Having the benefit of the mountains, local residents and visitors alike prefer the bird's eye view of the July-4th fireworks. As a visitor-turned-resident, this was my first time to watch this Promethean exercise from ground level. And I have to say, it, too, has its perks, which the slideshow demonstrates.

As the sky grew darker, the lights turned brighter until the very last one disappeared beyond the tree line.

And then...no, not total darkness. And then--the stars.