Dad's Birthday

[Lt Choate]

We lost my dad back in 2014 but if he were still alive, he would be 98 years old today.

Back when I was a little kid, he smoked a pipe that he bought back in the fifties. I found it a few years back and had it restored. I have never smoked it, but today I did. I used the pipe, Sir Walter Raleigh tobacco and started it with matches instead of a lighter, cause that's how he always did it. I had a diet coke with it for moral support..... Below are a few pictures of the process as well as one made of him back near the end of WWII. He is on a ship, crossing the Atlantic for Europe and is wearing a coat and hood to keep dry and warm.

Happy Birthday, dad..... We miss you and love you.

 

[Jeepnik]

No pipes, but I do have my dad's pipe rack. Not sure where he got it.

 

[Danjet500]

My dad smoked cigarettes, quit and then smoked a pipe. Here is a photo of him in the late 50s when he was about 30. He used to send me up to the Snac-Bar to buy his tobacco for him when I was 9-10 years old. I still remember that he smoked a mixture of Old Briar and Sugar Barrel. Thanks for the memory and Happy Birthday to your dad.

 

[txramfan]

I found some pipes my dad had , never saw him smoke a pipe , he smoked Camels than ? than stopped smoking.

 

[Doc44ga]

It's great to revisit old memories. Happy Birthday. He will always be in your heart.
Doc

 

[GypsmJim]

My Dad would be 100 this year. We lost him in 2013. He smoked cigars. At age 75 he was told he had to quit, so he did. Except.....during deer season.

I could always locate him in the woods.

Since he passed I often smell cigar smoke on opening day. I own the property, and we have no trespassers. I know he is still with us.

Thanks for the memories and wish your Dad a happy birthday for me. Who knows, maybe they have met and are reading this thread together.

 

[rugerguy]

Good memories, and we too wish him a belated Birthday ....

 

[Johnnu2]

Lt. .... Great tribute to your dad....

J.

 

[Watertender]

Since he passed I often smell cigar smoke on opening day. I own the property, and we have no trespassers. I know he is still with us.

In the hospital I worked at in 2016 and 2017 there was often the smell of cherry pipe tobacco in the hallway where the original and deceased doctors had their portraits on the wall.

The doctor who smoked that particular tobacco died in 1986. I have worked in some haunted places and am very aware of the spirit inhabitants making their presence known. I have had tools move from the top of a condensate return pump to the hand wheel of a valve over 6 feet away. The closest person to me was over 50 feet away around 2 corners and up a flight of stairs.

 

[Jeepnik]

In the hospital I worked at in 2016 and 2017 there was often the smell of cherry pipe tobacco in the hallway where the original and deceased doctors had their portraits on the wall.

The doctor who smoked that particular tobacco died in 1986. I have worked in some haunted places and am very aware of the spirit inhabitants making their presence known. I have had tools move from the top of a condensate return pump to the hand wheel of a valve over 6 feet away. The closest person to me was over 50 feet away around 2 corners and up a flight of stairs.

Stuff like that is usually someone trying to tell you something. I can't count the times "something" just made me check on things one more time. Felt a tug that kept me from going somewhere when i shouldn't. Heard things that brought me out of a walking sleep and put me on full alert. They have always been "right".

 

[Watertender]

Stuff like that is usually someone trying to tell you something. I can't count the times "something" just made me check on things one more time. Felt a tug that kept me from going somewhere when i shouldn't. Heard things that brought me out of a walking sleep and put me on full alert. They have always been "right".

There could be an entire thread dedicated to the times I have been warned by or had interaction with things like that.

 

[NC FNS]

Nice story. My dad also would've been 98, last month. Never smoked a pipe, but would go through 2 or 3 packs of unfiltered Chesterfields a day until he switched to Tiparillos around age 60.

 

[jav]

I have several of my dad's old pipes this is he's pipe rake he loved horses I restored the horse rack it was broken . Happy birthday to your dad

 

[WanderLust]

Good reads today. Sometimes we all need this.

 

[MaxMan]

Thanks so much. Made me stop and think once again about my dad. Very bittersweet. Dad didn't smoke a pipe except for a short period trying to get off the cigs.

 

[Watertender]

One place I worked at there was a guy who smoked a pipe. He had a rack of different pipes and a humidor with several compartments for his tobacco.

He was a prankster of sorts and would do little things to mess with people. He put some high temperature grease in a couple of my sockets and I found it when I used them.

