When I was a young lad my father,and uncle ran a small grocery store.When I got the chance to I would hang around the store and talk to the customers.Country folks were pretty friendly back in those days.I guess they still are.One of them was an elderly fellow that everyone called old man bell.It was said that he was retired from the navy.Every time he came into the store he was smoking a large calabash.He had a look about him that one associates with the look of a sea going fella.He would lay his pipe on the ice cream box get a cone with two scoops eat it then relite his pipe hang around the store and talk to folks,even a young lad like myself.To me pipe smokers seem to be unique characters.Maybe that's one of the reasons I like being around them.Old man Bell passed away many years ago.I some times think of him though,and wonder what happened to his big calabash and if some one is smoking it now I hope so.

Neat story. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks for sharing the story I always love hearing pipe stories/memories.