Details of the January Meeting
Usually after the holidays there is a bit of a let down once all of the festivities have concluded and life gets back to normal. But for many of us at SHPC, there was something from 2011 missing under our Christmas tree (or wherever your religion leaves their holiday presents :-) ). We still had not received our 2011 Club pipes. We thought we'd have them for the Kaywoodie holiday party, but it didn't happen. We thought we'd have them for the Demember meeting. But that didn't happen either. Things just seem to take more time when you're doing business with people overseas. But they did finally make it and were destributed at the last meeting. I think everyone was very happy with them. I personally, was pleasently suprised to find that the bend was not as drastic as it was pictured, at least with the stem that came on the pipe. The additional stem was a little longer and seemed to have a more of a bend. I've smoked it 2 or 3 times so far and it smokes well. One other thing we got with our new club pipe was a visit from former president Dock Perry. No, he didn't just come for a visit, he bought a pipe too and wanted to pick it up in person. Dock, I believe is the only member that owns all of the SHPC club pipes that have been made to date. He was also instrumental in getting the yearly club pipe started after a few years without one.
A few non-club members are also seen here enjoying their SHPC 2011club pipe in their favorite smoking spots. Wayne and Morris, from CT call themsleves casual pipe smokers and have purchased club pipes from the past three years. Doc Garr, from the Pocono Intermountain Pipe Enthusiasts (P.I.P.E.) won the 2011 Northeast Regional Slow Smoke contest sponsored by UPCA and selected as his first place prize, the SHPC club pipe which was donated to the prize table, . We hope you are all enjoying your new pipes.

     

New Year, New Member
Another great way to start the new year is with a new member and our first new member of 2012 is not what you would expect for your average pipe club member. Although not the first female member of the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club, we're sure Ophelia will make a great addition and bring that enthusiasm to the club that only new smokers can bring. Ophelia found out that she can enjoy the true taste of tobacco without needing to pollute her lungs. She started looking into pipe smoking online and was amazed to find many groups of people out there doing the same thing and sharing their experiences with each other. She found our website and is now a proud member of SHPC. Ophelia, we welcome you.

2012 Club Pipe Is In The Works
Trying to get an early start this year and keeping with the Mastro theme, I came across this pipe in an email add and thought it would be and exception addition to the already outstanding line of SHPC club pipes. Another Italian pipe, this time from Mastro de Paja. It was presented to the members at the January meeting and was received with enthusiasm. A vote was taken and passed to make this pipe the 2012 SHPC Club Pipe. We generally try to keep our club pipes under $200 so they are more easily affordable and we were able to do it again this year. That is, if you decide to get it without the stand. At the current rates, this pipe will go for $168 without the stand. If you want the stand, and as you can see, the stand really makes the pipe, teh cost will be $250. A bit steeper than we usually go but I think it will be well worth the money. I have already done the preliminary ground work on this pipe and hope to get the ball rolling on taking orders very soon. Start saving your pennies.

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The Crooked X - Prelude to War
A Short Story of Hate, Mystery and Intrigue
                                                       By Ernest N. Whitenack

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Listen to the intro of Chapter 6

The story takes place in 1934 during the depression and leading up to World War II. Boston Lawyer, Scott Wadsworth, follows a lead on his missing friend which could lead him into a tangled web of foreign intrigue, murder and counter-espionage. If the audio plug-in does not work, just click the image on the left.

Read previous chapters: Ch. 1 | Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch.5

Read Chapter 6 >>

Oh give me but Virginias weed, An earthen bowl a stem of reed
What care I for the weather? We rest us from our days of toil
My Pipe and I together

Like to a priest of sacred fane, I nightly light the glow again,
With reverence and pleasure; For through this plain and modest bowl. And many trippings measure!

(From Herman Rave's The Ballad of the Pipe)