I shredded a rubber band into one of his tobacco compartments and the results were spectacular! I can still see the look on his face as he lit off his pipe filled with my special tobacco blend! He took a good draw on the pipe to get it lit and it smelled like a tire fire.... He sputtered and spit and gagged until he almost threw up. He threw the pipe across the room and ran to the drinking fountain to rinse his mouth out.

My stuff was never messed with again....

 

[RoninPA]

When I was stationed at Torrejon AB in Spain (1986 to 1989) our F-16's FOL's (Forward Operating Locations) were Italy and Turkey. We would deploy there several times a year for exercises. When we were in Turkey (Ankara area) I found a pipe shop that specialized in Meerschaum pipes. During the deployments I bought/collected 13 of them. I only ever smoked one, it was just a plain no frills bowl. We were home on leave one time (State College, PA) and I went into the local pipe/cigar shop to look around. Saw a pipe that was like one of mine and asked to see it. He handed it to me I saw the price and handed it back. This was in 1991 and the pipe was a carved head of somone like King Henry VIII. The asking price was well over $200. I told him I had one like that and it only cost me $37. He said it had to be a fake. I told him to take the little piece of paper out of the bowl that had the manufactures name and address on it. I told him that he saw me handle the pipe and I never looked into the bowl. I told him the name and address of the pipe maker. He said "You've been there?" Told him I have 13 pipes that were made there. He said if you ever decide to sell them, see me first, I'd love to get them. He said he had a hard time getting true meerschaum pipes and we would both benefit from the sales. He went out of business at some point and I have never sold any of the pipes.

I also have a porcelain pipe (that actually could be smoked), made in Spain by the porcelain figurine maker Lladro. It has never had tabacco in the bowl

 

[jav]

One place I worked at there was a guy who smoked a pipe. He had a rack of different pipes and a humidor with several compartments for his tobacco.

He was a prankster of sorts and would do little things to mess with people. He put some high temperature grease in a couple of my sockets and I found it when I used them.

I shredded a rubber band into one of his tobacco compartments and the results were spectacular! I can still see the look on his face as he lit off his pipe filled with my special tobacco blend! He took a good draw on the pipe to get it lit and it smelled like a tire fire.... He sputtered and spit and gagged until he almost threw up. He threw the pipe across the room and ran to the drinking fountain to rinse his mouth out.

My stuff was never messed with again....

You never forget that smell cherry blend was my dad favorite

 

[Lt Choate]

When I was stationed at Torrejon AB in Spain (1986 to 1989) our F-16's FOL's (Forward Operating Locations) were Italy and Turkey. We would deploy there several times a year for exercises. When we were in Turkey (Ankara area) I found a pipe shop that specialized in Meerschaum pipes. During the deployments I bought/collected 13 of them. I only ever smoked one, it was just a plain no frills bowl. We were home on leave one time (State College, PA) and I went into the local pipe/cigar shop to look around. Saw a pipe that was like one of mine and asked to see it. He handed it to me I saw the price and handed it back. This was in 1991 and the pipe was a carved head of somone like King Henry VIII. The asking price was well over $200. I told him I had one like that and it only cost me $37. He said it had to be a fake. I told him to take the little piece of paper out of the bowl that had the manufactures name and address on it. I told him that he saw me handle the pipe and I never looked into the bowl. I told him the name and address of the pipe maker. He said "You've been there?" Told him I have 13 pipes that were made there. He said if you ever decide to sell them, see me first, I'd love to get them. He said he had a hard time getting true meerschaum pipes and we would both benefit from the sales. He went out of business at some point and I have never sold any of the pipes.

I also have a porcelain pipe (that actually could be smoked), made in Spain by the porcelain figurine maker Lladro. It has never had tabacco in the bowl

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Great story. I would bet that Meer bought in Spain, especially then, would be much cheaper there. Did you smoke the plain one enough that it started taking on the brown hue due to absorbing the tars?? I have some that are just chocolate brown.

Not sure how that porcelain pipe would smoke? I suppose it would be similar to smoking a clay.

 

[Lt Choate]

Thanks so much. Made me stop and think once again about my dad. Very bittersweet. Dad didn't smoke a pipe except for a short period trying to get off the cigs.

Thanks for posting this. I'm glad it made you reflect on your dad. Hopefully, there was more "sweet" than "bitter."