Mike,
Whoa! is right.
This Uncle lived in a bedroom community of Houston, not far from the Ship Channel. He passed on, a few years later his wife / my aunt said perhaps the pollution finally killed off the Fig Trees.
I say the trees died of neglect and all the attention my Uncle gave them.
He would come up in his Pick-Up every April on his way thru to his annual Fishing Trip to Kentucky Lake with his BIL. He always brought the Fig Preserves, along with other goodies.
Fig Preserves with Biscuits, as a side for anything, just poke your finger in the jar when nobody was looking.
Decisions , Decisions, biscuits, ham, Red-eyed gravy, eggs and the Fig Preserves...Great " WE gotta have more biscuits...!!!" I mean we had to have enough biscuits for the Preserves, the gravy, and to sop up the eggs.
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Thanks for reminding me of another great Custom Mike.
This Uncle was so cool. He might make it up during other times of the year, still April was the 'bestest time' and fondest memories.
He was in the Appliance Business
[ his store can be seen in the movie "Urban Cowboy"., paid him to keep his sign on]
He used to have these HUGE styrofoam ice chests called "Low Boys" - this is what all the Fresh Fish and other goodies brought back where kept cool in. Or anything he was bring up to us or BIL.
One April he shows up and 3 freezers in the bed of his truck. One really small square chest and two bigger square type.
Mom got the smallest one and still has it.
One he left with BIL
.
The Third...the third replaced all the ice chests he used to use. When Annual Fishing Trip in April came around...He dollied it from his big garage in TX, strapped into his GMC Short bed, step-side, and headed this way.
It kept stuff cold for the drive up here.
Give us the white shrimp, and anything else he had frozen in Milk Cartons...plug up for the night at our house...just run the long orange cord out to the truck.
100 crappie a day - each, easy - often times greater than that . Limits were real generous back in the day. Started early, nap , fish late evening, sometimes all thru the night if really biting.
Clean fish, put into milk cartons [ everybody saved mild cartons and used them this way] and "Stock" the freezer duing the week as he/ they went along. Freeze stayed plugged in while he was up there, still in the bed of his truck all the time. Usually drove a old beater truck for fishing - just kept at the cabin...
When time to head home, unplug, head to our house, FISH FRY when he arrived , plugged the freezer in for the night, next morning, unplug the freezer - once home , Dollie that freezer into Big Garage.
Nope, never a problem with stuff spoiling en-route. Uncle could drive and his trucks would RUN for sure...*wink*
Work Smarter not harder. Not to mention beats the heck out of keeping up with LOW BOY ice chests, and buying ice...
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Which reminds me of another 'custom'.
Siver Coins
Both of my Uncles had B-Days the same month of mine. About a week later, a few days apart. They both bought silver coins by the roll. Dollars, half-dollars, quarters and dimes. April was really neat , because I would get silver coins for my B-DAY...and other gifts too, but the silver coins were special.
"Be a shame to have to unwrap a roll just give you a coin or two from each...might as well have the WHOLE roll of each one! WOW!
Maybe there was somethng to this "getter older now" bit.
