My Objectsphere - (Rad Shit, Recently Obtained)

I've been one busy dude. End of the semester blues. The harried life of a grad student/instructor. So I haven't had time to post much lately. No time for adventures. Instead, I offer some things I've obtained more or less recently for your appreciation. Pictured above we have a cabin incense burner and accompanying balsam fir incense sticks, both by Paine's Products. These were a gift from my in-laws for our anniversary. It's awesome. You light the incense on the inside and the smoke comes out the chimney. It smells like a campfire. Leaning on the cabin is a porcupine quill. I found it on the floor in Gem World in Quartzite, Arizona. I thought it was garbage, but they charged me $1.50 for it at the counter. That was an unusual place. Finally, we have my glasses. I bought these a year ago at Catalina Optical in Tucson. I told them I'd post about it because they gave me a deal, then I forgot. I'm making good on it now. It's a great place that doesn't charge too much (very helpful when you don't have vision insurance) and they have a huge collection of vintage frames. The vintage frames are awesome and wicked cheap. I bought two pairs, but I put the other pair down while taking a photo at the Oak Creek Overlook near Sedona and somebody picked them up. I miss those glasses. They were great. These are cool too. They're pretty old, probably 1960's.

I got Black Sabbath Vol. 4 on vinyl at Bookman's in Marana. It's the out-of-the-way Bookman's, so the records aren't all picked over. Usually all that's left at Bookman's (and most other used record stores for that matter) are lots of Englebert Humperdink, Barry Manilow, Men at Work, and Pure Prairie League.Don't even get me started on the mammoth loads of Bing Crosby Christmas records at Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Not only do I not want them, they also remind me that I'm buying clothes that belonged to old men who have passed away. I try not to think about that.

I got lots of books! From left to right: Law and Authority in Early Massachusetts by George Lee Haskins, The Democratization of American Christianity By Nathan O. Hatch, The Transformation of American Law 1780-1860 by Morton J. Horwitz, Hanging Between Heaven and Earth by Scott D. Seay, The Devil in the Shape of a Woman by Carol F. Carlsen, Underwriting: The Poetics of Insurance in America 1722-1872 by Eric Wertheimer, a Forest Service Map of Tonto National Forest, and The Puritan Family by Edmund S. Morgan. I've read Carlsen, Morgan, and Seay's books so far. Interesting stuff. Eric Wertheimer is the chair of my Ph.D. committee. He puts up with listening to me talk about all the stuff I read in these sorts of books and helps me make something out of it. He's a talented poet, too.

I got these moccasins at Payless of all places. Not exactly the pinnacle of fine footwear, but vegans take note - many of their shoes are all man-made material and not leather. The flannel is an old one from L.L. Bean I found at Buffalo Exchange in Phoenix. I got the vest at Sunset Clothing Exchange in Tempe, AZ.

My Objectsphere...(Backpacking Edition)

We all rely on various things to facilitate the things we do and to improve the quality of our lives. I read an article once that referred to the realm of things as the "objectsphere." I thought it might be fun if I shared some the stuff I own and opened up my objectsphere. This is the Backpacking Edition.

1. MSR Pocket Rocket Backpacking Stove

I love this little stove. It doesn't boil water as fast as a Jetboil and you need to shield it from high winds, but at only 3 ounces (before fuel), you can't beat it. It heats up real fast when there's little or no wind. I know some people swear by alcohol stoves, and I appreciate their D.I.Y. ethic, but this stove is just about as light as an alcohol stove and more convenient.

2. Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest - Not a fancy piece of equipment, but perfect for desert hiking. It's lightweight and easy to carry. It beats inflatable pads because it can't be punctured. I've seen my friends sleep on the hard, cold ground because an agave or prickly pear popped their pad. I've had my RidgeRest full of spines and needles and all I had to do was pull them out with my Leatherman pliers and go to sleep.






