Independence day celebrations in Boston invariably follow a fixed pattern: A band plays a mixed bunch of musical styles from the Hatch Memorial auditorium on the Esplanade, some military aircraft does a low swoop along the Charles, and then the fireworks begin... the "pyromusical" show is considered one of the best in the US, and the flames and sparks are synchronised with the band.

4th of July, 2000

This was my first Independence day in the US! We made our way early to the riverside, and found thousands of people thronging the area. Not a spot to be found! The whole of Boston and Cambridge seemed to have arrived in the morning hours and staked claims to the choisest viewing spots along the river.
 
 

The orchestra, belting out songs on I-Day

Nevertheless, we managed to find a decent place to park and snap the fireworks. A Stealth bomber flew over the river around 7:00 pm, and the fieworks began at 8:00. Half an hour of amazing stuff! We stood transfixed, realising that no camera can ever hope to capture what our eyes were transmitting to our brains! I used up three rolls of film anyway, hoping to catch something!

When the drama ended to a racy finale, the crowds began moving all at once, and we were pushed along for a while before we could head in a direction of our choice. Was reminded of Ranganathan Street in Madras, and the Bombay subway system!
 

The 4th of July Fireworks!	Flowerpots?!

 

4th of July, 2001

We had a small party at the Top of Tang (Tang Hall is a tall multistorey MIT dormitory). An F-16 bomber opened the proceedings this time. At about 7:30, we made our way down to the riverside. I decided to skip the crowds and moved a little way from the BU bridge... My new SLR camera allowed me to manually time my exposures. I wanted to get a few good fireworks snaps that covered the entire journey of the light beams - from the earth to the sky. I did succeed a little, and the results are presented below:
 
 

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