Good morning. ☕☕☕22 November 2025Do you remember when all cars had ashtrays? Most had one built into the dash that you could pull out, and often there was another in the back seat. Those have mostly gone the way of the dodo now, since far fewer people smoke. You can still buy car ashtrays, but they’re usually just add-ons.I had the habit myself when I was younger, though I quit decades ago. I can still picture the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts. It wasn’t unusual at all for people to smoke in their cars back then. In fact, climbing in and lighting up seemed to go hand in hand. Looking back, it feels rather horrid—I wonder how I ever tolerated driving on a winter day with the windows rolled up, puffing away in a smoke-filled cabin. Even now, I occasionally see someone doing that as they drive by, and my thought is simply, “oh my.” I’m not being judgmental, but I do notice it and can’t help but reflect that it used to be me—ugh.I didn’t realize smokers carried a distinct stale odor until I finally kicked the habit, which I know was no small feat. Only then did I imagine how much worse it must have been inside a car, sealed up with smoke. I suspect former smokers notice it more sharply than others.Anyway, live and learn. Most of us eventually did. Cigarettes, for whatever reason, still persist—one of the great American industries. I can still recall the alluring commercials on TV, with slogans like, “...taste good like a cigarette should.” Those words once filled the airwaves, shaping habits that now feel so distant.“It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.” — Benjamin Franklin“Quitting smoking is easy, I’ve done it hundreds of times.” — Mark Twain#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #wildlife #nature #bird #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #BlackVulture #morning #smoking #cigarettes #ashtray #car