Friday was the start of Covington Days, the town's summer festival that is somehow connected to Seafair. But the event isn't important, we are just here for the fireworks!
This was my second year helping on this show (last year here) and there weren't really any surprises this time. Unlike last year, this show was all 1.4, although we had some 1.4S items (aka not 1.4G, available to consumers) that I'd never worked with before. With how dry things have been, there were concerns over fire danger, so combined with the usual budget pressures, there was no 1.3G in this show.
I got there at noon to find that the others were early and already had the product all unloaded from the trailer! The had
a lot of 500g cakes, a few 200g (mainly the nice Blue Tie and Blue Pearl cakes), plus 50mm 1.4S mines and comets, as well as a few fountains. Another item used in this show that I hadn't worked with before was the concussion mortar.
We had three cake positions, which also had a few comets, and five mine/fountain positions in front of that. The center position (pic above) had most of the bigger breaking stuff like Nine, several Pow Bam and lots of fanned cakes like Thug and Pyro Picasso. There was also a UP The Big Guns, which I hadn't seen in person before and was looking forward to. The center position also had pairs of Gimmie Shimmy, Coconut Rings and Femme Fatale, but we spread them out to either side for some crossing effects.
This was my second year helping on this show (last year here) and there weren't really any surprises this time. Unlike last year, this show was all 1.4, although we had some 1.4S items (aka not 1.4G, available to consumers) that I'd never worked with before. With how dry things have been, there were concerns over fire danger, so combined with the usual budget pressures, there was no 1.3G in this show.
I got there at noon to find that the others were early and already had the product all unloaded from the trailer! The had
We had three cake positions, which also had a few comets, and five mine/fountain positions in front of that. The center position (pic above) had most of the bigger breaking stuff like Nine, several Pow Bam and lots of fanned cakes like Thug and Pyro Picasso. There was also a UP The Big Guns, which I hadn't seen in person before and was looking forward to. The center position also had pairs of Gimmie Shimmy, Coconut Rings and Femme Fatale, but we spread them out to either side for some crossing effects.
The outside cake positions (above) had more of the 200g cakes like Golden Willows and Sugar Daddy, as well as smaller fanned cakes like Rainbow Crunch and Kaliedoscope Z. We also had angled (non) Swimming Pearls that were angled in from each position in the hope that they would cross . Spread past these positions were also a few Blue Tie and Blue Pearl cakes for some small fronts.
A little in front of the cake positions were the non-breaking items spread out in five positions (picture left with Phil and Dan), which included the 50mm mines, 200g Frost Burn mine cakes, and a few fountains and gerbs. A close-up view of the 50mm comets is here, the mines look just the same.
By the time we were nearly done setting up at around 4pm, I got a call from my wife that she was locked out of the apartment almost an hour away back in Seattle,
so I got in the car and started driving... After about 30 minutes I got another call that she was able to sneak in through the balcony, so I turned around and headed back to the site! I had been hoping to see how the concussion mortars were set up because I haven't used them before, but they were already done before I got back. Maybe next time...
Like the Ephrata show, I ended up on video duty with Rod's camera, so I didn't get my own video to post. Hopefully I'll get it from him before too long, but he is pretty busy these days... The music was the same as the Redmond show the week before (I was at my sister's wedding in Alaska), but I couldn't really hear it from where I was filming from. I was able to hear the opener, which was the Indiana Jones theme and looked very cool with mines and comets matched to the music. The rest of the show all looked good, even if I've seen most of the product many times before! Pyro Piscasso was used several time and always looks good, apparently what looks like a flowerpot in the last volley is intentional, it was in every cake shot. Pow Bam was awesome as always, and Kaliedoscope Z still looks great, even if the factory didn't slow it down like they were supposed to (I like it better fast!). The concussion mortars sounded good to me, but I'm sure they were far louder and more surprising to the crowd at hald the distance! My only criticism of the show is that the finale seemed a little ligth, but it was a very nice show overall. We had two items not fire, and burned a nice little patch inthe dry grass with a fountain, but that was kind of expected. Hopefully I'll get the video before too long, I'd like to watch it again myself!
