the great cathedral for hikers......

    We had a nice dinner Friday in Portland with Malindi at DUCKFAT (billed as "best fries on this side of the pond.") Belgian fries: Maine potatoes fried in duck fat with 8 choices of dip (we had the horseradish mayo.)  It was a cold rainy day so the 10 minute wait outside wasn't quite as charming as the ad below.  The food was worth the wait and it was very nice to see Malindi.

http://www.duckfat.com/

    On the way back to China we stopped at LLBean--open 24/7.  All hikers worship here but Judd has no real brand loyalty. His back pack was EMS and I've seen him cruise websites like ospreybacks or Ahnu.  What?!--Patagonia will be 

next?   

   Judd did some boot shopping  (and boot buying.) We looked at rain gear but one website suggests Judd just make a kilt out of some form of rubber. It better be long enough or wouldn't the rain just run into your boots?

LLBean by night

Judd,  coyly, not telling the salesman where he'll be hiking

I suggested Judd try out the new boots by walking in the pond with them on "to stretch them out." This is a private joke between us. Once when I got some cheap black shoes and they felt a bit tight during a hike in California and I was getting blisters. He suggested I hike for a while in the stream so the leather would stretch out.  I fear the shoes might not have been real leather. All I ended up with was wet blisters AND wet shoes.

(I've got to get better at sneaking photos on my iphone.)