36 REMINISCE.COM*SEPTEMBER 2019
ymother,Jo,volunteeredtoplaySmokeyBear
fortheArborDayfestivalatourCocoaBeach
nurseryschoolin1965.Butwhenshegotthe
costume,sherealizeditwasfartoobigforher.
Noproblem,shethought,Laneistall;hecan
wearit.Dadwasn’thappyaboutbeingvolunteered,buthe
putonthecostumeanyway.
Thedaywasverywarm,withtheFloridasunshinebright
andhot.Thecostumewasmadeofthickfur,andDad
startedsweatingprofusely.Tomakemattersworse,the
bearheadwastoolargeforDadtosituprightinourstation
wagon;hehadtoliedowninthebedbehindthebackseat
withhisheadpokingouttherearwindow.
Onourridetoschool,peoplewerehonking,wavingand
slammingontheirbrakestogetabetterlookatthebear
inourcar.Atschool,ateacherhadtoguideDadaround
becausehecouldn’tseeoutoftheeyes.
Mylittlesister,Debbie,wassoafraidofthegiantbear
thatDadhadtotaketheheadofftoproveitwasreallyhim.
Despitehisdiscomfort,Dadhelpedtomakethefestival
asuccess.Manypineseedlingswereplantedthatday.
Backhome,hesworehe’dsweatedaway 10 pounds.
ThatwasthefirstandlasttimeMomvolunteeredourfather
foranything.HEAD OF THE CLASS
Dad got a bit hot under the collar
about that assignment.BECKY MCGREGOR • ORLANDO, FLM
WARM MEMORY
Becky, Debbie and Guy stand
with their dad, Lane Arbuthnot,
dressed as Smokey, at their
school’s Arbor Day in 1965.
IN THE NORTH WOODS
of Wisconsin on an extremely hot,
humid day in 1968, Smokey Bear
appeared at a combination firemen’s
picnic and archery tournament.
We kids followed Smokey everywhere,
listening to the talks about preventing
forest fires.
I was sad when Smokey decided it
SMOKEY NEEDS A COLD ONE
was time to go. I continued to walk with
him, asking, “Do you have to leave?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“Well,” I said, “you could come have
a beer with my dad.”
Smokey looked down at me. “Lead
the way,” he said.
So it was that Smokey Bear, in full
costume, drank a beer with my father,James Alderton. Dad was a champion
archer and had shared a beer with many
celebrities over his lifetime, including
Johnny Cash. But I know Smokey topped
the list of his favorites.
Dad had a gift for telling a story,
and he loved to recount that time he
spent with Smokey.
My father passed away four years
ago. Even though Smokey’s behavior
wasn’t strictly in keeping with Smokey
Bear costume etiquette (see story on
page 33), the man wearing that bear
suit will always have my gratitude for
giving me one of my favorite memories
of my dad. •KARINA KIM ALDERTON
GREEN BAY, WI