, and hearing those pops, was just lovely. Thank you, Cupertino. Really appreciate that.

P.S. Also grateful that I didn't hear the Sunnyvale Fire Department heading out on any calls, so if anyone was setting off individual fireworks, they didn't have any 911-worthy mishaps.