Trap Hunting: LIFE Photos By Wallace Kirkland

Stumbled across these and had to share. I wore my 10" Bean Boots today in the snow and realized tonight that I was trying to look like these guys. I'm guessing these were taken in Maine or somewhere in Canada but I don't know for sure. Stormy Kromer hats, Maine Hunting Boots, wool plaid popovers, mackinaw cruisers, and Hudson's Bay-esque blanket coats make this one of my favorite LIFE sets.

Red Wing Oxblood Series

Really looking forward to these later this year. (via Redwing1905)

More Waterfowl In Flight: My Favorite Club Tie

This older English woven silk/wool by Robert Talbott is my favorite seasonal club tie. It's 3" at the widest point -- my preferred width -- and more substantial in feel than an all silk.

Winter Wool

I picked up these wool socks from Mast General Store in Knoxville back in November and they have really saved my feet from the cold we've been having here in Tennessee this winter. Not sure if these are available outside of the stores. Made in North Carolina. Warm and comfy.

Cabela's Chamois Shirt

This is why I scour thrift shops. A vintage USA Cabela's chamois would be a no-brainer anyway but the embroidered Canada Geese in flight made it that much more irresistible. (Some of you probably bought these new (looking at you, Main Line) in which case I will have to ask for your indulgence.

Wish they would bring this label back.

My wife had a little trouble with these until she finally smiled and said "Ok I can go for this."

Bellows pockets for expansion.

Don't even think about tucking this in.

Orvis Camo Tie

Somebody please buy it now or I might.

Certified Southern Snow Day

The snow here in Nashville this week means that the affordable Bosmere Wax Jacket (Made in England) can continue to prove itself a fantastic bargain by keeping the cold and moisture out while looking super at the same time.

My wife crocheted this scarf for me a several years ago and it's one of the warmest items I have.

 I still had to go to work today so the Wm. J. Mills Laptop Carryall was at my side.

Levi's and 10" Bison Leather Bean Boots always work well together.

Zeke The Dog Enjoys A Snowy Morning

Classic Specs

Shop the collection here. (via The William Brown Project)

Glengarry Look: Brunch With The In-Laws

• Brooks Brothers OCBD
• J. Crew wool cardigan
• J. Crew cords
• J. Press belt
• Timex
• Mast General Store wool socks
• L.L. Bean Ranger Mocs

My wife's father is a Chicago native and now resides just north of there in Lincolnshire, IL. Now that my wife and her sister have provided him his only five grandchildren between them, he visits our fair city as often as possible. This weekend we enjoyed one such visit and today, as is our tradition, we all met for brunch before he caught his flight home. We took them to a local delicatessen that has been a Sunday favorite for us for what feels like forever. Never-ending pancakes for the kids, endless omelet possibilities for the grownups, and the consistently good (and hot) basic coffee make it the kind of place that's hard to grow tired of, even after all these years.

Maj. Richard Winters, R.I.P.

Maj. Richard Winters, US Army

Jan 1, 1918 - Jan 2, 2011

Thank you, sir.

Lost In Translation: The Packmasper

This was my dad's pack in the 1980s. I have a decent Gregory but cleaning this thing up might be a fun project for Spring. Don't call it a Packmaster because it's not.

Glengarry Look: The Workplace

• Gitman Vintage plaid oxford
• J. Crew Slim Cut Essential Chinos
• Everett Hozapfel surcingle belt
• Timex
• Mast General Store crew socks
• Quoddy boat shoes
• Wm. J. Mills & Co. Laptop Carryall
• Field Notes
• Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen
• iPhone in Griffin Technology Clarifi case
• Colonel Littleton front pocket wallet

I suppose I'm fortunate to work in a casual environment. I used to have a job that required a tie and I generally wore a jacket too. I hated that job (not because of the dress code.) These days I sometimes wear a tie to the office but I've found that I can relate a little more effectively with people if they're not distracted by something out of the ordinary. Now my only rules are: always a collar, never shorts, rarely a sneaker.

Wm. J. Mills & Co. Laptop Carryall

A few months ago, I was fortunate enough to get my hands on some fantastic bags from Wm. J. Mills & Co. Since each of these bags serves a different purpose I wanted to spend some time with them, using them for what they were made for before I posted about them. (I took the Jitney Cargo on a test run last fall and it did not disappoint.) I've been carrying the Laptop Carryall as a work bag daily since October. My recommendation? Get one. It is what it says it is. I normally carry my laptop (in a padded sleeve), notebooks, pens, a couple of books, and random mail. It doesn't hold as much as my last waxed messenger bag but I'm glad because that bag was constantly cluttered with stuff I shouldn't have been carrying around every day. Like the other Mills bags, it has hefty zippers and great details. I like the "sewn" look of the Mills line, and the contrast of the navy and natural on my particular bag gives it a casual feel that lends itself well to the dynamic of my workplace. The first month that I carried the Laptop Carryall there wasn't a day that went by during which someone did not comment on it. Fine with me. I like to tell stories.

Additional Note: Please check out Mister Mort's super cool stonewashed version here.

O'Connell's English Wool Plaid

Shop O'Connell's

Glengarry Look: Sunday Family Lunch

• Gitman Vintage flannel shirt
• Archival Clothing/Centralia Knitting Mills shawl collar
• Levi's 505 (USA)
• Narragansett Leathers Hoof Pick
• Timex on old EB leather strap
• Quoddy boat shoes

My last day on holiday was spent with my wife and kids. First was church, followed by lunch at Whole Foods and some window shopping. The sky here was sunnier than it has been of late but the air was crisp and chilly. A perfect note on which to end the season.

Reading: The Ship by C.S. Forester

Nobody does naval warfare better than Forester. "The Ship" follows the crew of the light cruiser H.M.S. Artemis in 1943 as the Royal Navy contends with the "Eyeties" in the battle for Malta.

"It might be said that while the ship was at sea The Captain never went more than five paces from his stool; at night he lay on an air mattress laid on the steel deck with a blanket over him, or a tarpaulin when it rained. Jernigham had known him to sleep for as much as four hours at a stretch like that, with the rain rattling down upon him, a fold of the stiff tarpaulin keeping the rain from actually falling on his face. It was marvellous that any man could sleep in those conditions; it was marvellous that any man bearing that load of responsibility could sleep at all; but, that being granted, it was also marvellous that a man once asleep could arouse himself so instantly to action. At a touch on his shoulder the captain would raise himself to hear a report and would issue his orders without a moment in which to recover himself."