A little in front of the cake positions were the non-breaking items spread out in five positions (picture left with Phil and Dan), which included the 50mm mines, 200g Frost Burn mine cakes, and a few fountains and gerbs. A close-up view of the 50mm comets is here, the mines look just the same.
By the time we were nearly done setting up at around 4pm, I got a call from my wife that she was locked out of the apartment almost an hour away back in Seattle,
Like the Ephrata show, I ended up on video duty with Rod's camera, so I didn't get my own video to post. Hopefully I'll get it from him before too long, but he is pretty busy these days... The music was the same as the Redmond show the week before (I was at my sister's wedding in Alaska), but I couldn't really hear it from where I was filming from. I was able to hear the opener, which was the Indiana Jones theme and looked very cool with mines and comets matched to the music. The rest of the show all looked good, even if I've seen most of the product many times before! Pyro Piscasso was used several time and always looks good, apparently what looks like a flowerpot in the last volley is intentional, it was in every cake shot. Pow Bam was awesome as always, and Kaliedoscope Z still looks great, even if the factory didn't slow it down like they were supposed to (I like it better fast!). The concussion mortars sounded good to me, but I'm sure they were far louder and more surprising to the crowd at hald the distance! My only criticism of the show is that the finale seemed a little ligth, but it was a very nice show overall. We had two items not fire, and burned a nice little patch inthe dry grass with a fountain, but that was kind of expected. Hopefully I'll get the video before too long, I'd like to watch it again myself!
I was up at my cabin this weekend and wanted to play with a few fountains. It is very dry up there and "technically" (....) there is a burn ban, so I needed to be extra careful. I decided not to try out the larger BC fountains I purchased at Firecracker Alley this year, and would stick to the much smaller Jack In The Box and Happiness fountains (as well as keeping the hose on hand). Despite the different sizes of all the fountains in that picture, Purple Rain will probably be the best performer... I also lit a box of the tiny Amazing Fountains on July 4th and found them quite entertaining. Anyway, here is my sweet pyro for the weekend...
Happiness Fountain (Phantom) - Probably a generic, but this one has a Phantom label. I wasn't expecting whistle in something this small and it kind of annoyed me (especially because I was trying to be sneaky). It was actually kind of impressive how many effects they fit in that little thing. It came in a box of six, but they are all the same color and probably the same effect.
Jack In The Box (generic item, this time branded Megabanger) - These are fun little fountains that end with jumping jacks. They would have travelled better if I wasn't on gravel...
So that was it for my sweet fireworks... Friday was the Covington show, so I'll get that posted next...
Four Juveniles Cited For Fireworks Incident At School
Neighbor Lights Illegal Firework After Dispute
On a different note...
Chase won't pay for Seattle's Lake Union fireworks next year
Glad to see that these stupid kids were caught after such egregious misuse of fireworks... (Link)SACRAMENTO - School surveillance cameras and an anonymous tipster are believed to have played an integral role in helping authorities track down four juveniles blamed for starting a small fire using fireworks at a local elementary school.
Sacramento Fire Department officials say they've identified and cited four juveniles for an incident at John Bidwell Elementary School in which a small area carpet was damaged by fireworks set off on school property.
Neighbor Lights Illegal Firework After Dispute
"I know! I'll light one of my illegal fireworks to annoy an already pissed off neighbor!" This image seems appropriate. (Link)SAGINAW TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- A Michigan State Bomb Squad unit was called to a Saginaw Township apartment early Tuesday to investigate suspicions activity after one of its resident lit an illegal firework and threatened to blow up the complex.
Police said the 41-year-old man lit a three-inch mortar on his porch in retaliation after a neighbor asked him to turn down his music.
On a different note...
