Brian’s Blog: Halloween Candy Memories

When it comes to Halloween candy in my mind, anything chocolate is still tops. But, looking back at my kid-hood, I remember one more for its' sound than its' taste.

When I make the traditional parental sweep of my kids' Halloween candy haul, somehow the fun size Snickers disappear from the bag. Peanut M&M's, too. It just happens, OK? Move along, nothing to see here.

Looking back on my kid days, the must have Halloween treat in the early 60's was the Wowee Whistle. It was made of orange wax that you could chew like gum (although it didn't taste like much of anything) and looked sort of like a miniature pan flute.

When I was in elementary school, the little burger- soda place across the street , Skookum Lunch, had a killer penny candy case. At Halloween, they went all out in their  selection. The Wowee Whistle was front and center. For a nickle, it was a steal. All over town you could hear kids blowing on these things. Up and down the five note scale, over and over. No one that I knew could actually play this whistle, and by Halloween, you had either chewed it up or thrown it away.

To this day, I can hear them in my head, and a crisp October day always reminds me of them.

You can't find the whistle anymore, but you can get a T-shirt at Zazzle.com