SATURDAY, JUNE 18TH, 1960
On that day, when the Mr. Softee ice cream truck came through the neighborhood, Al and Marge let the cubs have 50 cents each for a shake or a sundae...Normally they get 5 cents to get an ice cream cone.
https://youtu.be/WsCDGY8e0P8?t=5
"Oh boy! I'm gettin' a sundae!", Jed said as getting the 50 cents was a special occasion. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad".
"Me too!", Clarence said, then thanked Daddy Al and Mama Marge.
"I'm gonna get a shake", Rex proclaimed. "Thank you, Mom, Dad".
"A strawberry shake for me", Donna proclaimed, then said to Daddy Al and Mama Marge, "Thank you, thank you, thank you".
As for what the cubs purchased off the ice cream truck; Jed got a caramel sundae, Clarence got a butterscotch sundae, Rex got a banana shake, and Donna got a strawberry shake.
It was certainly nice having summer vacation off from school. And being a Saturday, it was a day Al had off from work.
After the cubs finished their ice cream treats, Donna went back to playing with Janice Lynx and Gail Skunk...
...However, Jed had something different from going back to playing in mind as he mentioned to Rex and Clarence, "Have you ever wondered what kind of experience grown ups gets from smoking a cigarette?".
"I've thought about that before", said Rex.
"Dad smokes. So does Frank", Jed further mentioned, then asked Clarence, "Have you ever wanted to know?".
"Never thought about it that much", Clarence said.
"Well, there's one way to find out", Rex said.
"We have enough allowance money saved up where we could scrape up 35 cents for a pack", Jed suggested.
"We're gonna try smokin' cigarettes?!", Clarence asked.
"Not so loud", Rex said to Clarence, then asked older brother Jed, "Would Zachery Bob Cat even sell them to us?".
"Tell him we're gettin' them for Frank. Zachery already knows Frank smokes Lucky Strikes", Jed replied.
"Whata ya say, Clarence? Wanna try one with us?", Rex asked.
"Well, gee, I duno", Clarence replied.
"You'll never know what they're like until you try one", Rex told Clarence.
"And they make you look so grown up and everything too", Jed added.
"Well...I've give it a try", Clarence agreed.
"Awright!", Jed proclaimed. "Let's go to our room and get money, then we go to the W. M. Hindi Store".
Once the cubs were at the house, Marge offered them some Kool Aid.
"A little later, Mom", Jed said. "We got something going on right now".
"Okay", Marge replied.
"Must be something important. Is it classified?", Al jested as he, Marge and the cubs got a laugh.
Al and Marge had no idea what their male cubs were up to as Jed, Rex and Clarence went to their room to get the 35 cents, plus a penny to cover the sales tax, for a pack of Lucky Strikes from the W. M. Hindi Store.
Upon the cubs chipping in 12 cents each for the 36 cents from their saved up allowence money, they headed staight out of the house on their way to the W. M. Hindi Store.
"See ya later, Mom, Dad", Rex said as the cubs left the house.
"They seem to be in a hurry about something", Marge said to Al.
"You know cubs", Al replied to Marge. "We were all once cubs ourselves. Cubs will be cubs".
As the cubs entered the store, Zachery Bob Cat greeted, "How can I help you young ones today?".
"We'd like to buy a pack of Lucky Strikes please", Jed answered.
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W. Hindi Mongoose, a Pakistani mongoose who is the store owner was there, and said to the cubs, "For you to be buying cigarettes, you are not old enough".
"I agree", Zachery Bob Cat added.
"There not for us", Jed declared. "They're for Frank Coyote. His injured leg is acting up again, and he asked us to bring a pack to him".
"Frank Coyote is their neighbor I've told you about", Zachery Bob Cat told W. Hindi Mongoose. "He's the one who got hit by that drunk driver a few years ago while working for the state highway department".
"Considering that is the case, I am okay with that", W. Hindi Mongoose said, thus the transaction was made.
After ringing up the sale on the NCR mechanical cash register, which sounded off >clickety clink cloc - clickety clink cloc - clickety clickety clickety clink cloc<, and with that bell that dinged as the number tabs appeared in the register window, Jed mentioned, "Frank is out of matches. He'll need some".
"Here you go", Zachery Bob Cat said as he pawed to Jed a book of matches, which were free.
"Thank you for dropping by", Zachery said as the Cubs were leaving.
"Thank you very much for your patronage", W. Hindi Mongoose added, as he and Zachery Bob Cat had no idea the cubs were headed to the patch of woods and brush adjacent to the neighborhood, instead of going to Frank and Wanda Coyote's house with those cigarettes.
As soon as Jed, Rex and Clarence got to a part of the patch of woods and brush where they figured no one would see them, they wasted no time opening the pack and getting out three cigarettes.
As the cubs lit the cigarettes and began smoking them, Rex said, "This...cough...is cool like...cough cough...the grown ups do cough hack".
Clarence asked as he took a drag, "Cough cough cough...why don't the grown ups choak on smoke like this when they smoke?".
"I don't know, cough cough hack cough", Jed replied.
