The coat is a Canadian icon. The Hudson's Bay Company introduced their brand of striped blankets in the late 1700s.
The material was adapted into coats and has been around in various styles ever since.
Just a footnote in what has happen to me in the last 24 hours. After the ice storm last Friday night another one started on Saturday night. The electric power went off at 2:30 A.M. Sunday morning. Came back on at 12:43 A.M. Monday. The wife and I are from the greatest generation so we were able to tough it out. It also helped to think of the people who found themselves much, much worst off with other storms that have plaguing the world.
Think we have your storm hitting us at the moment, could do with that jacket here.
ReplyDeleteI'm very familiar with these coats and jacket. I was surprised when I recently saw an entire rack of these coats displayed outdoors at a neighborhood antique shop. . .they didn't last long and quickly disappeared. The recent cold snap made them look awfully attractive. Don't mean to take up too much space here, but you, I know, will appreciate the following poem:
ReplyDeleteThe Same Cold
by Stephen Dunn
In Minnesota the serious cold arrived
like no cold I'd previously experienced,
an in-your-face honesty to it, a clarity
that always took me by surprise.
On blizzard nights with wires down
or in the dead-battery dawn
the cold made good neighbors of us all,
made us moral because we might need
something moral in return, no hitchhiker
left on the road, not even some frozen
strange-looking stranger turned away
from our door. After a spell of it,
I remember, zero would feel warm—
people out for walks, jackets open,
ice fishermen in the glory
of their shacks moved to Nordic song.
The cold took over our lives,
lived in every conversation, as compelling
as local dirt or local sport.
If bitten by it, stranded somewhere,
a person would want
to lie right down in it and sleep.
Come February, some of us needed
to scream, hurt ourselves, divorce.
Once, on Route 23, thirty below,
my Maverick seized up, and a man
with a blanket and a candy bar, a man
for all weather, stopped and drove me home.
It was no big thing to him, the savior.
Just two men, he said, in the same cold.
Yes wanting to place a nice picture but have no power. I know the feeling by loosing internet connection sometimes. Also the feeling what it means sitting on a bike in the cold with rain and sometimes snow. Hope you don't have to experience this happenings often. Nice picture again Andy. I like it.
ReplyDeleteThose are iconic stripes, but I will admit to never really liking them much.
ReplyDeleteGlad you were able to tough it out. We had very little to complain about in Burlington. My family in East York did not get off so easily (a tree branch fell down on their car and brought hydro wires with it.)
Oh my, you are a hardy pair. That would be tough to deal with.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, we are from the generation without central heating and sleeping in rooms with the ice on the windows. But the best thing is to have a home to shelter for ice storms. I like the jacket the biker wears.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are okay!
ReplyDeleteGreat looking coat. Never too cold to ride a bike. Just need clothes that are warm enough.
ReplyDeleteoh I remember those coates. Now the in coates are the Indian coates. I hear.
ReplyDeleteMy hubby is out in my today pictures like mask man with snow blower. We have piles of snow.
We usually get our power off too. It is more where you are and also in Orilla so far power is off. My friends family lives where you are.
Terrible if it hits for Christmas when cooking to have power off.. One guy said he is taking his family out for Christmas. If you can get out man. The roads are terrible. Ice city.
We are staying home this Christmas. Better to be safe. It always takes someone else to plough into you. We have only one car. Just got it this Spring. The way we see drivers drive. Forget it..
I can feel the movement in your photo, Andy. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHope the winter storms are backing off for you. Yikes!
We lucked out here in that we never lost power but all around us is a huge mess and many friends and relatives are without power still - Monday just after noon!
ReplyDeleteAnd I hope your power stays on. It's not pleasant to be without power.
ReplyDeleteHave a great Christmas.
I enjoy your posts.
Those coats look toasty. Good to hear you toughed it out, it gets tricky when it's cold. I woosed out about 10 years ago and bought a generator.
ReplyDeleteHa.. I've always seen the Hudson's Bay blankets and such in the stores but I can't say I've ever seen anyone with one before.
ReplyDeleteThe minute this picture started coming up on my computer I thought HUDSON BAY! As a child, I had one of these blankets on my bed. Heaven only know where it went. Have not seen it in years. This is a wonderful shot. Love the feeling of movement...man on bike vs car. Merry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI don't care what generation you're from, cold can get very cold and being without heat in bad weather can get pretty tough. I'm glad you got past that chapter alright.
ReplyDeleteI've seen Hudson Bay blankets most of my life but the warm ones we had when I was growing up were scratchy military surplus. Those fancy striped ones were for royalty by comparison with our family budget!