Chase won't pay for Seattle's Lake Union fireworks next year
Seattle could be without a Fourth of July fireworks show next year if no one steps forward to sponsor it, the show's organizer said Thursday.
JPMorgan Chase & Co., which acquired Washington Mutual last fall, paid for the bulk of last weekend's show but said it won't commit to sponsoring the event again.
Will my city have a fireworks show next year? This is the only big show in the city, so it'll be interesting to see what happens. I'm sure they'll manage to get some sponsors, but it seems that $500,000 is unlikely, so we'll be seeing a smaller show. I watched the video of this past 4th the other day, but that would be a whole different post... (Link)
Friday is the Covington show with Wolverine, look for pics and video Sunday night or Monday, I'll be gone hiking most of the weekend.
We had all the shells dropped and wire from the day before, so we started setup on the 4th at a leisurely 11am, which was pretty nice. On the to-do list was to set up the cakes and small items like strobes and fountains, set up the blast shack, run cables, and test continuity.
Weather was great, with a light breeze on and off to help keep us from getting too hot. I was going to be on the barge for the show again, but this time Dan was the lead for the show and Rod was going to be on the shore filming. We had a smaller crew than the day before because there was less to do, and Dan and I were the only ones on the barge during the show.
The tug showed up with guests to watch the show, including another freelance photographer who worked with the local paper. She took a few pictures of Dan and a couple of me, so who knows, maybe I'll be in a local paper that I forgot the name of! Two other crew members, Neil and Roger, were in the boat circling the safety area to keep people out, and it took us a while to track down the owner of one large boat that anchored way too close to the barge (we weren't going to shoot with the boat there even if nobody was on it).
There was a little difficulty getting the show to start exactly on cue with the music, but it looked pretty good from where I was standing! We couldn't hear the music, so we just watched the pyro and tried to be ready in case anything when wrong. Like last year we had the blast shack, plus protective clothing, hard hats, eye protection, and life vests in case we went in the water. We did have a couple low breaks, but nothing too serious. The new cakes all looked great, and there were lots of nice shells in the show. We also angled pairs of the non-swimming Swimming Pearls 1.4G cakes out from all four sides of the barge for one part of the show, which looked pretty cool. I had my camera to get video, but I accidentally changed the setting to low quality (160x120), which isn't worth bothering with. So here is just the finale in low quality, hopefully I'll get a copy of Rod's video eventually.
Weather was great, with a light breeze on and off to help keep us from getting too hot. I was going to be on the barge for the show again, but this time Dan was the lead for the show and Rod was going to be on the shore filming. We had a smaller crew than the day before because there was less to do, and Dan and I were the only ones on the barge during the show.
The tug showed up with guests to watch the show, including another freelance photographer who worked with the local paper. She took a few pictures of Dan and a couple of me, so who knows, maybe I'll be in a local paper that I forgot the name of! Two other crew members, Neil and Roger, were in the boat circling the safety area to keep people out, and it took us a while to track down the owner of one large boat that anchored way too close to the barge (we weren't going to shoot with the boat there even if nobody was on it).
There was a little difficulty getting the show to start exactly on cue with the music, but it looked pretty good from where I was standing! We couldn't hear the music, so we just watched the pyro and tried to be ready in case anything when wrong. Like last year we had the blast shack, plus protective clothing, hard hats, eye protection, and life vests in case we went in the water. We did have a couple low breaks, but nothing too serious. The new cakes all looked great, and there were lots of nice shells in the show. We also angled pairs of the non-swimming Swimming Pearls 1.4G cakes out from all four sides of the barge for one part of the show, which looked pretty cool. I had my camera to get video, but I accidentally changed the setting to low quality (160x120), which isn't worth bothering with. So here is just the finale in low quality, hopefully I'll get a copy of Rod's video eventually.
Wolverine is doing a show in Redmond (Derby Days) on Saturday, but I'll be in Alaska for my sisters wedding. The Friday after that (the 17th) is another Wolverine show for Covington Days that I should be at...
