My lovely wife modeling the summer collection of hats. Usually she just wears one at a time. A wide brimmed hat has many reasons:
- Keeps the sun off our faces and neck to a degree.
- Keeps us cooler by protecting the top of our head.
- Keeps biting insects at bay as they tend to go for the high point.
- Useful for collecting eggs if you forget the basket.
- Prevents the rain from running down our back.
- Protects our eyes and eye glasses from the rain.
- Blows off our heads in the wind making for comedy.
- And ever so stylish!
Beware that pigs and sheep love to chew on straw hats. Probably cows too.
81째F/67째F Mostly Sunny, 1/2″ Rain
Walter Jeffries Tinker, Tailor… A bit eclectic & a tad eccentric, polymath, quantum mechanic & Farmer. Also lucky at cards.
Did she know you were going to blog the photo when she allowed you to take it?
Also, let’s see a picture of that roundish erratic you found.
I find straw hats can also be surprisingly warm on calm days in winter. Some flea market shoppers consider old, weathered and broken hats handy for ‘character’ to set around the garden or patio, to decorate a scare-crow, or for a planter.
I like hats with strings. The string goes behind the head in calm or light breezes, or under the chin in moderate breezes.
A garden hose, maybe a touch of soapy water and rinse, can help once they do start getting a bit ‘whiffy’. Gentle handling of the hat goes a long ways to prolonging it’s life. For some reason, the $4 and $6 hats work better for me than the $10 hats.
Pablo, she knows that all photos are fair game unless protested. Sometimes she tells me – “that is NOT going on the blog!” I obey her wishes. :) In this case she was bringing hats up to us all – since her hands were full the best place to carry them was on her head. It reminds me of the story of the man who sold caps and ran into the pack of monkeys!
Brad, you are right they do last well with gentle care. One of Holly’s favorite hats actually has a pig bite in it that is in just the right spot to hang her pony tail out the back. Consider that pig to have more sense of utility than fashion though – it demolished my hat the same day! :)
Walter!!!!!! To hat posts in a row!!!! Frog hat and straw hat!
Very stylish!
About two hat posts, PV.
Like much of farming, some of the most mundane and quaint items turn out to be serious safety equipment. With straw hats the first that comes to mind is shade. Possibly maintaining moisture about the face and head on very dry days.
A straw hat beats a baseball cap for protection against falling stuff, both dust and larger things. A straw hat will not stop a hammer, but it does cushion and reduce amount or likelihood of injury. Or when trees overhang where you need to drive the tractor, along the edge of a field.
Sometimes a straw hat makes a job simpler. Like blinkers on a horse, the hat can help focus your attention on what your hands are doing by curtaining off part of the sky and surroundings. Fewer distractions, you may find it easier to stay focused on weeding, fence building, and other tasks where keeping your mind on your work pays off, in safety, quality of work, and even enjoyment. I have a problem with glare from the sky burning my eyes — the straw hat does a much better job.
Right up there with sturdy footwear, sturdy pants (with *pockets!*), a good dog and cats, and quality tools, the straw hat pays off in many ways.
“Blows off our heads in the wind making for comedy.”
Heh. True.
Some Chinese characters in the temperature line here, Walter.
So, ah, based on this picture, when someone’s hat is missing, I suspect I know who gets asked if maybe they have seen it?
*grin*