Footwear

Moccasin:  Derived from the Powhatan word makasin and Algonquin maxkeseni.  The Potawotami people of Wisconsin fashioned soft-sole moccasins from a single piece of deer hide featuring a puckered u-shaped seam or gathered toe to wrap around the protect the foot in a woodland environment.   Other tribes wore similar footwear across North America for thousands of years with some archaeological specimens dating back roughly 3,500 years.  

Growing-up as a child I received an official Boy Scouts of America moccasin kit for Christmas or a birthday.  Consisting of a pair of pre-cut leather blanks with a factory rubber sole attached, instructions were included to attach a top and sew the whole shebang together.  From that day forward I always wore moccasins; and likely made progress towards a leather work merit badge. 

Well into adulthood I would purchase the BSA kit and take pride in largely assembling my casual footwear. With a hard rubber sole, mocs are near-perfect footwear for three-season use.  Indoor winter use too.  All they required was a treatment a couple of times a year with a leather conditioner to keep them supple and weather resistant.  If a stitch broke repair was simple.  After the soles wore-out I would make another pair with the knowledge that within 4 to 6 years (or thereabouts) I would assemble a replacement pair.  

In the last thirty years I switched to purchasing my mocs from LL Bean; fully assembled.  Virtually identical to the BSA mocs of yore this hand-sewn version shares a similar maintenance routine and lifespan.  I'm uncertain as to why I made the switch from the BSA kit all those decades ago; although a web search as to their current availability yielded a clue. 

KIWI Mink Oil is my go-to leather treatment of choice.  Formulated from mink oil, silicone and lanolin it keeps smooth leather soft, supple and water-resistant.  Perfect for boots, belts, saddles and moccasins.  It will darken your leather goods a bit and it's not suitable for delicate leather goods or suede; nevertheless, it keeps your casual footwear and leather goods in working order.

The other day I finally used-up the last of the contents of this tin to perform a biannual treatment of my moccasins. 

They're good to go for the winter season and coincidentally a replacement pair arrived on the porch directly from LL Bean.  When the current pair reaches the end of their useful life sometime next year I have replacements ready to go waiting on the shelf.

Of immediate concern is a decision as to purchasing another tin of Mink Oil.  Retailing for around $8 it isn't the cost as much as it is the longevity.  Inasmuch as I don't run a stable and have a dozen saddles to maintain a tin of this stuff seems to last about thirty years.  Which means the replacement ought to get me to somewhere north of 100 years of age.  Presuming I live that long and still wear moccasins.  Always the optimist I'm springing for another tin.

In case you're wondering, you can still purchase an official BSA moccasin kit online.  Although it appears to be a soft-sole version and better-suited to indoor wear. 

Consider The Larch

They’re late this fall for some reason; so from our walk this afternoon is the last hurrah of fall color in our woods. 

I cannot get enough of my favorite tree.  The tamarack or larch - Larix laricina.  Also called the hackmatack.

The larch can tolerate cold temperatures better than any tree in North America which is why you'll find it in the northernmost tree-line regions of the continent.  Rot-resistant they make excellent shingles and fence posts.  Historically, the bark was used in the leather-tanning industry.  It's a damn useful tree.

I suppose I'm biased since we've nurtured several nice stands of tamarack here.  They're well-suited to some of the soil types and as evidenced by seedlings and saplings popping-up here and there they are thriving.

They sport some crazy branches that would almost make you think they belong in a Dr. Seuss story but the part I like best is the fall color found in this species.

The needles turn a blazing golden color - then they drop.  It's done.  In the spring the tree grows an entire new set of needles and begins the process all over again.

Functional and good-looking; and as Monty Python once said, “Consider the Larch.”

                

Friday Music

Good morning reader-listener.  Today, and for the fourth time, I bring forth a disco tune; all 122 beats per minute of it.

