INDEPENDENCE DAY

Growing up in Burbank, we were really lucky.  On the 4th of July, we could just walk outside our house and watch fantastic fireworks.  The ooooohs....the aaaahhhs.  The coolest thing, was that we watched the fireworks from on top of our roof!  My Dad would place a ladder up against the wall of the house, and we easily (little scary) climbed up.  My brother and I were thrilled.  We'd watch amazing fireworks explode over the same hills that we hiked and played in everyday.  Of course, we'd see the fireman and their trucks ready and waiting. They put out fires every once in awhile. Always depended on how dry the mountain was. It was always a thrill to watch something so beautiful. To listen to loud cracks, hisses and pops. We loved the unpredictability of the moment.  In 2008, I got a chance to watch (and capture) fireworks from a home.  I didn't have to crawl up a ladder, but I was just as thrilled.  This photo was taken from a backyard in the Palisades.