No Reason for this Blog Beyond the Weather

My Own Kind of Hat

My rather extensive collection of hats is neglected during the winter because it does not make sense to wear anything with a brim in the wind or anything that is not a ski cap in the cold. I miss my hats so I decided to record them in pixels.

Where they are hanging used to be a closet and I turned into an alcove complete with bench so I could take off snow boots in the mud room. I noticed today while taking this picture that the bench was buried in various coats and hats and gloves because I ran out of room on the coat hooks on the side wall. The weather has been so unpredictable even my rain jacket is still hanging there and used just last week. That is it there on the right. in the picture below. And on the far left are the Carhart insulated coveralls used just yesterday while blowing snow. The cuffs are dripping melting snow on to a door mat under them.

The gardening hat is hanging on top of my L.L. Bean all weather jacket. When we were having -36 F weather I wore it under my down coat. There is a lined jean jacket under the rain parka for afternoons that get up to a balmy 40 F and I have to bring in more firewood. The peach suede jacket if for dressy affairs and also gets covered with a down coat to get from driveway to parking lot. I freeze from car to restaurant.

Oh, the down coat? It and the winter sport parka are on the bench I mentioned earlier with a couple fleece lined hoodies. The hoodies often get worn while sitting on the computer. And the gardening hat, which has a stampede cord was actually used one day a couple weeks ago when the sun came out after the snow and the temps soared to 50.

Keeper of the coats

Gloves are no less complicated. I have a basket on the bench that keeps the subzero ski gloves and the normal winter ski gloves, the lined polar fleece work gloves, and several crocheted fingerless gloves used for photography exhibitions. And stocking caps there are many including one with a huge alpine style pompom that dates from the 1970's high fashion in skiing. But boy is it warm! Then there are the felted knit hats designed to not muss my hair when I am headed into to Taos to shop. I always toss in one of the less fashionable but ear covering pilot hats into the car just in case of emergency or a sudden change in the weather.

Oh, and scarves of all colors and weight to shut out the wind. I think most of those may be in the car. Need them for early morning departures and shed them in the Smith's parking lot.

Then under the bench are the various choices in footwear. Sorry, Bee, but there are not high heels. Dress shoes in the winter are the basic black zip snow boots. But I have snow boots big enough for heavy ski socks and a nicer pair for my regular winter socks. Then there are the leather and rubber work boots with felt linings for wet spring snow. My low top garden galoshes got moved back downstairs when January melt turned into mud and flood season.

Getting dressed to take the dogs for a walk can be a major event winters. I looked at the havoc in the mud room and alcove when I took these two pictures and decided there was no need to tidy it up until the weather patterned tidied itself up. Maybe May I will feel safe moving most of the heavy coats, boots and gloves to the guest room closet. But never, never, never move them all. We have had snow in June.