Composed by George Young and Harry Vanda this song was recorded and performed by fellow Australian John Paul Young in 1977.  The song became a worldwide hit in 1978, peaking at No. 3 on the Australian charts and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.  In the States it peaked at No. 7 on the pop chart and spend a couple of weeks at the No. 1 slot on the Adult Contemporary Chart; his only US top 40 hit.  Yes a One Hit Wonder.

This is a rather fun cover from the Australian music trivia show RocKwiz; featuring Julia Zemiro who introduces and joins in on the performance, Isabella Manfredi sings portions in Italian and Helen Croome (also known as Gossling) an Australian indie-pop singer known for her distinct vocal style.

Turn-up the volume for Love Is In The Air... 

Let's Hear It For The Boys

By the time this post is published the rut should be beginning to kick it into high gear.  Signs of pre-rut activity materialized by the middle of October including the start of scrapes and rubs.  Everywhere you walk you can find evidence of this out in the woods.

Plenty of the trail camera photos and video captures have been of nocturnal buck movement; and as the rut continues there is going to be more daytime activity.  Time will tell.

Meanwhile, and apologies for the data dump, here is a selection of digital imagery collected on October 24.

 

 

 

Stay-tuned as I shall endeavor to refresh the imagery at a two week interval.

There's room at the inn for any of you deer camp guys looking to unlimber your vertical bow or crossbow.  You know how to reach me.

Raising a toast to the boys.  Cheers!   

Quote Of The Day

 "If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it."

 - South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, May 3, 2016  

Election Day

  

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. With that same certainty, Trump will interfere with the election. It is an absolute given. 

 

Except for a win on his team he will reject the outcome. 

He will claim it was rigged. He will claim that millions of votes are bad. He will spew out the lies at a machine gun pace. He will use every tool in his power and others that are not to delay the seating of the newly elected officials. He will violate the laws that protect us. He will tie everything up in the courts. 

He will drag this out as long as he can. That is his strategy. The longer he drags it out, the longer he survives in power. 

 

Count on it.

And be prepared for January 6th 2.0

Passing The Smell Test

I don't mean to be picky but what's with Donald Trump's affection for dictators and bad dudes?  Serious, he gets off the phone following a call to Vladimir Putin and almost instantaneously fawning over the Russian autocrat.  And then it bleeds-over to the war in Ukraine; that Russia started.

Recently Mr. Trump told Newsmax that Zelensky is "not a good guy for us to deal with" and "more difficult" than Putin.

Then he goes off running at the mouth and exaggerating the amount of aid the U.S. has given to Ukraine.  Factually, it is more like $195 billion, not $350 billion, with much of it going directly to U.S. defense contractors.

Mr. Trump also claimed that the U.S. had provided "massive amounts" of Tomahawks to Ukraine, therefore depleting our own arsenal.  The Pentagon has provided no such cruise missiles.

Add it all up and it smells bad.  

Putin Trump - photo Japan Times

So what is the explanation for Mr. Trump's affection for a Russian war criminal?  There are all sorts of wild conspiracy theories about Trump being a Russian plant or sympathizer.  Or that Putin has dirt on Trump that has compromised him.  

President Zelensky has a simple and compelling theory; and like Occam's Razor suggests that the explanation that requires the fewest assumptions is usually best.  Zelensky believes that Trump has a fondness for totalitarian authority and wealthy individuals. He speaks about it openly and is likely a wee bit envious of Putin's station in life.  Trump has likely padded his balance sheet since the start of his second term by roughly $2 billion.  That pales by comparison with Putin's estimated $70 to $200 billion; but it's a start.  Besides, the master manipulator has been in power much longer.

Anyway, Trump's willingness to do the former Soviet Intelligence officer's bidding is troubling.  Hopefully, Europe's willingness to step-up and fill the void will save Ukrainian civilian lives.  Having fallen under Putin's thrall I'm not entirely convinced Trump is an honest broker in bringing this war to an end.  It doesn't pass the smell test.  And more women and children will die as a consequence.