If you google "firecraker alley," my blog post from last year is the second result!
Like last year, after I got done loading shells for the Henderson Bay show, I popped over to Firecracker Alley, the collection of stands on the Puyallup Reservation, to poke around a little.
I wasn't looking for anything too specific, just some fun little stuff to play with there during the day just to light some fuses and have a few little items saved up for when I need to smell a little smoke. I was also keeping my eyes open for wheels, because my uncle really wanted some and we didn't find any on our shopping trip the other day.
There weren't really any surprises, but some of the prices were actually decent for retail stands, at least for 200g cakes. I saw 500g cakes for anywhere from $50 to $150+. There was a wide variety of brands available, nothing seemed to dominate. I spotted Brothers, World Class, Red Rhino, Great Grizzly, Hales labels, etc.
I wasn't looking for anything too specific, just some fun little stuff to play with there during the day just to light some fuses and have a few little items saved up for when I need to smell a little smoke. I was also keeping my eyes open for wheels, because my uncle really wanted some and we didn't find any on our shopping trip the other day.
There weren't really any surprises, but some of the prices were actually decent for retail stands, at least for 200g cakes. I saw 500g cakes for anywhere from $50 to $150+. There was a wide variety of brands available, nothing seemed to dominate. I spotted Brothers, World Class, Red Rhino, Great Grizzly, Hales labels, etc.
One thing I was looking for were very small fountains (1-3"), they have a soft spot in my heart and are usually very cheap and quiet, so they are a fun way to smell a little smoke without annoying anybody. Of course this is a WA reservation, so nobody really wants tiny little fountains. After looking at practically every stand, the best I could find were little assortments that included a bunch of crap I didn't want, like whistles, smoke and confetti shooters. Who knew I would miss something about Oregon fireworks? I did end up getting two Purple Rain and a pack of assorted BC fountains, but those are too bit for what I was looking for!
The other thing I was looking for was wheels, because my uncle really wanted some and we didn't see any at the four stands we checked out the other day. I looked at every single stand (around 60) and nobody had them. On the bright side, I discovered that it was a good defense against annoyingly aggressive stand owners. They would shout about how I should check them out and when I asked for something they didn't have, they would shut up...
The other thing I was looking for was wheels, because my uncle really wanted some and we didn't see any at the four stands we checked out the other day. I looked at every single stand (around 60) and nobody had them. On the bright side, I discovered that it was a good defense against annoyingly aggressive stand owners. They would shout about how I should check them out and when I asked for something they didn't have, they would shut up...
Right - Just a funny sign. I showed my wife and she wasn't nearly as amused as I was!
After buying a few things, I went out to their open parking lot to shoot stuff, after a day of dropping shells and looking at stands, I needed to light something! I just lit a few small items that aren't wanted in the daytime, like spinners, the video is at the bottom of the post.
Having gotten a few little things, but feeling slightly defeated on the fountains and wheels, I headed back to the freeway to go home. Halfway to the freeway, I saw a stand that was set up more like a store and had to make one more stop!
They were pretty good, with a larger selection than any of the stands, including more fountains and novelties. They also had a decent selection of 500g and pretty good variety of 200g and shells. They didn't have the littlest fountains I was hoping for, but they did have some classics like Jack In The Box and 1' TNT Amazing Fountain, I'll probably have to light one tonight...
After buying a few things, I went out to their open parking lot to shoot stuff, after a day of dropping shells and looking at stands, I needed to light something! I just lit a few small items that aren't wanted in the daytime, like spinners, the video is at the bottom of the post.
Having gotten a few little things, but feeling slightly defeated on the fountains and wheels, I headed back to the freeway to go home. Halfway to the freeway, I saw a stand that was set up more like a store and had to make one more stop!
They were pretty good, with a larger selection than any of the stands, including more fountains and novelties. They also had a decent selection of 500g and pretty good variety of 200g and shells. They didn't have the littlest fountains I was hoping for, but they did have some classics like Jack In The Box and 1' TNT Amazing Fountain, I'll probably have to light one tonight...
