Hot as fire, black as night

Some years ago, about 40 I would guess, one of the major coffee companies had a commerical that their coffee was for people who like to drink coffee “hot as fire, black as night.” This was one of the few commercials that ever affected me one way or another. Up to that time I had been adding cream to my coffee and the cold cream usually cooled the coffee considerably. Jean had already switched to black coffee before this particular commercial hit TV, so we both drank coffee hot as fire, black as night.

We have five kids. The oldest is in her forties and to my knowledge none of the five drink coffee. My oldest daughter has tasted coffee but I do not believe the other four have ever tasted coffee. The kids are the Pepsi generation. They have their favorite pop and it can be one of many brands or maybe all the brands. It can be caffeine free, sugar free or regular, but it has to be cold as ice.

White as new fallen snow is a phrase that has been used for as long as God has made snow. In the blackest of nights new fallen show comes across in shimmering crystals. Everything again is covered with pure white. From the dirt thrown off by cars and trucks to the dead like tree and evergreens. In the sunlight the snow glistens, the days become brighter with everything starting all over. The animal tracks look fresher, the birds look darker and their plumage more prominent.

It started snowing last night about 9 p.m. and was snowing hard when we retired for the evening. It snowed about three inches and my son, Mike, who lives one block east of us arrived to clear the snow from our walk about 5 a.m.

Snow sailing in the air from a snow thrower is fascinating. That is fascinating if you stand and watch from a warm room and have a pot of coffee brewing. The percolating coffee and the snow thrower sounds seems to blend into one sound.

I watch as my son deftly drives the riding snow blower with one hand while holding a can of Coke in the other. By now the coffee has perked. I quickly pour a cup of coffee. The coffee is hot as fire and black as night. He sets the can of pop down in the new fallen snow to keep it cold or maybe the snow will pin point the of Coke when he is ready for another swig.

He finishes the sidewalks and driveway then grabs a scoop shovel and clears the snow from our front stoop. He then drinks the last of the Coke and I pour another cup of coffee. He is done and drives away. He has two more drives to do before leaving for work at Bil Mar. My wife Jean joins me at the picture window. She pours a cup of coffee and we marvel at the beautiful sight the new fallen snow has created. By now other neighbors are moving about and you can look in any direction and see snow blowers doing the job that not too many years ago we did by shovel. I reach for the coffee that is black as night, hot as fire.

For nearly 25 years, until his death in 2015, retired grocer Don Behm wrote a column for The Storm Lake Times, “Cracker Barrel.” Don’s everyman view of everyday life was a favorite of Times readers.  This was first published on Jan. 21, 1995.