Ghosts of Previous Pleasure

One of my favorite pleasures of pipe smoking is the day after.  Early in my pipe smoking life, and for probably the first several years after, the day following a pipe was marked by a thoroughly charred, gritty mouth.  This was because I had not yet learned to appreciate my pipe.  Taking large, greedy puffs, I attacked my pipe smoking much like a lioness may attack some fleetfooted prey.  The result?  The smoke died and took my tongue with it.  Some years of wisdom changed the experience.  Now pipe smoking is left with few, if any undesirable mouth feelings (especially when dealing with well known pipes and tobaccos that have become old friends).  The enjoyment of the tobacco at its own pace, in gentle sips, has given me great reward for some years.  The mystery of the chemistry I cannot explain.  But one of my favorite experiences is the slight hint of aftertaste as much as 24 hours after. Even after several brushings and mouthwashings (two to be exact) and two good meals I can still detect a hint of everything I smoked the night before.  I love these surprises!

Last night I enjoyed three bowls of tobacco with a dear friend.  Today I was reminded of the pleasant and meaningful conversation we shared by tasting in turn the richness of the first bowl of Dunhill 965, the frank beautiful simplicity of a bowl of Velvet and the full sweetness of Black Gold Plus.  With the memory of those sweet tobaccos coming in turn the memory of the gentle and genuine conversation drifts to and fro like gentle puffs of smoke on the evening breeze.  What a blessed thing to enjoy a pipe and the company of another dear like-minded brother in Christ.  What a great blessing this!

Back to the Bowl

The time has come.  So may things have distracted me from my beloved tobaccos.  Cold weather has forbidden the long self-indulgent hours of pipe puffing.  As I continue to age I make stranger and stranger priority choices.  It simply isn't worth being physically uncomfortable to enjoy a pipe.  However, there are always a few bowls on shoveling days.  This, still, holds no candle to the evenings with a cup of tea and a pipe burning quietly away.  Our fourth child is finally on his feet, and this means that there are more opportunities for him to be a bit more independent and mommy is less tired so daddy gets increased opportunities to enjoy the blessed tobacco weed.

So much excitement for this smoking season.  I have three tins that I have stored up and am waiting to try, two of which are new!  I have a tin of Nightcap that is waiting to be opened and I cannot wait to return to that sweet latakian goodness again.  Additionally I have some Dunhill Standard Mixture which is a great excitement to me as I have loved 965 and London Mixture.  So much joy ahead!  Finally, I was given a tin of Rattray's Bagpiper's Dream, which I have decided to love, because I love bagpipes and am an amateur bagpiper.  And so it goes.  Let the smoking begin, and hopefully, the pipe blogging!