Okay, I admit that I live in Florida where it’s warm and sunny all the live-long day, but I wasn’t always a resident of the “blue haired people who drive slow” state. I grew up in New Jersey where the winters are cold, dark, dank, and seem like they’re going to last forever…and ever…and ever. When March hits, you get teased with a couple of days in the high 60’s, but the next day it’s 42 and raining like it’s Armageddon. And April is generally the worst because of all those damned showers. But right around when May hits in the more northern states, the temperatures are nice, the laws are green, and the Churchill’s are smokin’!
I’ve noticed over the years that people’s demeanors really do change when things warm up. There’s definitely a collective consciousness that goes on in both the cold and warm seasons, especially for us lovers of the leaf. You guys up north know that you simply cannot enjoy a cigar when it’s 28 degrees outside and your feet are numb. A lot of guys set up little heaters and lawn chairs in their garages, but it just isn’t the same as being outside on a 75 degree, blue-sky day – fresh air, birds chirping, and a viscous cloud of blue swirling smoke dancing above your head. Ahhhhhh…
Warm weather means a lot of things - golf, baseball, car rides with the windows down - and throw in a good stogie and life just gets so much better within an instant. A nice relaxing smoke on the course can almost make you forget how bad your golf game really does suck. Of course a hot looking cart girl with a tub of ice cold brews doesn’t hurt much, either. But I think a big old cigar on the course is often times your favorite club of the day.
Any outdoorsman will attest to the joys of nicer weather while relaxing with their favorite stogie. The fishermen in the group will tell you how amazing a cigar can make a day on the water. I know guys who duck hunt and love sitting in their duck blind as the sun rises, rifles ready, and a robusto nestled on the corner of their mouths. Of course, camping is synonymous with cigars and even those who hike, upon reaching their destination, break out the aluminum tubes and celebrate their communion with nature.
Springtime also means it’s time again for barbecue and there is nothing better than standing over the grill while slathering a rack of ribs the size that flipped the Flintstones car, and smoking a tasty pre-dinner cigar. All that smoke and those wonderful aromas make for a hell of a great meal no matter what kind of deceased mammal you’re charring up.
But maybe the best of all, is after dinner on a warm evening. You light the torches, pour your favorite drink, sit with a few good friends and light up a heartier smoke that will stand up to the meal you just ingested. A sweet and full flavored maduro with maybe a freshly brewed coffee and a port – oh man, that is living large, brother. Something about sharing a smoke and good conversation with friends is simply priceless. You talk about the events of the day, politics, sports, women, the moron in the cubicle next to you at work, yada, yada, yada, but you never really solve any problems – and there’s honestly no need to. This is a therapy session that doesn’t cost $150 an hour - just a nice smoke, a good belt, and a few good buddies to share it with.
Sometimes on a nice night I like to go outside a little later in the evening and have a smoke, just to clear my head and recharge my batteries from a long and hectic day. The temperature has dropped a little, but it’s still nice out as you gaze at the moon and the stars as your cigar becomes your only true friend at that moment in time. Of course when you call it an evening, your wife says you stink like a burnt log and demands that you take a shower before you even think of crawling into bed with her. Nookie and cigar breath just doesn’t pair well with a lot of women, I’m afraid. But if you think about it…what really does. (Hopefully my better half isn’t reading this, but if she is…sorry honey, I was just kidding, I swear.)
While I live in Florida and enjoyed my cigars while you were freezing your figurados off for months on end, our summers can be so brutally hot that we really can’t enjoy a cigar outdoors, while you boys up north are puffing away. So we all have our moments, and right now is the time to enjoy your precious leafy treat once more.
So guys, I say it’s time to go outside and smoke ‘em ‘cause you got ‘em. I can’t think of a better excuse, can you?
George Bernard Shaw said, that “Playing golf is a good way to ruin a nice walk.” Well, that may be so, but lazy bastards like me ride in a cart so I’ve got that all covered. Plus, since I live in the Sunshine State, walking isn’t always an option if you want to actually be alive after a four and a half hour round in 95-degree heat.
If you’ve read the tobacco series that takes you from seed right to finished cigar, you will have seen that some passing reference was made to various pests and diseases that can attack the tobacco plants when they’re growing. Fortunately the tobacco farmers tend to take great care of their plants so that the leaf is generally pest-free when it’s picked.