Keep on track

Today, among the thousands and thousands of fan letters i receive from all around the world, day after day after day (etc.), i picked up a very touching one from 5 years old Emily, from Snowy Mountains (Australia).

She writes:

"G'day Banana,

How do you track coffee machines?

Thanks,
Hoo Roo
Emily"

Cute, isn't it?

Well, Emily, the best-preserved tracks are usually found in summer in dried mud, but the true season for track-reading is the winter, when the ground is covered with snow.

Of course, the quality of the tracks always depends on the thickness, freshness and quality of the snow cover.

As a beginner, Emily, what i would advise you is to photograph or sketch the tracks and to note down their basic characteristics.

It is only later that the tracks can be identified by comparing the material gathered with reference books.

With some practice, it is possible to keep the basic types of tracks in your mind and to read them directly on the spot without difficulty.

If you follow the tracks of a given coffee machine, sooner or later you usually arrive to its seasonal shelter.

It is then your decision either to observe these different coffee makers in their natural habitat or grab them & put them on a shelf in your kitchen.

Hope this was of help,
Kind regards,
Mik.

*****

This is what happened as recently as today.

Waking up this morning & looked out the window, 5 centimetres of fresh snow fell overnight!
For me, it is like a signal that the best hunting time has come.
So I grabbed my camera (like advised to Emily).

After a few steps outside, i couldn't believe my binoculars!!!
In front of me: Fresh Tracks!

I followed the tracks for 4 meters (approximately).

This part is for Emily:

A brand new track Emily!!!
Isn't this GREAT!?!?!

Time to make a picture!!!

Well done!!!

Now, take your classic animal track guide and search for a similar footprint.

HERE IT IS!!!

 It is UNDOUBTEDLY a Robbiati Model "B"!!!

But wait!!!!

I hear something moving - just 4,5 meters away from where i stand!!!

RUN! RUN! RUN!

This is the picture i took running the 4,5 meters:

(one of the greatest moment in hunting history)

That's it!
I got it!

It looks like this little stovetop coffee machine couldn't reach a safe place to hide and 

froze.

Look at this!
A beautiful exemplar.

Errrrrrr.
Wait.
What is it?

From afar... all the characteristics of Giordano Robbiati's IT35916 patent (links 1 2 3)!

BUT Can you see its Golden badge?

... and its original water filling knob?
(yes, it is original in the sense that i know another machine with exactly the same characteristics!)

How about the (lower) quality of casting?

This handle is nothing i have ever seen before.

And this naked top of base (like the A.&M.G. Sassoon) is very unusual.

"And the badge?" will you ask.

Well, the badge looks beautiful.

It even reveals the town where it has been made... very far away from Italy.

Namely, Exactly here:

... and exactly here, overlooking this beautiful place:

I LOST THE TRACK!