Labor Day is here in the US, a three-day weekend for most of us. That used to mean a big travel weekend, but, well… COVID, so now it probably means staycations, a long bike ride, and maybe some barbecue. If you’re looking for some quieter diversions, I’ve got a few viewing and reading links with which to kill some time between naps.
One of the hobbies I’ve casually taken up this summer is birdwatching (or “birding” as the true devotees call it). We’re lucky here in Minnesota to get a range of species, from passing migratories, colorful songbirds, to big raptors, some even passing through our urban backyard. A friend, Devin (@foglark on Instagram), who does it professionally, heard me talking about birding on a recent podcast and sent over a link to an article commemorating the 44th anniversary of the discovery of the “first Marbled Murrelet nest known to science” on August 7th. Every hobby has its deep passions and I love that birders celebrate this occurrence.
http://www.mariaruthbooks.net/mariaruthbooks/2018/8/7/its-marbled-murrelet-nest-discovery-day
My summer has been full of expensive Land Rover repairs and upgrades and rather than getting discouraged, it has only inspired me to learn even more about these beloved trucks. I came across this time lapse video of three friends replacing the clutch of a Series 3 Landy. What might normally be a dry amateur hour is incredibly entertaining, and really demonstrates what a big Erector set (or Meccano if you’re from the UK) these vehicles really are. One day I’d love to have the space to really tear into mine like this.
Speaking of restoring Land Rovers, I’ve been following Aussie Brit-expat, Jack Dobson, on Instagram, where he rebuilds a succession of old trucks by himself and documents every step of the way on Stories. Again I’m struck by how truly simple these vehicles are. If that sounds up your alley, give him a follow:
https://www.instagram.com/jackuar_land_rover/
2020 is the 40th anniversary of Reinhold Messner’s solo climb of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. It’s still an achievement that astonishes me, more so for the “solo” part of it, given the sheer effort and lack of any company or moral support when the proverbial dung hits the fan. Two years earlier, in 1978, Messner and his climbing partner, Peter Habeler, first climbed Everest without supplemental O2, another groundbreaking feat. YouTube is a treasure trove of great old climbing films and here’s a documentary about their 1978 expedition. Spot the Carrera glacier glasses, Fila parkas and Oysterquartz watches.
Wreck diving has changed over the years. Gone are the days of pillaging of wrecks for booty by any means possible. Now they’re seen as sacred war graves or historical sites to be preserved. But I must admit a twinge of jealousy for those old timey divers who have shelves in their houses lined with old portholes and china plates from their underwater exploits. Here’s one legendary diver who found the White Star Line’s RMS Oceanic in the Shetland Islands and went on to make a career of salvaging wrecks.
In case you missed them, this past week, I published two stories on Swimpruf, one about the Buddhist teachings of Land Rover ownership and my first thoughts on the all new Rolex Submariner. Both are for subscribers only.
Have a good long weekend. I hope you can get up to a few worthy adventures balanced with a healthy dose of daydreams.
Thanks for reading. — JH
You’re absolutely right about the simplicity of the old Rovers. As a high school student, I managed to weasel my way into a weekend apprenticeship of sorts at a local garage specializing in Rovers and Mercedes.
My first task was to completely dissemble the owner’s 1970 Series 2A Land Rover as a restoration project. I was given access to a set of wrenches, a few ratchet-and-socket sets, a couple screwdrivers, and a rubber mallet. I was 16 and dying to try my hand at all the power tools and blow torches and Snap-On goodies lying around, but my mentor was adamant that “the damn things were built using the exact same tools you have, so there’s no reason why you can’t take it apart the same way.”
Long story short, over the course of many a weekend, we took the thing apart using primarily those tools (plus the angle-grinder for the occasional bent or seized bolt head), and I learned more than I ever thought possible about tools, mechanics, and the mentality and patience required for a restoration project.
great stuff!