Friday, January 23, 2009

Can't teach an old dog....


And I'm not talkin' about the canines... I'm referring to myself!

In the face of all the high tech goodies out there, I find myself clinging to the old materials and older ways..
I eschew high tech fabrics... I stick to my old duofold undies and love my Filson woolen garments. I'm one of the lucky ones, I guess in that the I don't find real wool itchy..
Still have my Barbour waxed cotton Gamefair jacket for wet days, and I enjoy it's tradition.
LL Bean's Maine Hunting Shoe.. The boots I love to hate! My feet freeze in them, very little ankle support and I can only fit so much sock inside, but if I could run into moist conditions, they're the boots I always wear! I have a pair of Russell's South Forty Birdshooters also, but only if it's dry or on special occasions!
Brushpants... Ahhh the ole brushpants.. Don't wear 'em much anymore, as I find if I get into brush that is too thick, I have a helluva time gettin' out thanks to a pair of arthritic knees so, I just wear the old jeans I've been wearin' all day, and for probably a week before!
I bought a high tech WingWorks vest a couple of years ago, mainly for it's water carrying capacity for some thirsty gundogs. It's a beautiful piece of equipment! Well thought out.. adjustments up the gazoo, and the owner and designer is the nicest fellow anyone could ever do business with.. But, it's got a high-tech plastic buckle that makes me look like Darth Vader, so I usually end up grabbing the old, well worn Filson vest that has shells of all gauges still in it's pockets, moldy old feathers, rubber stoppers that I used to put in the horn of my first generation Tri-Tronics beep collar, Purina Performance bar wrappers for the dog, (they worked so well on the dog, I tried some myself and they're actually not bad) and God only knows what else if I bothered to clean it out.. I still carry the old style squeeze bottles that I get in the bicycle shop for watering the dogs, and they still leak from the spout and wet the back of the vest while being stuffed in the game pouch.. What the hell, no birds back there anymore anyway!
I do generally bow to an orange hat, but if any decent person saw it, they'd probably buy me a new one. We're not required to wear orange in N.Y., thankfully, because I hate the stuff! While I will allow that it offers an element of protection in the deer woods, I follow the old ways and turn it aside..
Maybe I'm a dinosaur, but I cling to the old ways! I don't believe in change for the sake of change. I'm bonded to the way I've always done things, even though new and better ways might be available.
I find comfort and peace in cracked leather straps, and real brass buckles tinged with verdegris... I'm a throwback to the past, I guess.. But, I like it back there! The only concessions I will make to newfangled technology is dog training equipment, and devices such as the Garmin Astro in the interest of safety for the dogs.

I'm too old and too opinionated to change!

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