Delectible smells and 'bull-lony'

To the editor,

Your story about Esicar's Smokehouse closing in September made me sad and opened a floodgate of good memories. When my three boys were all less than 6 years old it was a special event to go to the "smell good" place as they referred to it. They hated to go grocery shopping with me (and visa versa), but if I was going to Esicar's they eagerly scrambled into the car.

They loved the smell of the hickory smoke that permeated the building and knew there would be smoked cheese to sample, "Be-lony" to eat, plus they would get to listen to the "bull-lony" dished out by Richard, Ed and their dad. As time passed, it became Richard and Ed, then Richard, Ed and Blake and then Ed and Blake, and now Blake and -- soon to be gone. Oh how I wish it wasn't so!

My "boys" are now 50ish. I am always welcome to visit the son who lives in Columbia but I am especially warmly greeted when bearing a "Hillbilly" sliced #10, some "Belony," a bottle of Esicar's famous horseradish and a block of hickory smoked cheese.

The best BLT I have ever had is made with crisp, smoky, succulent Esicar's bacon. I will savor these sandwiches and the memories all summer long, for just as September brings the end of summer, it will also bring the end of Esicar's. Perhaps I will miss the "Bull-lony" most of all.

BARBARA ROSE RUST, Cape Girardeau