Left - Inside the store, called Fireworks Outlet.
Prices on 200g were decent (didn't look at prices on 500g or shells), I was surprised to see some of the 24/1 200g cakes as low as $8. Sure, you can get them for $2-3 each wholesale, but they are still a good bargain for the price-conscious consumer. They also had wheels! They had two large wheels, WC Spinning on Dubs ($25) and Vulcan Mammoth Wheel ($32). I wasn't about to spend that much on wheels, so I walked out with a few packs of small fountains. At the car I decided I wanted a picture of the wheels because the WC one was pretty cool, when I realized that next to those was a smaller wheel that only cost $5.50 (GG Hot Stuff)! It was in a box so I didn't realize what it was the first time, but quickly purchased two of them. I called my uncle to let him know I finally found him some wheels and he was at my place within 15 minutes of me getting home to pick them up! I'll have to see if I can find him more for next year.
Prices on 200g were decent (didn't look at prices on 500g or shells), I was surprised to see some of the 24/1 200g cakes as low as $8. Sure, you can get them for $2-3 each wholesale, but they are still a good bargain for the price-conscious consumer. They also had wheels! They had two large wheels, WC Spinning on Dubs ($25) and Vulcan Mammoth Wheel ($32). I wasn't about to spend that much on wheels, so I walked out with a few packs of small fountains. At the car I decided I wanted a picture of the wheels because the WC one was pretty cool, when I realized that next to those was a smaller wheel that only cost $5.50 (GG Hot Stuff)! It was in a box so I didn't realize what it was the first time, but quickly purchased two of them. I called my uncle to let him know I finally found him some wheels and he was at my place within 15 minutes of me getting home to pick them up! I'll have to see if I can find him more for next year.
Right - My combined purchases. The cake, BC and TNT fountains, and ground blooms (free) were from Firecracker Alley. I also got two Pyro Predator Jumbo Strobe to see if they are any good. The Jack In The Box 6 pack, Happiness Fountain 6-pack, and two Amazing Fountain 4-packs were from Fireworks Outlet.
I didn't find any many little fountains as I would have liked, but I'm happy I found a couple, as well as some wheels for my uncle. It was a lot of fun wandering around the stands and checking things out, but it is extra fun when you know you can get much better deals...
Below is video of the items I lit while at Firecracker Alley, try not to have a seizure from all the camera jerking...
Have a safe 4th!
I didn't find any many little fountains as I would have liked, but I'm happy I found a couple, as well as some wheels for my uncle. It was a lot of fun wandering around the stands and checking things out, but it is extra fun when you know you can get much better deals...
Below is video of the items I lit while at Firecracker Alley, try not to have a seizure from all the camera jerking...
Like last year, I'm helping Wolverine with the Hendeson Bay show. Sandboxes and tubes were set up yesterday, today I was there to help drop and wire shells. We had the same barge as last year in the same location, so nothing too exciting happened to report.
We started at 10am and had plenty of help, so things went quickly and we were done setting up by 3pm, the tug was scheduled to start moving the barge at 4pm for the 5 hour trip, so we got done in plenty of time. Tomorrow we'll set up the cakes and do continuity testing. Because we got so much done today, we aren't starting until 11am, which is pretty sweet.
We didn' t have a Coast Guard inspection this time, but we did get a visitor in the form of a freelance photographer taking pictures for the local (to where the show will be) paper. She got a couple pictures of me and we talked about what I was doing for a couple minutes, so who knows, maybe I'll be in a local weekly paper. I'll practically be Michael Jackson.
We started at 10am and had plenty of help, so things went quickly and we were done setting up by 3pm, the tug was scheduled to start moving the barge at 4pm for the 5 hour trip, so we got done in plenty of time. Tomorrow we'll set up the cakes and do continuity testing. Because we got so much done today, we aren't starting until 11am, which is pretty sweet.
