Dad's Corn Cob Pipe
With all the controversy going on about smoking today, I can't help but think about Dad's corn cob pipe. No one else ever smoked in our family, but his pipe was very important to him. Mother never could stand the pungent smell of the nicotine that came from the pipe, and it was a constant source of irritation for her when Dad smoked.
The crowning touch came the day he put it on the window sill of the south window in the kitchen after he finished smoking. It was a warm summer day, and as the sun shone bright and hot through the window and onto the pipe, the nicotine smell filled the room. This was more than Mother could stand. Her patience had come to an abrupt end. She took the pipe and flung it out the door, into the back yard. Then there was fire on the water for awhile until that issue was settled.
I guess Dad kept on smoking his pipe alright, but he didn't ever put it in its honored place on the window sill anymore.