Brettuns Village Trunks & Leather
Old Trunks, New Leather. All from Maine.
June 5, 2008
Wicked hot, ain’t it? Was just starting
to get used to the sound my back teeth make while shivering in the barn,
and now here comes the heat. I define ‘hot’ up here in Maine about
like so: “Bugs are out.” Just like a whip crack, summer is
upon us, and the clues are everywhere:* No more sounds of snow blowers running
late at night.
* Sounds of lawn mowers noticeable until
late at night.
* Roads are clogged with cars from out
of state.
* Kids have no homework (though they’re
still in school for a few more weeks, thanks to all those snow days this
Winter).
* Restaurants all clogged with folks from
out of state.
* Local folks all have sore backs from
bending over in the garden, planting seeds or set plants.
* Lots of birds chirping all day.
* Stays light out until about 10 pm.
* Windows can stay open all night for
good sleeping.
* Hotels all clogged up with folks from
out of state.
* Sun pops up at about 4 am.
* Crows start making noise about 4:02
am.
* Many dead crows found around Maine homes.
* State parks all clogged up with folks
from out of state, particularly any park near salt water.
* Salt water mosquitoes. They like
the state parks best.
* Mainers wear sunglasses. It’s
not all that sunny up here, but when the townfolk start wearing shorts
and t-shirts the white skin is blinding.
* Fisherman seeking relief for their sore
eyes turn their trout over to stare at the fish’s belly. This is
less bright than your fishing buddy’s legs.
* Price of lobster starts to go down,
just a little, as more fisherman take to the coast. New show on the
Discovery Channel could be called “Tastiest Catch.” Picture Captain
Sig in a 16 ft boat heaving traps over the gunwale.
* Hospitals all clogged up with folks
from out of state (sunburn, seasickness, blood loss to bugs, torn ligaments
from the sea kayak experience, etc).You get the idea. Summer in Maine.
You should check it out sometime. When you do, drop by the Brettuns
Village Fabulous Shipping Building (FSB) here in Lewiston.New leathers? Holy crow, I guess
so. More shell cordovan, more garment leathers, oil-tanned sheep,
8 oz black or red sides, more sole bends (at a new lower price), new suede
colors, more hardware, new tools, and, well, I can’t think of it right
now but there’s some other new stuff out there too. A couple of things
worth mentioning:The 8 oz sides mentioned above are very
nice, big and clean, but in short supply. Don’t wait long if you
need them, and that’s no sales pitch, it’s a customer service pitch.
These are on the Hides and Sides page. While you’re there take a
look at the Paisley Sides. Must be seen to be believed.Evergreen suede bends are a nice, dark
green color, and these are hanging out, as one might expect, on the Suede
Leathers page. We’ve got several hundred of these – we’ll see how
long they last.For those who make stuff that’s supposed
to look like it’s from the old fur trapper days, or those looking to make
stuff that has that Native American look to it, the oil tanned sheep hides
are a nice leather. These are on the ‘Thin Hides’ page or, as we
more often refer to it, the “Lightweight Leathers’ page, where all the
hides are under 3 oz in thickness.I won’t bother you with any more of this
stuff, just touching base, more or less, to let you know some new items
are on the site. Hayley was fabulous as Juliet all five times that
I sat through it, and Rebecca ended up winning the high school’s Journalism
award for her work as editor of the school paper (not bad for a sophomore),
so I’m a proud Dad, like I have been since those two stinkers arrived on
the scene. Becca’s new venture is www.That-Dog.com, which is worth
a look if you’re in need of a dog collar (or a belt for your five year
old). Help her earn money so she can get a good pick up truck and
start making runs to the tannery for us. I’m counting on you.Thanks a lot and have a great summer-
Churchill Barton, Tourism Director
Brettuns Village Leather
Auburn, Maine