"Awww awww. That's bad for you", Janice Lynx said as she discovered what Jed, Rex and Clarence were doing. "I'm telling".
"Aw, come on. Don't be a tattle tale", Ryan Lynx retorted to his sister Janice.
Eight year old Cheryl Coyote also found out, but she couldn't be convinced to not be a tattle tale...Cheryl went straight to her parents, Frank and Wanda to tell what's going on.
Other cubs who saw what was going on went through the neighborhood, telling other cubs, "Jed and Rex and Clarence are smoking cigarettes in the woods!".
Donna Coyote heard about it, and went straight home to tell Daddy Al and Mama Marge.
Jed, Rex and Clarence walked out of the patch of woods and brush, and leaving the pack of Lucky Strikes on the ground, hoping no one would find them.
Upon hearing it from daughter Cheryl that Jed, Rex and Clarence were smoking cigarettes in the woods, Frank and Wanda got into to their '55 Chevy wagon for the half block ride to Al and Marge's house. Upon arriving to Al and Marge's house Wanda got out of the car first to go tell Al and Marge, being that Frank has to walk with a cane.
"Three of your cubs were smoking in the woods", Wanda told Al and Marge.
"We've already heard it from our daughter Donna", Al said to Wanda as he set out into the neighborhood to go find Jed, Rex and Clarence.
Jed, Rex and Clarence had already went back to playing as to look innocent by the time Daddy Al found them.
"You three get in the house right now!", Daddy Al warned the cubs...and Al sternly meant it too.
As Frank and Wanda set out to the wooded area to help Al search for the cigarettes, Marge began to give a stern lecture to Jed, Rex and Clarence about the harmful effects of cigarette smoking.
Upon a brief search of the wooded area conducted by Al, Frank and Wanda, Frank discovered the pack of Lucky Strikes on the ground, with three smoldering, half smoked cigarettes near it.
"Here they are, Al", Frank said as he pawed the pack over to Al.
"It's a wonder they didn't set the woods on fire", Wanda mentioned as she picked up the three smoldering cigerette butts and crushed them out.
"I appreciate you helping me to find them", Al thanked Frank and Wanda as he began to carry the pack of Lucky Strikes to the house.
Once Al arrived back to the house with the pack of Lucky Strikes, he ordered Jed, Rex and Clarence, "Come on. You three. Straight to the bathroom, right now".
In the bathroom, Al put the toilet seat up, because the method he had in mind of breaking the cubs from cigarette smoking was going to involve having them vomit.
"You cubs want to smoke?", Al asked, then informed Jed, Rex and Clarence, "You three are going to smoke this entire pack, right now".
"Al! What in the Hell?!", Marge retorted.
"Marge! It's the only way to break cubs from wanting to smoke!", Al repremanded.
"What's wrong with taking the paddle to them?, Marge asked.
"You can paddle them, and weeks later they'll forget about the paddling and be back to smoking again! Trust me! This method works!", Al insisted.
Then Clarence said with tears in his eyes, "But, Dad. You smoke".
That hit Al like a speeding freight train. Al then crumpled the pack of Lucky Strikes into the toilet bowl. There was a pack of Al's own Chesterfield cigarettes on a bathroom linen shelf...Al crumpled those over the toilet bowl as well.
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"I'm done with smoking", Al said.
Marge gave Al a big hug and said to Al, "I'm so happy for you, Al. I'd thought you'd never quit those".
As Jed, Rex and Clarence hugged Daddy Al, and as Donna came in to the bathroom and hugged Daddy, Jed asked, "We not going to get paddled, are we?".
"No, Son", Al replied. "All I ask is that you cubs never put another cigarette in your mouth again...I know I won't".
This was truly a happy day that Daddy Al finally kicked the cigarette smoking habit, although it took this incident to make it happen.
Al even went out to the Chrysler 300 and got his remaining pack of Chesterfields off the console...Those too he also crumpled over the toilet bowl, then flushed them down.
Albert Rhonson Coyote never again smoked another cigarette from that day on...And the Rhonson Coyote cubs never again tried to pick up the habit of smoking.
______________________________
SUNDAY, JUNE 19 TH
Sunday at church in Santa Rosa, Pastor Warren Brown Bear preached on, of all things, the influence parents have on their cubs...That really hit home to the Rhonson Coyote Family about yesterday with the cubs thinking it was okay to smoke because Daddy smoked.
At one point during the sermon, Pastor Bear mentioned, "Consequently, dearly beloved, there is an old saying that goes 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree'. If it is an apple tree, the apples will fall near that apple tree. If it is a peach tree, the peaches will fall near that peach tree. If it is a plum tree, the plums will fall near that plum tree. A fruit will not fall near a tree who's branched did not give birth to and nurture that fruit, but rather the fruit will fall near the tree who's branches bore that fruit. Likewise this also holds true in parenting, in that cubs will follow the examples set forth by their parents".
With that said, "Amen", and, "Praise the Lord", and , "Tell it, Brother", from the congregation could be heard from everywhere in the church.
