My uncle's bonfire.

At some point last week I got an voicemail from Jim's old chiro school roommate, and our good pal, Troy. He had some how deleted Jim's number but wanted to invite us to his uncle bonfire on Saturday night. Troy lives in Massachusetts and we obviously don't see him frequently...the last time actually at our wedding nearly 2 years ago. His uncle lives in Allentown, about a hour drive for us. "Bring a tent and some sleeping bags if you want to stay over."

Troy & Jim sporting their Garden Club t-shirts

We gathered up another chiro buddy and decided to make an appearance and head back home that night. We didn't really want to be imposing on a family gathering with Troy's family, but decided it was a good opportunity to catch up for a few hours.

My uncle is having a bonfire....

What a ridiculous understatement.

His uncle's bonfire is actually more like some kind of mountain festival.
Hundreds and hundreds of people.

A beer truck, rumored to house 30 kegs.

A hotdog and hamburger line that wrapped around a block.

A tent city filled with college kids and hippies.

Rope jumping into a pond.

Acres of wildflowers mowed down to form a parking lot.

And a bonfire the size of a house.

After a few hours of relaxing, enjoying the perfectly fantastic weather, & catching up with the Wilson crew, the festivities set way with a million little snap crackle pops of firecrackers exploding over the bonfire.

Followed by the most amazing display of fireworks I'd ever seen.

The thunderous boom echoed through your chest, rattling your organs and sending shocks through to your limps. Tragically loud. Deafening. Grasping your breath from the air before you've fully exhaled. It was exhilarating, almost panic.

At the end of the fireworks, the bonfire was set ablaze.

We ventured up close to watch.

In only a matter of moments, the crowd was inching back further and further because of the heat. Firetrucks set by patiently in case of any stray embures.

We lingered for awhile longer, then hit the roadways back to Philly with plans to return for the next event, schedule for 2012.

It was quite an unexpected experience. As Jon put it so nicely, not for any single cause or even a cover charge. Just because.

Moral of the story...if Troy Wilson invites you to ANYTHING, no matter how lame the desciptions, just go. It's bound to be a good time.