snow, pulling out stuck cars with his Series II-A 88”, splitting wood and banking foundations. That’s so he can lug the bundles of mail into the house to work on Sightings. They do make for great reading on a cold winter’s day. Let’s kick into the new year with a reminder of the rules:

Rule # 1 – All Sightings receive recognition and our appreciation, but not necessarily a mug. We reward only those Sightings that capture the unique qualities of Land Rovers and their owners, and display them in a distinctive way.

Rule #2 – If your Sighting does not really surprise you, it won’t surprise us, either, and you won’t get a mug. We’re delighted, but not surprised, that Land Rovers appear in British television programmes, British publications, films with British themes, and shows about African safaris. You shouldn’t be surprised, either, and should consider looking for other ways to get a coffee mug.

Rule #3 – At an ever-changing date before publication we close off the Sightings. If we’ve mentioned the Sighting in an earlier issue, we won’t mention it again. If you’re new to the family of Land Rover enthusiasts, you may not have seen your Sighting in an earlier issue.

Rule #4 – We’re not outfitting your kitchen. If you qualify, please remember – one mug per Sighting per issue.

Rule #5- Sightings that are Land Rover references in books go to our Literary Land Rover editor for mention, but only when space permits.

Rule #6 – Psst… if we can’t read you name and address because of atrocious penmanship, we can’t recognize your Sighting nor send you a mug. Psst…E-mail submissions – remember we can’t send a mug by e-mail. Send us your real name and shipping address, too.

Rule #7 – Grudgingly, very grudgingly, the Editor admits he might make an error. Let me know if you think you’ve been jobbed, but all decisions of the Editor are final.

Perfectly timed for the Christmas season was the inclusion of a tree ornament with a 109” SW pictured on it. James Dargan, Plymouth, MA noted it in the Gumps catalogue and received two for Christmas. When Tessco electronics wanted to answer the question “Where can SCADA go?” they let the sight of a 109” SW traveling alongside a pipeline answer the question. Eric Allen, Burtchville, MI, saw the ad.

J Crew adheres to a certain look and style for its clothes and catalogues; Land Rovers fit them well. The November catalogue features a red Series Rover, taken on the Isle of Skye. American firms do know how to appeal to Anglophiles in the US. Jeff Jambers, Corpus Christi, TX, Tim Silva, Quantico, VA, Robin McKelvey, Kennett Square, PA and Paul Hai, Necomb, NY, all noted the use of the Land Rover. Rule #2 aside, we are surprised.

When Field and Stream magazine wanted to assure readers that its website had the most informed opinions of hunting and fishing goods, it chose the front of a Defender 90 to signify expertise. Mike McNulty, Arcadia, FL and Thomas Castalado, Lakewood, NY noted the inclusion.

Sports Illustrated includes ads on its website for Rock Resorts which scrolls photos of exotic locations. One includes a sand-colored Military Lightweight carrying distinctly civilian passengers – unless the British Army has now added bikinis to its official uniform styles. Robin McKelvey, Kennett Square, PA, noted the Sighting. Eric Sousa, Melrose, MA, spotted a Defender 130 Fire Engine at work on Foxnews.com. We’re assuming the work was in the UK?

BraeVal makes sporting shirts, and in a simple ad in Shooting Sportsman magazine, displays a shirt, a passport and a key with a Green Oval key chain, notes Bernard McMahon, Washington, DC. Spicing up an article on English hunting clothing, Esquire’s Black Book includes a Series I in the photo spread, reports Chris Whybrew, Phoenix, AZ. Mike Burwell, Dade City, FL, noted a Defender charging up a hill in a Globetrotter episode on mountain biking in Cyprus. Land Rovers are familiar vehicles in Costa Rica; they were once assembled there in the 1960’s and an aggressive distributor keeps bringing in Defenders, Discoverys and Range Rovers. So it’s not a surprise that when the Tico Times wrote a story on adventure tourism in Costa Rica, there’s a Defender 90 in one photo. Gerald Snyder, Minnetrista, MN, sent in the article.