#3 - Mary Jane's Farm - Lentils, Rice and Indian Spice - O.K., so maybe you could argue that food isn't exactly the same thing as an "object," but we don't really want to go there, do we? MJF makes the best commercially available vegan backpacking food. Period. Beats Backpacker's Pantry (which is still alright) by a mile. The Kettle Chili is awesome, but the Lentils, Rice and Indian Spice is my favorite.

#4 - Leki Makalu Ultralight Trekking Poles - I was a unbeliever in the necessity of trekking poles for a long time. They kind of look silly. But then we learned that you can borrow a pair from Summit Hut and try them out free! Letting folks borrow a pair is a fantastic idea to sell these poles. They save your knees and hips and keep you upright. They are great for moving spiny acacia branches out of the way and knocking cholla pears off the trail, too.

If you aren't familiar with the teddy bear cholla a.k.a. jumping cholla, count yourself lucky. They're the nastiest cactus around and they drop baseball size balls of spikes all around them. They hurt like crazy (or so I've been told; I've avoided a run in) and they're really hard to get off. If you kick them, they don't go anywhere - they just get stuck in your boot.

#5 - Ratty old, nasty, Abercrombie Corduroys - I've had these pants for years and they've seen a lot. From the asbestos filled basements of abandoned mental hospitals to the top of Humphrey's Peak, if these pants could talk...they'd probably ask me to stop wearing them to so many hazardous places. They'd probably appreciate it if I donated them to Goodwill. That's not going to happen so long as they have only small holes and working buttons.


Most of the other backpacking gear I own is either flawed or in need of an upgrade. My Northface Tadpole tent is ripped and could be lighter. My Katadyn pump could be smaller and lighter. I have two packs - a Gregory and an Osprey. The Gregory is comfortable but could be bigger; the Osprey is a good size and weight, but could use more shoulder padding. I have a lot of modest, adequate gear. Someday I'll upgrade everything.

How about your stuff?

Mourning Ring

I found this mourning ring on the Erie Basin antiques site. Of course, I found Erie Basin by linking through a great picture of a dog on Old Chum. Check out the Erie Basin Antiques Tumblr too.

Here's the details -

		1780 Georgian Sepia Mourning Ring
Materials:		18K/22K Gold, Enamel, Crystal, Ivory, Sepia Ink, and Hair
Date:		1780
Size:		US Size 7 (can't be sized)
Condition:		Very Good. Wear to enamel.
Description:		A gorgeous Georgian-era mourning ring. The miniature features a sepia painting of an urn on ivory, surrounded by weeping willows made from tiny pieces of hair. This type of mourning jewelry was popular in the late 18th century, but is extremely rare to find in good condition. The setting is in higher karat gold than is typical. The enamel work reads "J.S. Cowen, O.B. 10, Fe, 1780, AE 65" meaning that the ring commemorated the death of J.S. Cowen, who died on February 10th, 1780 at age 65.
Price:		$1095.00

Of course, I would totally buy this is I had a spare thousand bucks lying around. I've always been fascinated by hair jewelry and mourning artifacts made of hair. This, of course, represents both interests.

LL Bean Signature Line

(Image is from The GQ Eye)

For those of you who know me well, you know that I wear lots of black t-shirts with images of ships, weapons, and, of course, owls. If you know me really well, then you know that those shirts, as well as much of my wardrobe, come from the Portland, Maine line Rogues Gallery. About a month or so ago I read on PTLDME that Rogues Gallery creator/designer Alex Carlton would be designing a new line for LL Bean called LL Bean Signature. Some pictures of the line are up at PTLDME, Secret Forts, and The GQ Eye. I think it looks like J. Crew meets Rogues Gallery. I apologize to anyone who may be more fashion forward and resent the J. Crew comparison, but, for me, that means I think it looks awesome. Check it out.

Leo Boot from Novacas

Erin and I have had mixed results with vegan footwear. These Novacas boots look pretty rad, but I'm a bit hesitant to drop the $160 they cost. We'll see if I ever get the courage. Any advice?
Leo Boot from Novacas