The Barbour Westmorland Waistcoat I was wearing, not too long ago, had a substantial tear in it (which was why it was priced so reasonably at the Barbour Outlet). And for less than thirty dollars at their Milford, New Hampshire repair facility, they performed what I think is a clever repair, making it appear as though there was a double hand-warmer pocket.
Where else these days can one get this kind of expert work done at such reasonable prices? This is just one of the reasons I am so very fond of the classic (read that, waxed) Barbour items.
Of course I have been wearing it everywhere, including at two new bovine deliveries (of sorts). The first was of a heifer, Betsey, who arrived down at our friends' saltwater farm to keep their other heifer, Mabel, company.
The other "delivery" was some of the raw material needed for a third cow.
An expert at breeding, she always wins Grand Champion at dairy shows for her Jersey Cow herd which, in turn, produces the highest quality raw milk.
Water temperature is critical.
We were able to help out in smaller ways, by delivering some of her fresh yogurt to a local store...
...and to be there at the set-up of a farmer's market.
...including some of the company one meets.
"Moo", the new Old English Sheepdog puppy.
I really do not like box stores. I do not believe I have been in any in over five years. In my life I have been to Target perhaps twice. I have spent in total less than ten minutes in Best Buy, and I have not visited most at all, including Ikea.
(And I am far from pure. Some may call me hypocritical, and they would not be inaccurate in too many instances. I do shop regularly at chain supermarkets, including Hannaford's and Shaw's, some "almost box" clothing companies like L.L. Bean and Ralph Lauren, as well as the boxless box store Amazon.)
It is an increasingly challenging activity to not accept the assumptions and products of the ever-more influential corporations' managers and sourcing, marketing, and logistics departments. And it is also increasingly worthwhile.
17 comments:
Very James Herriot! I was expecting Siegfried Farnon to show up at any moment!
Love this post -- it so evokes the experience of of being on a farm. I can almost smell the dirt and the cows. Having lived many years in a similar environment, and now living in a more urban one and missing those smells, I truly enjoy your posts on rural life.
Thank you for taking time during your time off to give us these wonderful glimpses of sailing and farming and all the wonderful things you post about!
Barbour has been a valued part of our farm for three generations. So durable. Enjoyed your post.
I can assure you that you'd find some IKEA items, like their solid white china, to your liking. Lots of no-frill items, which is what New England used to be about.
Muffy:
Is that your doppelganger I espied in one of your pictures?
always enjoying your posts,
wg
Fun post! Thanks for sharing these pictures. I must say that the folks at Barbour in Milford have been very good to me too. Lisa the seamstress has come out from the back room to inspect beat up jackets that I've brought into repair and told me what I should do now and what I should expect to do on the next visit. On my older Westmorland, she put leather trim on the pocket warmers, the bellows pocket and all around the bottom hem. This should let the jacket last for another 20 years, I hope!
We seem to frequent many of the same places. I'm sure I'll bump into you one day. Cheers!
@Thornproof - We do indeed! And speaking of the same places, the Royal Male should be receiving their shipment of Guernsey sweaters in a week or two. I am looking forward to seeing those.
I so admire people who are experts in things such as your friend. It takes years of experience and study to produce quality stock, one could imagine. I'm so glad people like her are keeping those sciences alive and well!
This brought back memories for me! At our tiny 3 acre one Jersey cow farm, the "lady with the long arm" (as my father called her) would show up once a year. And each spring an impossibly cute calf resulted from this earthy yet clinical ritual. The picture of you watching the insemination is one of my favorites so far. I remember watching with horrified fascination as a girl. That is one long glove!
"Raw Material!" made me laugh; been there, done that with horses. LOVE the vest, and what an absolutely beautiful little Jersey!
Great post! 'Moo' is adorable.
"I watched a cow being inseminated the other day. ** Warning - a picture of the activity is coming up, so please don't read any further if this is going to be a problem for you. ** This got me thinking about value chains and our current culture around both skills and goods"
IT IS COMMENTS LIKE THIS THAT MAKE THIS BLOG A MUST READ...JB
My uncle once told me that he refuses to shop at Walmart/Target/Sam's/Costco type stores as he does not want to purchase lettuce and televisions in the same location. He doesn't realize that his wife purchases his Ralph Lauren there frequently. This truly woke me up! I would love to hear more about how you shop while being fiscally responsible in small stores.
I couldn't agree more about "big box," at least as it exists today. Aside from the principle involved, they simply aren't very nice places to be. I've found once I made it a conscious decision to avoid those places as much as possible, it becomes easy. You'd be amazed how many small operators there still are, if one just takes the time to look.
Lovely images and food for thought as always!
Oh! I love Boo. Too cute for words.
your vest is so nice. :)
I agree. I would rather pay more to not have to deal with the big-box environment.
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