Well fathers day has past, a quiet day of remembrance for me as Dad is gone now almost 11 years. I was recounting to some folks I was talking about some of the things that I remember. Dad was a morning person up with the sun. How I remember all through my school years him waking me up in the morning. I did not inherit his love for the morning,today if it were not for my wife pushing me to get going I would still be in bed at 10 am.My dad however was a different story. He was up shaved eating breakfast all before we opened our eyes.He sang every morning I can still see him in the kitchen shining his shoes at the start of each day. I still have that wooden shoe shine box today.I remember the morning smells, coffee, shoe polish and the Vitalis hair tonic my father used his whole life. Funny how while he was here with me those things never came to mind,another memory was Saturday mornings, I always with him off to the hardware store.My father loved hardware stores as I do to this day. There was always some project my Dad had planned and we would be off to Atlas hardware. The owner was a friend of my Dad's and they spent more time talking then buying paint or nails. I used to love using the scoop and putting nails on the scale. Back in the day before Home Depot you bought your nails by the pound in brown paper bags. Then it was off to Beacon Dry cleaners for my Dad's shirts. He wore a white shirt and tie his whole life. We would get the laundry and it was off to Sam's variety where we would pick up this or that. My father was always overweight so the secret was we would go to Sam's where we would go to the soda fountain. Yes an old fashion soda fountain with big stools to sit on there were milks shakes, ice cream floats, hot fudge sundaes that is what we would have. My mother was not to know of this deviation from his diet though I suspect she knew ,perhaps tell tale signs of ice cream on my shirt would give it away.

I remember every Tuesday night my Dad had Army Reserves he was a Major and I loved to see him with his uniform and medals on. Then there was boy scouts,my dad drove me and the gang everywhere. He would hike into the woods with my next door neighbor who was scout master and end up carrying four of five of the nap sacks that were too much for the scouts to carry. He would help set of all the tents the walk back though the woods to his car. I can still see him in his army field jacket with that white shirt and tie neatly underneath wearing his signature felt stetson hat,not a cowboy one but like they wore in detective movies,heading off from our camp through the dark woods with a small flashlight to light his way. Sunday he would be back to help pack up and drive me and several of my weary friends home from our week end camping adventure.

Yes, fathers day is a quiet day of recollection and reflection for me a little sad perhaps but aglow in wonderful memories.