Pastor Bear went on to say, "I am sure all of us had at one time or another heard a cub say 'I want to be like Daddy when I grow up', or 'I want to be like Mama when I grow up'...My son, Abe, told me that just the other day, which brought a ray of joy into the hearts of Alma and I hearing our seven year cub proclaim that. And when we were cubs ourselves, we had said those very words to our parents...I know I have said those words a many of time as a little bear cub...Dad's and Mothers, you would do good to remember, your cubs are going to follow in your foot steps. So choose your steps wisely, because you have an important responsibility as to what your cubs will someday become in life".
At the end of the sermon, Pastor Warren Bear allowed some time for testimonies from congregation members before the close of the service. Al Coyote got up and testified about the event that took place yesterday that got him to finally quit smoking, in which the congregation was happy to hear.
Then there were other parents who also testified about times back when they made a change in conduct as to become a better example for their cubs to follow.
After the end of the service, Pastor made the announcement, "Next Sunday, the 26th, Cindy Jones Coyote and Jerald Jenkins Coyote will be married here after morning service".
Some of the congregation already knew, and upon everyone else hearing the announcement, everyone congratulated Cindy and Jerald.
Pastor Bear also mentioned, "And as with every wedding I preside over, besides bride and groom's family and close friends being invited, everyone in this congregation is also invited...In this house of the Lord, we are all a church family, thus the congregation of this church is invited to any wedding where I am the presiding pastor".
After church had let out, Louie Badger congratulated Al Coyote on quitting the smoking habit. Louie was still a 'pack a day' smoker, and mentioned that he wouldn't mind quitting the habit.
"It takes will power, Louie", Al said to Louie Badger. "But for me, it was a moment of truth yesterday".
______________________________
MONDAY, JUNE 20TH
That Monday was Jerald's first day at work with the New Mexico State Highway Department...Jerald was truly following in the foot steps of his dad, Frank.
Jerald drove that old 1952 Pontiac of his to Santa Rosa, where he reported to work at the shop and yard bright and early. Jerald's first day was going out with a crew doing the repainting of the center line on Highway 84 between Route 66 and Santa Fe...That stretch of highway was needing that for a long time...The crew would get a little past Serafina by the end of the work day...They would continue on their way to Santa Fe the following morning.
Out on the job, a line painting truck would lead the way at a speed of 7 miles per hour. As the paint rig operater would spray the lines, the truck driver kept the truck on course...A pick up truck would follow that had no tail gate, but had an extended floor board and outrigger seat extended out behind the rear of the truck. The animal sitting in that outrigger seat would place "Z" shaped, brightly coloured, slash spikes on the freshly painted lines as another animal in the bed of the truck would paw the spikes to the animal in the outrigger seat. Those "Z" shaped slash spikes were designed to be a deterrent to any wise guy driver who got the bright ass idea of driving over the freshly painted lines, knowing that doing so would result in slashed tires...And there were "do not pass" signs over the cab of the paint truck facing both directions, which also warned of tire damage to motorists for driving over the wet paint...That method worked better than traffic cones, and was widely used back in the day. Following behind the pick up truck was a larger truck with amber flashing lights, and pulling a ballast trailer to protect the animal in the outrigger seat putting down the spikes from being crushed in a rear end collision by a careless motorist. That truck also had a sign stating, "Do not pass" and warning of tire damage to motorists for driving over the slash spikes on the wet paint.
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A mile behind, the paint was dry...That's where another pick up truck with a floor board and outrigger seat extended behind it, would follow a mile behind at 7 miles per hour. It was Jerald Coyote's job to sit in that outrigger seat extended beyond the rear of that pick up and collect up the slash spikes off the dried lines as the truck drove by, and toss them into the bed of the truck. Following behind that pick up was also another larger truck pulling a ballast trailer to protect Jerald Coyote from being crushed in a rear end collision...A careless motorist would crash into that ballast trailer first without ever making it to the pick up truck where Jerald was sitting in the outrigger seat...That truck also had amber flashing lights and a sign stating, "Do not pass" and warning motorists to stay off the lines where the slash spikes hadn't yet been collected up.
Occasionally, the line painting crew would pull over to let backed up traffic proceed by (They'd pull over right away for emergency vehicles)...That would also be the time the crew members with the paint truck would allow the trucks a mile behind to catch up. Then they'd transfer the collected slash spikes from one pick up truck to the one following directly behind the paint truck. The pick up trucks had kegs with ice water aboard them, which during the time they were stopped, the crew would get some water...And if anyone had to make a potty call, there was either a bush to go behind or around the other side of a truck...Then the crew would proceed on.
That job of sitting in an outrigger seat and collecting up slash spikes all day seemed mundane, but as time would go on, Jerald Coyote would get better opportunities working for the State Highway Department, and eventually with increases in pay.
When Jerald got back home in the evening, he told his parents, Frank and Wanda, about his first day at work, and mentioned that he might make it a career as an employee for the State Highway Department.
And as Frank Coyote mentioned to his son, Jerald, it was a good job to have and there were the opportunities to advance to higher paid positions. There was also a college tuition grant program for those who were interested in becoming a highway construction and design engineer, provided those interested had been with the highway department for a period of time.
And the state did offer good employee benefits as well.
To be continued.