A couple of days ago, I received one of those cards in the mailbox saying that I had missed the postwoman's attempt to deliver a registered package. I wasn't expecting a package and my first thought was that it was some sort of legal thing and someone was sueing me. I don't know why this jumped into my brain. I've never been sued and I have no reason to think I should have any legal problems. Guilty conscience maybe? The next day I went to the post office to get whatever was waiting for me. The clerk at the counter took my card and disappeared into the back room. He came out in a couple of minutes carrying a yellow box. This was promising. Yellow boxes have always signaled stuff from Europe. He sat the box down and I could see a mint green tag on the top. The only words I could make out were "pipe" and "Slovenia". Wow! This was looking much better than a law suit. I signed for the package and rushed back home. I opened the box on the kitchen counter with my wife watching, all the while telling her "No, I haven't ordered another pipe! I can't imagine what this could be." But it was a pipe from my friend Gregor Lobnik. It turns out he has purchased sandblasting equipment and the pipe enclosed was his first attempt at blasting. He had sent me a wonderful present. I love Gregor's pipes and to have his first sandblast is an honor I am not at all worthy of, but as I told him- I'm keeping it! People in the pipe world are notoriously nice, and Gregor has to rank up there with the best. I haven't smoked the pipe yet, but if it is anything like the other Lobniks I have, I'm sure it will become one of my favorite smokes. It is already a favorite pipe being such a wonderful gift from a good friend. -T
Top pipe is mine (my bad photo) and the other 2 are some of Gregor's new sandblasted creations.
