Saturday at the Hut - 1/17/09

Well. Today was a strange day at the Tobacco Hut, as evidenced by the picture that accompanies this post. What does the "Lollipop Guild" have to do with enjoying a good pipe and cigar? Nothing, until I walked into the Hut this afternoon. See, I'm used to showing up around 12:30 or so every Saturday, opening the door and seeing Lou in his throne - I mean chair - with a cigar firmly clenched between his teeth, smoke streaming from the foot, filling the room with the aroma of a quality cigar.

But today I walked in and Lou had some strange white stick hanging out of his mouth. I did the proverbial double-take and, with shaky hand, pointed to it and asked, "What the heck is that?" Lou proceeded to take a lollipop out of his mouth and said, "It's See's Candy, what else?"

Now I've been coming into the Tobacco Hut for about twelve years, and I've never seen anything but a good old fashioned cigar, or the occasional pipe, hanging out of Lou's mouth. Was Lou giving them up for Lent? Was it even Lent? Did he lose a bet? Where was the real Lou? Lou explained that his wife and daughter had gone to the mall and brought him back some See's, that was all.

Well I didn't like it, so as soon as he was done with it, he lit up a Padron 1964, the old Lou was back, and all was right with the universe again.

Joe and Peter were there today, each enjoying a cigar, and Paul V came in later. Sue Ann arrived later in the afternoon and I proudly showed her my new Cavicchi pipe (see earlier posts).

I smoked a bowl of Tinder Box Reserve 1928 in it and it was as good as the first pipeful I smoked a couple weeks ago, reducing the tobacco to a fine gray ash and requiring few relights. I continue to be impressed by this pipe and how, like any good pipe, it doesn't interfere with the taste of the tobacco at all. It just gets out of the way and lets me enjoy the full bowl of tobacco, absorbing the moisture and heat very nicely.

Not sure what I'll be smoking next week, but I might go to one of my favorite straight pipes, a David Jones billiard.

Cheers!
- Bob