May 28, 2009

A Sneak Peak at LL Bean's Norwegian

May 28, 2009/ A Restless Transplant

Last week I stopped by LL Bean's headquarters in Freeport and met with Don Rogers, a project manager and expert on all things Norwegian, to chat about bringing back the Norwegian sweater for the next issue of the H(Y)R Collective. The Sweater will be made in the exact same factories as the original sweater. Kudos to LL Bean.

A few years ago, LL Bean experimented with a Norwegian style sweater made in China out of a blend of cotton, wool and nylon. Look at the difference between the sample of the Norwegian sweater on sale this fall and the made-in-China Norwegian style sweater from the archives.

Here's a first look at the 1/4th zip version available only in LL Bean retail locations. Its a classic alternative to a 1/4th zip fleece. Be sure to check out the issue 13 of the H(Y)R Collective for more on the sweater and the resurrection and updating of a forty year old design.

Here are some more links,
Sneak Peak At LL Bean's Norwegian Sweater (Picasa),
LL Bean Bringing Back the Norwegian Sweater for F/A10 (ART).

May 27, 2009

Five Minutes of Sunrise over Great Pond

May 27, 2009/ A Restless Transplant

I woke up to catch the sunrise on Great Pond hours after returning empty handed from an hour long fishing adventure at dusk. Normally I hear the birds chirping and witness the intensifying glow in the east with the same shock and anxiousness of a vampire.

For five minutes I watched the sunrise before retiring my camera and picking up my fishing gear to continue my hunt for a brown trout.

I will never forget the still morning air and fog resting on the lake.

Here are some more links,
Fishing at Sunset on Great Pond (ART),
Sunrise on Great Pond (Picasa).

May 26, 2009

Fishing at Sunset on Great Pond

May 26, 2009/ A Restless Transplant

Around dusk and dawn the brown trout of Great Pond come to the surface to feed. At about 7:30 one evening, Tucker and I went out in his LL Bean Old Town Canoe in search of the elusive trout. I prayed for the clouds to open up with thunder and lightening and for an unsuspecting five pounder to latch onto our hooks and pull us around the lake in an Old Man and the Sea type battle.

Much to my disappointment, the clouds fled to the horizon, exposing a beautiful sunset. I didn't even hear a fish jump. Once again, my fantasy of recreating a Hemingway scene failed.

I couldn't have been happier, and the next morning I woke up at five to give it another go.

Here are some more links,
Sunset on Belgrade Maine (Picasa),
Great Pond (ART).

May 25, 2009

Flags for Memorial Day

May 25, 2009/ A Restless Transplant

In honor of Memorial Day, here are some photos of flags draped on houses or barns throughout New England. I love how the character and charm of their surroundings transfer to the fabric or paint of the flags.