We didn' t have a Coast Guard inspection this time, but we did get a visitor in the form of a freelance photographer taking pictures for the local (to where the show will be) paper. She got a couple pictures of me and we talked about what I was doing for a couple minutes, so who knows, maybe I'll be in a local weekly paper. I'll practically be Michael Jackson.
Like last year, the largest shells on the show are 8" shells. I think every 8" shell was a waterfall, Richard (the guy who designed and sponsors the show) used six of them for the end of the show last year, apparently this is his favorite thing and has become a bit of a tradition. We also have a few mines (not as many as last year) and lots of shells from 2.5" to 6". I haven't seen the cakes opened up yet, but I know there are some of the new ones we shot at the Ephrata show, as well as a few 1.4G cakes.
I'll be on the barge during the show like last year, and hopefully getting video again.
Have a great Independence Day tomorrow, everyone!
I'll be on the barge during the show like last year, and hopefully getting video again.
Have a great Independence Day tomorrow, everyone!
Some douchebag in Seattle is try to sue the city to stop the 4th of July fireworks until the do an environmental review. I'm not going to bother explaining why this is stupid...
The story made Fark the other day, and now it was on a funny bit in the Colbert Report (video here).
Gas Works Park is actually pretty nice and a great place to watch the fireworks from, but it was still pretty funny...
The story made Fark the other day, and now it was on a funny bit in the Colbert Report (video here).
Gas Works Park is actually pretty nice and a great place to watch the fireworks from, but it was still pretty funny...
At about 11:30pm Monday night I get a text message from my uncle asking if I have any fireworks. I tell him I don't have any that aren't already reserved for Renn Fayre 2010, but suggest a quick shopping trip to to PyroU member Chris/suess' stand, Winchester Fireworks.
I helped my uncle pick out $200 in product, a couple 200g cakes and lots of small stuff like ground flowers, bees, jumping jacks etc, mainly for the day and a few things when it gets dark before the 1.3G show where he'll be on the 4th.
But the item he really wanted was wheels, and Chris didn't have any. We went to three other stands within a few blocks (go Everett!), but nobody carried a single wheel! I did purchase a box of Fiery Eye (BP) and figured I could spare one since he wanted them so bad, I still have a few left and can get more for my own show if needed. I'll try and find some more wheels for him, but he won't get them in time for this year. This is why real pyros plan ahead, 365 days a year!
I helped my uncle pick out $200 in product, a couple 200g cakes and lots of small stuff like ground flowers, bees, jumping jacks etc, mainly for the day and a few things when it gets dark before the 1.3G show where he'll be on the 4th.
But the item he really wanted was wheels, and Chris didn't have any. We went to three other stands within a few blocks (go Everett!), but nobody carried a single wheel! I did purchase a box of Fiery Eye (BP) and figured I could spare one since he wanted them so bad, I still have a few left and can get more for my own show if needed. I'll try and find some more wheels for him, but he won't get them in time for this year. This is why real pyros plan ahead, 365 days a year!
I couldn't go to a fireworks stand without buying something, and figured I should have a few small items stocked up in case I need a fix and will be someplace I can use them. I got a BP Pure Fantasy fountain to test out for possible Renn Fayre use, then some Utter Chaos spin rockets, a pack of helicopters, Magic Crystals, ground flowers, pop its (more on that later...) and Twister Stix.
On the 3rd I'm setting up a barge show with Wolverine and will stop by the stands in the area. I'll bring a few of these things to play with during the day, just so I can light some fuses. I might also see if I can find some small fountains, I have a bit of a soft spot for them, and hopefully they won't cost much, even at tribal stand prices. We shall see...
On the 3rd I'm setting up a barge show with Wolverine and will stop by the stands in the area. I'll bring a few of these things to play with during the day, just so I can light some fuses. I might also see if I can find some small fountains, I have a bit of a soft spot for them, and hopefully they won't cost much, even at tribal stand prices. We shall see...
