My dad loved his album, “Telly,” which I own.
Yes, it is Telly Savalas — the bald, lolly-pop licking star of the gritty cop show, “Kojak,” portraying a New York City Police Department detective lieutenant, airing on CBS from 1973 to 1978.
The show led to a singing career for Savalas including the 1974 vinyl release “Telly,” containing a favorite song, “Rubber Bands and Bits of String.”
“She used to save the darndest things, like rubber bands and bits of string.”
Leaving behind tool and tackle boxes, dad left remnants of his hobbies with other hints of his life tucked in — the matchbooks, small notes and candy wrappers — hidden beneath his handmade flies, screwdrivers and wrenches.
Frequent fishing trips to Canada and other local waterways are captured in many cherished photos with his beloved orphan friends, holding the catch of the day with a wide, gap-toothed grin.
While my love for the sport never grew near his passion, wanting that connection and living in the wild, I renewed my fishing license every year as a West Virginia resident.
Dad liked a jon boat, but the best method is standing in the water, waist-high and waiting — where he could be found at sunrise during family beach trips.
Sitting on the sidelines is inactive and scorching in the summers, and the colder weather allows better fashion choices, such as strapping on waders and wrapping in flannel.
Baiting the hooks comes with colorful variety, from a friend using bloody chicken livers wrapped in pantyhose, to me using worms. The toughest is removing fish from the hooks and avoiding the sharp jagged spines.
One adventure took me across an on old wooden bridge with missing slats, revealing the long drop below. The dangerous walk was more appealing than facing the gnarled fangs of the millions of ticks waiting in the woods.
Speaking of fish, living just a stone’s throw away I recently purchased some fresh goodness from Seafood FrenZy at 115 Whitaker St. in Enfield.
Locally owned and operated by Molly Yates, she promises, “We truly care about each person who buys seafood here.”
What took me so long I asked myself — during bites of the mild flakey catfish fillets. After a dusting of blackening seasoning placed in hot butter, they sizzled to perfection. Along with the large, meaty shrimp, covered in Frank’s Red Hot also cooked in butter, made a delightfully flavorful meal — wanting more.
Her seafood comes raw and fresh, with the proof located in the smell of her shop. Fish smells like fish, but there is a definite difference. Asking if she sold crab legs, she showed large clusters available along with tuna, scallops, salmon, oysters, perch and butterfish — heads on, heads off — to name a few.
It is the hands-on care her locally-owned business provides. But mostly it is her way that I love — sweet, sincere and standing behind her products. Also, if your pants need hemming, she has connections to a seamstress — bring them by.
“Flowers on the window sill, a long forgotten grocery bill, seashells from the Jersey Shore, a teapot from an antique store — I should throw them all away, but not today.”
Cherishing the fleeting moments; and that is all.
News Editor Carolyn Harmon can be reached at charmon@rrdailyherald.com or 252-410-7058.
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