OBSESSION : ALINER

SURE I HAVE HAD FANTASIES OF PACKING UP AND LEAVING MY LIFE BEHIND IN BROOKLYN AND JUST HITTING THE ROAD - EXPLORING, EATING, DRINKING, FISHING AND HUNTING MY WAY ACROSS AMERICA. I LIVED IN A VINTAGE AIRSTREAM AND LOVED IT, THOUGH IT NEEDED TONS OF TLC TO MAKE ROAD WORTHY AND I SOLD IT YEARS AGO. ALSO, NEW AIRSTREAM'S RUN WELL OVER 30K NEW OUT OF THE BOX. ENTER THE ALINER A-FRAME POP UP. THIS PENNSYLVANIA BASED COMPANY HAS BEEN MAKING A FRAME POP UPS FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS. THEY ARE LIGHT TO TOW, ARE SIMPLE IN DESIGN AND FUNCTION AND ARE MORE AFFORDABLE. THIS IS NOW ON MY SHORT LIST OF THINGS TO GET. I GUESS IF THIS IS SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY I MAY JUST HAVE THE BALLS TO TAKE OFF WITH IT.

BLACK DIRT

I PICKED THIS UP AT MY LOCAL FARMER'S MARKET IN UPSTATE NY. 

APPLE JACK HAS ALWAYS HAD ITS PLACE IN UPSTATE NY (OFTEN HOMEMADE) BUT THIS BARREL AGED JACK FROM WARWICK NY, MADE BY BLACK DIRT DISTILLERY DRINKS MORE LIKE BOURBON OR GOOD FRENCH CALVADOS.  

A GOOD CHOICE FOR MAKING ONE OF THESE GREAT SUMMER COCKTAILS FROM JACK RUDY. TWO JACK'S WERE NEVER SO WELL PAIRED.

THE JACK ROSE

AUTODROMO DRIVING GLOVES

OFFICINE AUTODROMO HAVE RECENTLY COME OUT WITH A HANDSOME NEW ACCESSORY TO ACCOMODATE THEIR WATCH LINE. THEIR STRINGBACK DRIVING GLOVES ARE BEAUTIFULLY MADE AND ARE EASILY REPURPOSED TO OTHER TASKS BESIDES DRIVING. (WE ALL DON'T HAVE VINTAGE SPORTS CARS IN GARAGES WAITING FOR THESE TO BE PUT TO USE) THEY ALSO SEEM PERFECT FOR CHILLED FALL DAYS AND WARM WEATHER CLAYS SHOOTING.

HAIG & HAIG PINCH

THESE TWO BOTTLES WERE SAVED FROM THE GARBAGE BIN SOME 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS VISITING MY MOM IN UPSTATE NY. MY AUNT WAS CLEANING OUT HER BASEMENT AND THESE WERE NO LONGER VALUABLE TO ANYONE BUT ME.

I LOVED THE PACKAGING, PARTICULARLY THE BOTTLE SHAPE. I HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THEIR CONTENTS. I HAD STASHED THESE SOMEWHERE IN MY MOTHER'S HOUSE AND SHE PULLED THEM OUT RECENTLY FOR ME TO GET THEM OUT OF HER LIFE. I DATE THEM TO THE 40'S AND 50'S. BOTH WERE BOTTLED DURING WWII. THE ONE BOTTLE I OPENED IS DELICIOUS! VERY COMPLEX, WITH NOTES OF SHERRY. HAIG IS CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE OLDEST DISTILLERIES IN SCOTLAND DATING BACK TO THE 17TH CENTURY. IT WAS ALSO THE FIRST LIQUOR BOTTLE TO BE PATENTED IN THE USA (1958) JUST AFTER THE ICONIC COKE BOTTLE. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE SECOND BOTTLE. IT PAYS TO GARBAGE PICK!

BELOW IS THE HAIG TARTAN

BARN FIND:VESPA

I WAS DRIVING NEAR MY FARM IN UPSTATE NY AND SPOTTED THIS BABY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER A FEW PHONE CALLS TO SOME KNOWLEDGABLE FRIENDS IN THE SCOOTER WORLD AND SOME CAREFUL NEGOTIATIONS I BOUGHT IT. IT IS A 1966 VESPA MADE FOR SEARS CALLED A BLUE BADGE. IT IS IN GREAT SHAPE AND ALL ORIGINAL. I CAN'T WAIT TO GET IT UP TO SPEED. 

125CC

RE:FIND

THE GANG AT VILLACANA WINERY IN PASO ROBLES ARE MAKING SOME KILLER SPIRITS FROM THE SAIGNEE (OR DISCARDED GRAPE JUICE) FROM THEIR WINE PRODUCTION THAT WOULD NORMALLY END UP DOWN THE DRAIN. WELL PLAYED.

CALI FLEA

THE VENTURA EDIT: