Noon whistle

At first I didn't recognize it. Then the front door opened and another customer came in and the sound got louder. Then it dawned on me...the noon whistle. The sound certainly brought back nice memories of my childhood growing up in a small town. I was sitting in Henry's Diner in Princeville  looking at the menu when I heard that wonderful sound, listening to music in the background (what else but country??), and deciding what to order. Being my first time there, I had no idea what to eat. I eventually decided on a taco salad. As I was sitting there waiting for my food, I was watching the patrons. One could tell by the light blue shirts with the stitched insignia and dark blue pants that a couple of the men worked as mechanics at the local garage. The waitress was having a conversation with them as to when she could bring her car in to have it checked out. I got my food and was trying to be discreet picking out the black olives. As the other lady at Henry's was leaving, she approached my table and told me that she always forgets to tell the waitress to have them leave out the black olives too. I told her I didn't know it had olives in it since it was my first time there...and that I was just out and about the countryside with my camera!

The scene was so reminiscent of many small town restaurants. The crowd during this time of day were all men wearing baseball caps, some were there for their lunch hour, but mainly older gentlemen, sitting at the lunch counter or large tables. I'm pretty sure they were discussing the weather, the crops, or just small talk...like did you hear about so and so? A stranger walks in and just about every head turns around to see who it is. If they don't recognize who came in, they all turn back around. If it is someone they know, you hear greetings of "Hello George!" Life in a small town...so many pros and so many cons!

I have plently of memories of the restaurants in my home town. All good ones. One restaurant comes to mind...the owner would always make homemade donuts. They were served warm! He'd come out of the kitchen wearing his white hat and white apron, which wasn't so white...generally covered with evidence of whatever he was cooking for the special of the day...or grease from making the donuts! I worked at a newspaper office "on the square" after I graduated from high school, and spent many breaks there having a coke. The waitresses/waiters were his wife, daughters, and his two sons. I never did see anyone else working there in all the years I frequented this restaurant. I remember one other restaurant. My parents would treat me to an ice cream cone by going through the drive-through. I always enjoyed that! We went to another local town quite a bit and ate at the A&W. I loved their baby root beers! We also went to Steak 'n Shake, the one with the car hops, on Adams Street in Peoria. I still enjoy Steak 'n Shake, even though they no longer have car hops!