Maine's Ultimate Yard Sale

Soon after returning to Maine, nearly two months ago, I heard radio advertisements for a large yard sale. On Saturday morning, I drove down to Scarborough to attend the second annual Maine's Ultimate Yard Sale.

This dude ran the show.

As with all yard sales, gems are hidden by dozens of old Titanic VHS's, old football cleats and the occasional old set of skis. After two hours of digging, I found these gems and horded them like a seagull with a sandwich.

A Woolrich Hunting Jacket. Fits like a Charm

An American Classic.

Any Woolrich aficionados know when this label is from?

Love the Game Pocket.

This was my find of the day, a Money Clip/pocket knife made by an insurance company called Manufacture's Mutual.

I assume they gave these out as gifts. Check out the deployed blades. Deadly...

Powderhouse Mountaineering was a short lived outwear company based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They were popular in the seventies and eighties making 60/40 parkas and down jackets.

Many of their details can be seen today in Japanese retro-technical outerwear such as Visvim.

Made in the U.S.A!

I love the pocket and button details, especially the Powderhorn label.

Stanley Handyman Spring Joints Measuring Stick.

72 inches of American workmanship.

Cool little shoe form.

I couldn't say no for $1.

I love yard sales because you never know what your going to find. Before last Saturday I had no idea what Manufacture's Mutual or Powederhorn Industries was. In the end I spent a whopping 42 dollars US currency and walked away with an invaluable smile on my face.

Here are some more links,
Maine's Ultimate (Picasa),
Finds from Maine's Ultimate Yard Sale (Picasa).

Sailing Tackle

This summer I played on sailboats in Casco Bay with the help of the Becks. As much as I enjoy playing in the water and going fast over the chop, the technical aspect of lines, pulleys and cleats captivates me in the same way that Legos consumed my life when I was seven. Call me a nerd, but this hardware tells just as relevant of a story as gas pedal, steering wheel, and shifter tells the story of driving.

This collection of images of nautical tackle sets the scene and anchors

That's not my foot, but that's my camera and flash.

To differentiate between lines, sailors rely on bright colors.

I love the rust and remnants of mussel shells.

A high school English teacher, Art Leo, once told me that descriptive detail makes a story real and memorable. I like these sailing details because they tell an anonymous story that anyone could be a part of.

Here are some more links,
Tackle (Picasa),

US Route-2

Last week, I drove from Waterville to Middlebury to drop off Edge's car. Both ways I drove on US Route 2 through the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, The Greatwoods Region of New Hampshire and Western Maine.

Route 2 is a prime moose zone.

America!

Along the way we stopped and played in the Connecticut River.

Half of these images were taken with my Canon 5d Mark II and the other half with a 5 dollar Ricoh AF-5 from Goodwill. Can you tell the difference?

I like logs more than blogs.

Rock hopping on the shore of the Connecticut River.

US Route 2 does not feel like the numerous Volvo station wagons, Red Sox hats, twenty minute suburban commutes to Boston, and feverish obsessions with selective high schools that defines the New England stereotype. Route 2 feels more like a Pacific Northwest logging road with dirt sections skirting the shadows of remote mountains than a New England thoroughfare connecting the ski areas of Vermont to Vacation Land. But that's why I like it so much; it is unexpectedly rugged yet rooted in heritage and tradition.

Here are some more links,
US Route-2 Ricoh AF-5 (Picasa),
US Route-2 Digital (Picasa).

Out of Reception: The North Woods, The Northen Kingdom and US-2

Last week I went flying, moved into my apartment, and drove Edge's car back to Vermont, all under the shield of AT&T's spotty edge network.

I spent a lot of time at my storage unit this week, moving into my new apartment.

Looking back at a member of Waterville's finest. He let me off with just a warning.

Grillin'

I love how the sap seeps out of the freshly cut wood.

Sunset over lake Champlain in Milton, Vermont.

A view out the cockpit of the Cessna 182 somewhere over central Maine.

A blister on one of my toes left a blood stain in my Moc.

Here are some more links,
Out of Reception (ART),
Out of Reception: US Route 2