When I was a kid it was customary to play pranks on April Fools' Day. You know the story that began as far back as the 1500's when the calendar year began in April instead of January. Anyone who forgot was considered an APRIL FOOL. Tradition followed for folks to trick their friends into something for a laugh. We still do this today.

       Harmless fun I called it as I handed my sister's boss a small telescope to see the heavens. He placed it up to his eye, twisted the focus ring and simply could see nothing more than a white opaque light inside. He handed it back to me suggesting I was looney. I smirked at his beautiful "shiner" applied by himself with that twisting motion of the eye piece. He was none the wiser until my sis scooted me out of his office while she helped her boss with some tissue and water.

      Pranks are a learned art with timing and subject matter an important aspect. For instance, years after I became an adult I was golfing with my brother-in-law. I noticed a very spiky acorn on the ground near the bench while we were waiting to tee off. Bob was adjusting the laces on his shoes. His left shoe was unattended momentarily but that is all a prank needs. I slipped the sharp acorn down to the toe. "Yikes!", he screamed as he hopped around trying to get the shoe off his foot. It was a cruel thing to do, I know because he had the audacity to ask for strokes after that.

     Some years ago I was in the locker room of the local golf club showering, cleaning up for dinner. My friend Dr. Roy Velling, that venerable dentist from West Seattle, was also showering. I finished first. On the counter there a commercial sized bottle of talcum powder good for catching those dry spots your towel misses. As Roy exited from the shower I could not help myself. I squeezed briskly on the container spraying Roy with a big cloud of talc. He looked like a snowman as he chased me, buck naked, through the locker room and out the side door to the building. We must have looked very entertaining to the other golfers. Maybe I should have yelled FORE.

  Next week, when we celebrate Aprils Fools' Day with our friends, please don't imitate my bad behavior. Those were my tricks. You'll need to think up your own.