Weekend Camping Trip

Mark, his son John and I had a great time camping this past weekend in Tishomingo State Park in north east Mississippi. Plenty of hiking and pipe smoking and sitting around the campfire and pipe smoking and groaning from aching knees and of course pipe smoking. Tishomingo is a great place! A beautiful natural area with rolling hills and stone outcroppings. Unusual for this part of the country. -T

New Deptford? Deptford II the Sequel?

Latest of the commission work that goes on behind the scenes. It's a bigger version of the original Deptford. This one holds 15 pipes and is a darker richer color. Just a reminder that we are happy to work with customers to make a pipe rack that will satisfy their needs. -T

Two Cousins Board Meeting

Mark and I met up at Arkabutla  yesterday morning at sunrise for our first hike of the season. Arkabutla is about 45 minutes to the south of me and about the same to the north of Mark, so it makes a good meeting place for us to get out and breath a little forest air. In the parking lot we met our new friend, the black dog. He accompanied us on our 2 hour hike and said goodbye when it was over. There's nothing like a walk in the woods w/ a good friend and a good pipe! -T

at right Black Dog and Mark

Interruption

I was busy at work on a pipe rack this morning, when suddenly my little dog Lilly started up her "snake alarm" bark. I was surprised- we haven't seen many snakes in the yard this year. During dry summers they wander into the yard looking for water, but this year there's been plenty of rain. But there she was, barking like a mad woman ...on our back porch. Not the normal snake locale. As I came closer I could see a 3 ft. copperhead w/ a half ingested chipmunk protruding from his mouth. An amazing and slightly disgusting sight. After watching Nature for a few minutes with my wife (sans Lilly- she had to go inside. Too much stress.) I scooped our friend up in a bucket and deposited him in the woods behind our yard. I hope he takes the hint and stays away. OK- back to work! -T

The Morning Stroll

At least 5 days a week I go for a morning walk. I drop my daughter at school and on the way home I stop by a local park situated behind the library and community center. There is a paved path that loops around a large open field. Judging from how long it takes me to make the circle it must be about a mile and a half long. I usually walk it twice. I have never been an enthusiastic exercise participant, but I thoroughly enjoy my morning walk. There are a hand full of other walkers each morning- housewives in their 40's, a couple of guys that I assume are high school coaches that actually run the circuit and a couple of elderly retired couples that make their way around very slowly. I guess I must be known to all of them as the "old pipe smoking guy", because I always have a pipe in my mouth. I hope this morning jaunt may make this small group of people think that maybe pipe smoking isn't a crime against humanity. Maybe a person can maintain their health and smoke. But who knows what they think? The main point is- I really enjoy the hike. It clears my head and gives me time to think about the day ahead. By the time I leave the park I have the day's game plan in mind. I have at least a good notion of what I will do first and what I hope to accomplish. -T 

Bocce!

The guys came over Saturday for a few rousing games of Bocce in the back yard to kick off our regular 1st Friday get-together. After 4 hours of grueling play, it was off to our regular haunt- Zinnies East. We had a great time as usual, talking politics, family, pipes and anything else that came to mind. -T