Spinning steel wool gives an awesome effect.
In the center is high school alumni come back to visit family, to the left is me (big red blur) to the right is my son, who is oddly in focus.
This is how we do Independence day here.
It's not a national holiday. So the Americans get together after work around 5:30 or so, start up the bbq (often it is an Aussie style grill which is more like a flat skillet than a grill. Cook up burgers or dogs. "Yankee Franks" (a PNG product) which taste... um... not good. You can't really get decent hot dogs here.
Home make your hot dog buns because you can't buy them. (you know that whole 'why do they have 10 buns but only 8 dogs?' conundrum.. Try this one 'why do they have 8 dogs and no buns?' )
We get together, remember we're patriotic Americans, sing a few patriotic songs, salute the flag. (My kids can't remember the American national anthem... they haven't done it in school for years. But do your kids know the PNG National Anthem?)
We pray for the country, and its leaders.
And then, we light steel wool on fire and fling it.
This year, we figured people would come prepared, but in case they didn't, I brought my box of tricks.
I had gotten some expired 12 gauge emergency flares, and a flare gun. I also got a hold of some 'jumping jacks' fire crackers (thanks to him who provided, I know you read this blog!)
And so we had a few pops and bangs... and bright lights. We gave the young kids glow sticks, someone had sparklers. 6 years ago, fireworks were unheard of, but our fourth of july parties have gotten increasingly more 'boom-able'. Someone brought a 'muli' cannon. Think potato launcher, only it launches native citrus fruit (like mandarin oranges).
But I noticed no one was flinging wool. No one had brought the tool necessary to swing it.
You need a piece of wire, to hold the wool on, and then a rope or string. No one was swinging wool, I was surprised. I asked around, and people HAD steel wool in their pockets.
So I looked around, and I found an awning put up with pig wire, and I cut some excess off with my leatherman's tool I always carry.
Then I took a shoe lace, and jury rigged up a flinging tool.
Then my son gave me some wool, we prepped it, and I lit it with my Zippo that I had in my pocket for just such an occasion..
and BOOM... what you see above happened.
Suddenly people came alive.
I had kids lining up to do it for the first time, people asking me questions and thanking me. I was surprised because I hadn't intended to be the guy running the steel wool, everyone had just assumed someone else would bring the utensils.
Anyway...
After we were done someone said 'thank you so much for making that work, my family was visiting, and it just isn't a PNG Fourth of July without steel wool!" They really were disappointed when they realized it might not happen, which is why I was trying to jury rig something. Steel wool really is more fun than fire-crackers.
So... I'll reveal our secrets.
HERE is how to how fabulous, (but not entirely safe) fireworks display on the cheap:
--take a sturdy piece of wire that is bendable, but not too thin, and cut about two feet of it, make a loop at one end and a hook at the other
--tie a shoelace or something similiar through the loop.
--get some steel wool (NOT brillo pads or anything treated with soap) - the finer grain the better.
--take out the piece of wool, and with your fingers, pull it apart slightly so that it will light better
--put the piece of steel wool onto the hook by feeding the wire THROUGH the center of the wool then bend the hook over to get a good hold on the wool. (don't worry the wool will burn away then you can undo the hook for the next run)
-- light the wool on fire (my zippo works, but some people put it in a burning campire) ... you'll only see tinly little embers, that's enough.
-slowly begin to rotate the shoe lace, being mindful not to let it hit the ground, and mindful of your arc because wool WILL fling off and light things on fire in it's path.
-once the wool gets air through it, the fire will catch (about 2 full rotations)
-START spinning faster, until the wool completely burns out.
WARNING:
-wearing a non-flammable hat is helpful, as wool my fall into your hair
-this is dangerous, don't do it in crowded areas. Best to do in wide open areas that sustain a lot of rainfall annually so as to not accidentally burn down houses. I suggest a tropical place like PNG.
(I tried this in the US. and unless you're in a park or the beach, it simply isn't safe, I rained down fiery hot lumps onto several cars).
If you're really interest, I welcome you to join us here on July 4th. We may not have fireworks displays, but we have this!
