History of the Mug

This is no ordinary mug. Its journey began several years ago in Maine and ended on the potter’s wheel of my neighbor’s daughter. The history of this mug has been shaped by family, friends, neighbors, a very special hound, my love of coffee and many early mornings spent writing by the fireplace overlooking the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

My Mother-in-Law had been enjoying the sights and sounds of Maine when she came across that perfect gift for me. Although she did not know it at the time, she was about to set things into motion. She is a most thoughtful person and had no doubt taken a significant amount of time to pick what she felt would give me pleasure for years to come. In this case, it was a wonderful mug that I would use for savoring my morning coffee.

It was not the tourist trap “I LOVE MAINE” coffee cup. No, this mug was different. It was big, had a rough texture on the bottom half and smooth glaze on the top half. There was a trout making its way across the bottom of the mug and as I looked at it, I felt like I was staring right into the river. It was a very unique mug that appeared to be a product of a potter’s hands and not mass produced and I appreciated it.

For the next several years, the trout mug and I spent countless hours together. Sometimes holding coffee for me to enjoy after a holiday meal or on a Sunday morning to help me get my eyes opened; this mug had proven itself to not only be serviceable and dependable but also was unique and told the story of the Maine trout.

On Saturday mornings, I typically start the day by slipping out of bed, so as not to wake Kim, and make my way into the kitchen. I brew a pot of coffee and start writing. I have a grand spot where I sit in my favorite chair by the fireplace. If I look to the north, I can see Baker Mountain where my father was born. The backdrop changes with the seasons and the fall brings a variety of colors that cannot be rivaled. This is my special place that inspires me. Much of the material seen on the website and all of the articles I’ve written for the United Kennel Club’s Coonhound Bloodlines magazine was created in that very chair with my trusty mug at my side.

Once we made to move to Stonewall Farms several years ago, I noticed the most interesting thing. When we lived in a housing development surrounded by folks, I couldn’t tell you any of their names or anything about them. That all changed. I have wonderful neighbors now and have enjoyed spending time with them and learning about them, their children and their hound. There is a sense of family associated with living in rural Lincoln County. I felt right at home the minute we met our new friends.

During one of our many conversations, I learned that my neighbor’s daughter was a potter. I had spoken with her several times about visiting her shop to see what she had made but it seemed like something always came up and we never made the trip. Kim loves pottery and so when the phone rang during the Christmas holiday, we jumped in the car and headed over to Angie’s. Angie had put together some of her pieces for sale and invited folks over to her house. I am so happy we made the trip. Kim and I loved her pottery. Needless to say, we took several pieces home and called my Mother-in-Law to tell her about our new treasures. She visited Angie and loaded up her car with prizes too.

I have attended many national hunts and shows over the years. From major events to the local clubs, I always enjoyed browsing from vendor to vendor examining what that year’s trends in hound related goods were and one thing remained constant: I always had a difficult time finding that unique high quality something that caught my eye. I never had a problem finding t-shirts, ball caps and bumper stickers, but nothing that would stand the test of time.

I am not sure of the exact moment when it hit me, but there was a time when the love of my favorite hound intersected with the talented Angie Johnson and one very special trout mug given to me by my Mother-in-Law. I knew what must be done.

Kim and I had commissioned the very talented Ross B. Young to paint an oil portrait of my favorite hound, Rebel Red Jake. Jake was a most spectacular hound. He impacted my life in countless ways and is no doubt responsible for my love of Redbone Coonhounds. Jake is a permanent fixture in our study and I like to believe a part of him remains alive through this beautiful memorial. Since Ross was intimately familiar with the image and essence of Jake, I asked him to do us a favor and sketch a picture to be used on a mug.

After several months of trial and error, the first final draft of the hound mug was achieved. I feel very happy to offer hound lovers everywhere the chance to enjoy a mug that literally took many years and the touch of many very talented people to create. I have no idea if folks will respond to these or not. I can only think that this is something that I would buy. I absolutely love the idea of owning a one-of-a-kind hound item. It is not mass-produced but made individually by our local potter and stands as a tribute to your favorite hound. Because the image on the mug is just a silhouette, I hope that it will appeal to all hound owners, whatever your particular breed.

Currently, Angie is working on the final model of the mugs. We plan to offer these in two color glazes and the final version will vary slightly from the picture below. Once we have the final mugs, we will update the website with the picture. We will keep a limited inventory in both colors, so please allow four to six weeks for your order should we not have enough inventory to fill your order right away. We will sell the mugs individually or as a set of four.

While we do plan to include an on-line shopping feature if the mugs are well received, we will require that you mail a check or money order at this time. If you are in the area and would like to stop by to pick up your mugs, of course you would save the shipping charge.

We appreciate your interest and hope that you will keep this item in mind for the hound lover in your life.

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Last Updated on Tuesday, February 10, 2009