How would you describe the sound that comes out of the business end of a kazoo? I think it's kind of like a hive of busy bees with a melody.

We either had store-bought kazoos as kids or made them from combs and tissue paper.

I was shocked to learn that some folks have never seen one. I asked my friend Earl if he had ever played a kazoo. He responded with a vacant stare.

I told him he had led a sheltered life, and I described the kazoo. After his belly laugh, he came back with, "We played real' musical instruments."

I searched the house, recalling that I had saved one of the ancient, metal kazoos.

Alas, it wasn't anywhere; so, I did what I always do. I hollered for Kaye. She approached with that look of a wife who is asked to perform magic.

I asked, "Where's the kazoo?" I expected she would walk to some nook or cranny and hand it to me. Instead, she said, "Oh, that old rusty thing? I threw it out a long time ago."

My palpable gasp surprised her.

"It was rusty," she repeated, "and old and was taking up space."

I responded with something like, "Well, I'm old and rusty, and I'm taking up space. Why don't you get rid of me?"

We had a good laugh.

THEY WILL HUM

What prompted a discussion of this poignant subject? An e-mail from one of our all-time favorite people, Jane Lawless Murphy, a North Country native who makes her home on Long Island.

Jane is an author and professional singer. Her note said, "I sang in a program in a local venue and was cooling my heels in a small anteroom until it was time to go on. In each corner of the little room was a lighted, glass-fronted display case. And in each of the four cases was a display, of all things, kazoos. Someone had assembled this collection and mounted a beautiful display of every sort of kazoo -- plastic, metal, airplane-shaped, disc-shaped, trumpet and tuba designs, even a 24-karat gold one. There was one shaped like a racing car, another like an ocean liner, one used by Frank Sinatra and another from the Spike Jones collection. On a printed card, there was a manufacturer's slogan: If you build it, they will hum.' I thought to myself, Gordie would love this!"