OK, so I am really into all this digital stuff -- the Mac, the iPhone, my digital SLR (a Nikon D700), and more -- and yet ... there are just some things from the analog world that I can't let go. One, is my passion for notebooks. You know -- the paper variety ... with lines printed on them. You take a pen - you remember pens, right? Anyway, you take a pen, and you write in the notebook.

A while back, while perusing Flickr, and I saw a group of pictures showing how people were using these little pocket-sized memo pads called Field Notes. It's really something; there is a cult following for the little gems. People LOVE their Field Notes. They take pictures of them and their contents. They actually become little works of art, no matter how beat up and well-used they look.

Field Notes are patterned after the promotional memo books that were used by various firms fifty years ago or more. Coudal Partners, the company that makes and sells these Field Notes books explains their whole history on their website. There are also numerous fascinating anecdotes and photos from folks who use and cherish their Field Notes. 

Field Notes are pocket-size memo books (3.5" by 5.5") and with 48 pages, aren't as thick as Moleskine notebooks. You can purchase packs of three for $9.95 plus shipping. You choose from ruled or unruled or graph paper. The standard color of the cover is a grocery-bag brown (remember grocery bags?), but occasionally they have special runs of other colors. The inside covers have space for you to personalize your Field Notes. You can even specify a reward for anyone who finds your Field Notes. There is also a long list of interesting ways that you can use your Field Notes. It's a fascinating read! My favorite uses listed are: for escape routes, for shady transactions, and for "Half-Ass" calculations.

Here's a nice touch: when you receive your package of Field Notes, you will find an "old-fashioned" No. 2 pencil that matches the design of the standard Field Notes memo book. You also get one of those "old-fashioned" plain-Jane ball point clicker pens that you used to find at government offices. And, they throw in a sticker, too. It's a nice touch.

What do I use my Field Notes for ... mostly, I put down thoughts of things I want to accomplish, technical notes, I may paste in interesting pictures clipped from a newspaper, network diagrams, and of course, half-ass calculations!

Visit the Field Notes Brand website at www.FieldNotesBrand.com