July 4th Follies

Nothing says the 4th of July like fireworks.
Especially when they’re between neighbors and home owners associations.
Let me explain.

We live in a fairly new but modest subdivision outside the City Limits.
The HOA has in the past been active about keeping the reflecting pool/retention pond in good repair, making sure the light bills are paid for the street lamps, and contracting to have the trash picked up each week.

We don’t have a security patrol, but there are two FBI agents, a private investigator, and at least two Sheriff’s deputies living within our community.
And a couple of kids who are dead-shots with water balloons.
Miscreants, beware!

It’s a nice place to live…unless…you enjoy shooting off fireworks in your back yard, because that’s against the deed restrictions… or, unless you dislike hearing the snap, crackle, pop and bangs of fireworks this time of the year, because other neighborhoods around us do allow them. And sometimes, the exuberance of the holidays is just too much to resist by some within our community.
This July 4th was no exception.

As afternoon turned to twilight, one of our youthful residents could hardly restrain his patriotic fervor, finding outlet only by cruising past my house in his convertible, tossing over-sized firecrackers at some of the neighborhood kids at play along the way. Then, he proceeded to set off massive loads of firecrackers, bottle rockets, and large skyrockets from his back yard and the street in front of his house.

My neighbor is the HOA President; her husband is the past-President. I am the Secretary for our association. Together, he and I drove around the block to remind our over-zealous celebrant that he was posing a threat to his neighbors and himself.

I cannot publish here what he said in response to our comments; this is, after all, a family-friendly Blog.

I can report that he was the most ill-tempered, arrogant little snot I’ve run across in quite some time, antagonistic, belligerent, and rude to my neighbor and I. So much for “love thy neighbor.”

Other neighbors on his street had already called for a sheriff’s deputy to respond. One man was standing in the street in front of his house, warily watching for the next act. A couple were peering from their front yard. In the street, a smoldering launcher gave mute witness to the fiery folly.

Are you ready for this?
The kid’s father called the HOA management office to complain about our visit in response to this moron’s reckless behavior (where were the parents, anyway??)

My neighbor tried to talk to the mother about it; she shook her finger at him, and slammed the door in his face.
Guess the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.