I have often wondered what I would do if I were to be given one hour of time in Mayberry. I used to think I would spend that hour sitting on the Taylor front porch. But now that I have actually done that three times at the Taylor Home Inn, I need to come up with something different. I think I would spend it at Walker's Drug Store. Growing up in a small town we had a drug store very similar to Walker's. It was owned by the Weix's. I spent so many wonderful times there with my friends drinking nickel cokes and root beers and having my thick chocolate malteds that cost thirty cents. There was even a gum ball machine with striped gum balls. It cost a penny and if you got a striped ball you could have any five cent item you wanted for free. That meant I could choose from a soda fountain drink, a single dip ice cream cone, a candy bar, a package of gum, or a bag of potato chips. Now that was a difficult decision for a small boy. When that store went out of business about 35 years ago I thought those days were gone forever. But then years later we moved to Fall Creek, a small town of 1100, and my wife got a job in the drug store, and would you believe they had a soda fountain. So once again I could experience that joy even though the prices were quite higher. Then sad to say that store was also closed and once again I had to say goodbye to a wonderful past time. The owner wanted to sell the store to us, but at that time we just could not manage the financing. But an amazing thing happened. The owner of the store donated the soda fountain to the very city where we are now living, ten miles from Fall Creek. It is now in the museum here in Eau Claire and is once again open for business every Sunday afternoon. But the malts now cost thee dollars. But who cares; it is worth that much just to sit at the little round table and relive one of my childhood's greatest pleasures. So my friends, I can think of nothing that would bring me more happiness than to spend one hour of my life sitting in Walker's Drug Store visiting with all the delightful people of Mayberry. And who knows? Maybe Aunt Bee and Emma might be there gossiping away or a shoe salesman might stop in for a root beer. Better yet, Ellie might just give me a free ice cream cone if I don't say ain't.
"You sure make good faces." Ken Anderson 2906 May Street Eau Claire, WI 54701 (Home) 715-839-8470 ( Cell ) 715-210-1556 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.mayberryreflections.com _______________________________________________ WBMUTBB mailing list [email protected] http://mail.wbmutbb.com/mailman/listinfo/wbmutbb_wbmutbb.com http://www.mayberry.com/tagsrwc/wbmutbb/
