About the Dirty ashtray and the Empties

Our friend William Carmichael asked about this pic:

It's about five years old. 

We got into cigars back in the early 2000's when we lived in a rustic 18th century farmhouse in Peapack, NJ. We used to sit out on the back acre in the cool weekend summer night, look up at the stars and enjoy a Partagas and a glass of whiskey.

We continued the habit when we moved to Bridgewater. After a time we decided we liked sitting on the back deck baking in the  summer sun, working on our tan. 

Of course we're a handsome man on whom pretty coeds used to get their autumn crush; so we had no need for a shirt.

We liked to think every time we went out on the deck with a computer, pile of books, whiskey and cigar we lopped a few thousand off local property values.

Often we'd do so right after getting back from the gym.

We wrote a ton of Pershing in Command that way.

Honestly we were smoking too many cigars, even if they were Arturo Fuente short stories. 

And then one day we noticed chest pains...