Western PA Culture with Timmy

Sometimes people walk across the fires to show how badass they are.

At bonfire nights, it is common to play Stump. Here is how you play: 

Materials: A stump, one nail per player, and one hammer.

Set-up: Hammer the nails at about 10% depth in a ring around the edge of the stump. Players gather around the stump. Each player claims a nail.

Objective: You win by being the last man standing, or in other words the person whose nail is not completely hammered into the stump. (When your nail gets completely hammered into the stump, you’re out.)

Rules: Passing the hammer around the circle, each player gets one chance to toss, catch, and attack one nail on the stump. When you toss the hammer, it must revolve (head-over heels) at least once (360 degrees). Also, the catch into the nail smash must be one fluid motion. You are not allowed to catch the hammer and then take time to adjust it in your hand.

Add-ons: If you toss the nail between your legs, you get two smash attempts after catching it. If you toss the hammer behind your back, you get three smash attempts after catching it. I'm sure that you could be creative and add other bonus opportunities of your own.

Another game is frisbeener. Actually, this one isn't unique to Western PA. It's played all around the world. In different places, the game has different names: Polish horseshoes, Spanish horseshoes, beersbee, French darts, frisnok. What's unique to Western PA (and other places throughout the midwest) is the name Frisbeener.

This Wikipedia page explains the game well: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

It's very common for people in Pittsburgh to leave the city or their suburban homes to "go up to camp" for the weekend. "Camp" is normally some place rural or remote in Western or Central PA where you can go for an "outdoorsy weekend" that might involve activities such as fishing, hunting, riding quads, sitting by the campfire, etc. For some people, "camp" might be a cabin. For others, it might be a trailer. Tim's camp is in Tionesta, PA.