Fireworks Holidays

It has been almost 30 years since I lived in a world that every time you heard any kind of loud noise it meant that a car bomb had gone off somewhere near by enough that you were able to hear the noise and sometimes feel the shake. As soon as the loud noise was heard, regardless of where you were - your house, your grandma's house, school, the store, the gas station - everyone within earshot said the same word "bomba". To this date, the second I hear a loud noise, regardless of time of day or where I may be, my heart sinks and in my head I hear "bomba".

That's why I am always caught off guard on days leading up to a Firework Holiday... and I am caught even more off guard when fireworks go off on a Non-Firework Holiday, like Thanksgiving or Halloween. 

My heart just sank about 20 minutes ago when my neighbors started firing off fireworks and all those memories from 30 years ago came back. Along with them came back Pellet, this is the first Fourth of July without him and it is such a bittersweet feeling. In a way it is peaceful because there is no constant barking, panting and running/sliding around the house for hours, which would in turn wake up Nico (because Benjamin can sleep through just about anything) and make Cali crazy. In another way, it is sad because I miss that dog so much and the house feels so empty. He was such a gentle giant and a protector. A big teddy bear that just wanted you to hold him and cuddle him. 

At least here we seem to have a head's up because the neighbors post (at least these did) on the community page a head's up that they will be shooting off fireworks, so we would've had a head's up and been able to give Pellet some calming treats to take some of the edge off.... 

As soon as I heard the first loud noise, once my heart came back from sinking and my brain realized the noise wasn't a car bomb, and Cali went upstairs to sleep, I went outside and enjoyed the show... for once.

I miss you Mellow!