Saturday Mornings With Dad

Here is a little snippet from my next book, A Boy From Down East, do out late this year.

Saturday Mornings With Dad

I was on Facebook today and came upon a group for Bill’s Hot Dogs in Washington NC. Memories of my Dad and me eating there in the early 1960’s came flooding back.

Back then Dad worked for Beaufort Equipment Company as a mechanic and later in the Parts Department. He worked Monday through Friday and a half day on Saturday. When I was young I often went to work with him on Saturday morning. There was always something fun to do.

Some Saturdays Dad took me to the Turnage Theater, which often had Saturday morning kid movies. Back then parents could let their children go to movies and not worry like we do today. With 25¢ for admission and 10¢ for a drink and popcorn you had a couple of hours of great entertainment.

On other Saturdays I went on equipment deliveries with the sons of Mr. Snows, the owner. This was always fun. I got to travel all over the area and at times I got to ride on the new tractors and harvesters. We often stopped at a little country store on the way to get a Coke and a pack of Nabs. It is amazing to think back on how filling a couple of crackers and a 6 oz. Coke were. Now you need 32 oz’s. No wonder this country has an obesity problem today.

Almost every Saturday, when Dad got off work, we went to Bill’s Hot Dogs for lunch. When I think back to that time I remember the hot dogs tasting better than they do today. Maybe it is because going out to eat was a special treat, especially when it was ME and my DAD.