2005 OUT WITH A BANG

This New Year's Eve afternoon photo is posted just a little behind schedule owing to a little too much celebrating ahead of schedule.

What's a New Year's Eve celebration without fireworks? Accordingly the Windveil makes a ritual stop for pyrotechnics at a little roadside stand on James Island, SC, actually James Island isn't really or isn't yet a town, but that involved fireworks of a political nature which this blog avoids like the plague.

South Caroliina is one of the few states in the Union which allows such widespread and liberal sales of fireworks. The stands open just before Christmas and you can be sure that folks are still buying them on this the first day of 2006. Here in SC, it's not so much a day, but a season which is celebrated with fireworks.

A rolling survey of fireworks stands today, January 1, reveals that all of these vendors are still doing a brisk business. There is something about blowing things up which naturally appeals to people young and old. It is only in those few places like SC where all ages can still indulge that desire.

While the M-80's and Cherry Bombs have been vastly weakened and can no longer blow the lids off of manhole covers or rupture the drainpipes in high schools, the firecrackers are undiminished. Several of the four dollar packs were secured at this stand. They are laid out much as the bandoliers for machine guns in World War II fighter aircraft. When lit they go off with almost as much fury and just as fast as machine guns.

It should be noted than none of those pictured are in any way associated with the car, this blog or any violation of fireworks laws as far as can be known.

Just before dusk the GT went where all good little nimble zoom-zoom cars go on New Year's Eve: in the garage. Any driver with a trace of good sense knows that you just don't get on the public roads on that special night. There's always an even chance that one might meet up with the traffic police on any other given day and an absolute assurance that you will on New Year's Eve night.

Here's wishing one and all a very happy and prosperous new year and as the good folks at Exxon used to say, " Happy Motoroing "....in 2006.