BEAUTIFUL BONFIRE

What amazing memories this photo brings to my mind.  All our lives we loved camping and picnics, and the centerpiece of both was the campfire.  Thank you, Robin, for sharing your recent back yard bonfire.............

Just look at the sparks flying upward.  There's something about bonfires that mesmerizes, almost puts one in a trance.  

A bonfire, to me, means it's time to get out a pack of hot dogs, a bag of buns, the ketchup, mustard, relish and onions.  Cut a stick, and with a pocket knife make a sharp point to poke through the hot dog(s).  And, I love mine charred to a crisp.  

No picnic is complete without roasted marshmallows, with or without the graham crackers and Hershey's candy bars.  This girl is good with just the marshmallow, toasted to soft perfection, charred on the outside.  Gotta say my mouth is watering as I think back and type my edible memories.

Gathering around a bonfire with friends is about the ultimate, in my world.  Summer evenings are apt to cool down, and that's when the fires feel toasty.  There's usually one person who tends the fire, adds more wood, but I prefer roasting my own dogs and mallows.   The little kid is always alive within us.

The bonfire, like all earthly things, holds within it a lesson for us humans.......

Obstacles can arise from good as well as bad circumstances, but they should never deter or overpower you.  Be like the earth, which supports all living creatures indiscriminately, without distinguishing good from bad.  The earth is simply there.  Your practice should be strengthened by the difficult situations you encounter just as a bonfire in a strong wind is not blown out, but blazes even brighter.  ~Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche  

Thank you, Robin, for sharing another of your inspiring photos!