Delta Airlines wants you to vacation in Costa Rica, too, so they’ve included a partial shot of a Series Land Rover on their website promoting their vacation packages. Paul Hester, State College, PA, and Ben Bailey, Portland, OR, captured the Sighting for us. Hans Salinger, Arlington, VA, noted that the T. Jeffrey Safari Company, advertising in SCI’s Journal of Big Game Hunting, includes the profile of a Series Rover in their logo.

The trailer for the new movie The Bucket List, about two men fulfilling their dreams in the last days of their lives, includes a Defender 90. “What a way to go out,” noted spotters Josh and Marion Peklo, Davidson, NC. Douglas Shepard, E. Sarasota, FL, was watching the Disney Channel film The Little Vampire with his son, Chandler, who was the first to spot a Discovery Series II in the movie.

In one of the least-expected Sightings received, Gary Cook, Fort Wayne, IN, noted that the Louisville Ladder website features one of its products on a Discovery Series II. More expected was the use of Series Land Rovers at play in Africa in a Ford “Lionman” commercial, notes Terry Immm, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Harbor Marketing in the UK wanted to bolster the image of G H Bass, the one-time Maine footwear manufacturer, in England so they used a Defender 110 in their British ads. John Crouse, Arvada, CO, sent us a copy of the ad. Watching CSI-Miami one night, Ray Young, Romney WV was dismayed that the Range Rover shown in the beginning of the show was eliminated from the action when it was set ablaze. Jim Salyers, Jr, King George, VA, spotted a Series 109” in an online video clip from Iraq.

Sightings Winners List

Michael Burwell Dade City, FL

Bernard McMahon Washington, DC

Eric Allen Burtchville, MI

James Dargan Plymouth, MA

Douglas Shepard E. Sarasota, FL

Josh and Mario Peklo Davidson, NC

Mike McNulty Arcadia, FL

Thomas Castalado Lakewood, NY

Garrick Cook Fort Wayne IN

Jeff Jambers Corpus Christi, TX

Tim Silva Quantico, VA

Robin McKelvey Kennett Square, PA

Paul Hai Newcomb, NY

Naipo Robertson El Paso, TX

Eric Corbett Missoula, MT

Sightings Winners: When the Army published winter safety driving tips in Soldiers magazine, Eric Corbett, Missoula, MT and Naipo Robertson, El Paso, TX, noted the use of a Defender 90 SW in a snowstorm – complete with British plates. Maybe the Army Humvee would have gotten stuck? Rule # 2 aside, we are surprised again!

Rule #3 undoubtedly exasperates Sighters, but we always want to give credit to those who submit Sightings after publication deadlines. We acknowledged that Beretta featured a Series Land Rover in its recent catalogue. Ahmad Ijaz, Northport, AL, Shawn Palmer, Cumming, GA, and Rob Smith, Cascade, CO, sent in Sightings after deadline, Shawn Palmer, Dayton Wright, Jamestown, TN, Frank Sands, Katy, TX, and John Tackley, Chester, VA, all spotted the Texaco ad featuring an Arizona Land Rover Club Defender climbing a hill all sent their Sightings after publication of our November/December issue.

We’ve awarded mugs for the Garmin ad campaign, the one featuring the Discovery, before and it’s nice to see that it has returned to the air. D. Aaron Conway, St. Louis Park, MO, Debra Scialla [see Rule # 6], Eric Corbett, Missoula, MT and Henry McQueen, Lancaster, PA all spotted the rerun of the ad. Dennis Saltys, Kent, WA, and Steve Quigley, Flagstaff, AZ, noted that American Life Insurance was rerunning its ad featuring a Series Land Rover.

Shawn Palmer, Cumming, GA, noted that Orvis International Travel features a Series Rover on the cover of its brochure. Bill Smith, Arvada, CO, liked the South African Tourism ad on the bonnet of a Series Land Rover that ran in National Geographic. He particularly noted that the Tourism Board chose an older Rover when newer Defenders are assembled in South Africa. Kevin Kernohan [see Rule #6] noted Land Rovers at work in Gaza in the online edition of the UK newspaper The Telegraph.

•