Thursday, March 22, 2018

Another week of snow

We had a break there but this week we have had three more days of snow. I was tempted to put the snow shovel away. *shakes head sadly*

In Seattle you know the weather before you get out of bed because of the foghorns. Here it's the plow/salt truck. If he goes by fast, he's just salting. Our bedroom fills with his flashy orange lights.


She's hibernating.




This time of year people hang colorful Easter eggs in their gardens, and I had to laugh to see them all covered in snow this week. We don't usually put them out until after Good Friday, but won't get the chance because we'll be 8K kilometers west of here. Egg hanging was something I thought was silly but now I like it, because it's our collective symbol of contempt for the monochrome world.




While I enjoy another snow day indoors, I have plenty of time to contemplate my pet peeves. I realize I've been guilty of publishing images on my blog of improperly fitted helmets.

You've heard me rant about the helmet straps hanging so low you could fit your arm in there, but this next one is just basic bad fit, and in my opinion, you may as well save your good hair day rather than wear a helmet that won't help in an accident.

You see what I mean in the image below? Her helmet is too small. And I honestly don't know how to approach her about it. Ideas? I'd love to just buy her one, but how do you sneak up on someone and measure her head without her noticing?







I may be guilty of not replacing mine as often as I should because it lives outdoors year round. Is cold weather as bad as heat? The Troxel website says people are putting their helmets in their dishwashers to refresh them and they ask that we don't do that *lol*.


Snow still falling....

7 comments:

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

I just see her huge smile while she rides your horse. But yeah, I couldn't tell if it was too loose and just tipped way up in front or too small and just perched above her head. I think I'm the only person around here who rides with a helmet. My neighbors either ride with cowboy hats or hatless. The woman cracks me up because when she returns from one of her six hour rides (she's 70 years old), she sits twisted with one hand on the horn and the other grasping the cantle behind her. The reins just hang loosely on the horse's neck. The horse is a TWH bred to cover a lot of ground on plantations, so it moves ridiculously fast, but the rider doesn't move an inch. Her horse is like a self-driving car.

Maybe if you just show her how a helmet should fit, you'll put the thought in her head and she'll get a new one. Or maybe you can ask to see her helmet, and if there's no size label, try it on yourself to get a sense of how it fits you, and then get her something larger for her using your own head as a reference. Or have her try on your helmet to see how your size fits her.

AareneX said...

"I want to get you a gift, and I saw this cute helmet that I think you will like but I want to get the right size."

Helmets now ARE much more attractive than the elderly Sportage she has in the photo. Or maybe y'all can go through a catalog together?

You don't need one with spikes on top like mine, I guess!

hainshome said...

It's Germany. Say what you think. Lol

sidesaddle queen said...

There is a facebook site, th “Hellhat posse” where folks post pictures of their combination helmet-hat creations. I just ordered another helmet, going to pair it with a cheap straw hat! They have a lot of decorating ideas on there, some English but mostly western-trail styles. Good for you to want to get her a better helmet-it did look small and oddly angled. Are you able to get troxels and other American brands over there?

lytha said...

NM, good ideas, thank you! I want a self-driving TWH so bad! In bay.

Aarene, it's complicated. She has a disability and is on welfare, that's why her riding equipment is hand-me-downs and falling apart. I feel so bad but recently someone (probably from the church) bought her a 300Euro Winter jacket from Wellenstein (Swiss), the most wonderful coat of them all, (I sweat just looking at it), and I realize that people do lend her charity because of her situation. I already purchased her a gift this week that I'll pick up in Seattle - a red and gold bead necklace for her mare. And yesterday I bought her a book, (also not "useful") and I want to buy her a helmet so bad but affordable, attractive helmets are an American thing (see link below) and I've missed my chance. I asked her what she wants from America and she said, "chunky peanut butter." Which is amazing because no Germans eat pb.

I gave her the key to my house and she hugged me THREE times in a row yesterday, saying, "Pleases come back, you've been such a blessing to me." I'm overwhelmed.

Becky, I know, I know: ) Please see above, she's a special case. But you'd have been alarmed at my forthrightness the other day, I told someone the bushes in his garden used to be so nice and round, and now they are going slightly wild. He told me the arborist told him to let them, and I said, "I'm just sayin."

Side, Troxels, I WISH!! German helmets are ridiculously expensive - did you know you can spend 300Euros on a helmet? Here's the link: (Ani has the first one). If I had to buy a helmet in Germany, well, I find most of them ugly and won't spent over 70 on a helmet.

https://www.kraemer.de/Reithelme.htm?websale8=kraemer-pferdesport&ci=247440

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

Well, I know you've said I'd like Germany, but I live off peanut butter. If no one there eats it, I'm guessing they don't sell it, so I'd never survive.

AareneX said...

If you can find out her helmet size (and head shape--round? Oval? maybe somebody here will have an "extra" that needs a home. There are several in my trailer, for example...