Though he always considered himself to be neat and well dressed Templeton Anatole was a scurrilous scrounge of some renown living in a lovely if slightly rundown little abode on Butt’s Beach in New London. He liked living there much as it had lively surroundings with all sorts of people coming and going throughout late spring until early fall. This little abode also had a grand view of the Pfizer Chemical Plant on the other side of the Thames River.

The best part about this particular location was its proximity to Fred’s Shanty which had been the most famous hot dog stand in town since 1972. Day and night New Londoners gathered there to partake in foot long dogs in toasted buns, chili dogs, clam rolls and to munch on onion rings or french fries or perhaps indulge in an ice cream cone or a thick frosty milkshake. All the while enjoying the summer sun and salt air under the blue and white awing and taking in the view of the marina below.

Templeton enjoyed Fred’s at night, well mostly at night. He didn’t like the heat of the day or the crowds gathered which often shooed him aside as they believed him to be an unsavory type of character. Besides, it was best to be wary of the many seagulls flying in the day time sky. So it was at night when most of the crowds had gone home that Templeton, dressed in his finest brown suit, would dart down the road to the most famous of all hot dog stands for a late night snack. He avoided walking on Pequot Avenue as it was too busy for his taste and instead took the back way along the beach, through an apartment complex parking lot and past the swimming pool where he might stop a moment if something caught his eye. After that it was past the marina and then he was at the back door of Fred’s which is situated on a hillside the hot stand being at the top and the supply section being at the bottom. No one but employees used the back door and they were often careless leaving it wide open. If he was of a mind Templeton might, and after stopping by the dumpster to see what it might offer, he would hurry through the open door unseen and look around to see what he could find free of charge. Usually he was rudely told to leave. In that case up the hill he would go to where the last of the people were gathering on a starlit summer night licking ice cream cones and engaging in conversation while they gazed out at the Thames River which was always lit up like a Christmas tree thanks to the moon, the stars, Pfizer and, of course, the never ending lights of Electric Boat.

Often in the dark they dropped interesting bits of food on the ground and he would nibble on bacon and chew on cheese, perhaps even a bit of hot dog or bit of hamburger. All the delights of the day were to be found on the ground after the crowds had ceased. Yes, at night Fred’s Shanty was a veritable schmorgasborg of tasty treats.

Holding one such morsel of French fry tightly in his little hands and sitting up pristinely as possible he looked over at a pair of fat ankles and thought; Nice shoes.

“Eeek! A rat!” The fat woman screamed as she began floundering and kicking at poor Templeton.

Stuffing the whole of the french fry into his cheeks Templeton ran off into the night back to his abode on Butt’s Beach to enjoy the rest of his meal in peace.

Return to Original Musings
Email Me
Explore the Adult Fandom Based Stories
Explore the Photography Gallery
Explore the Music On this site
Explore the Pagan Library
Explore the Genealogy Library
Site Home Page