YOU'RE COVERED!

   FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH., 2017
               YOU'RE COVERED!

     On February 10th we salute the value
of an appliance we seldom think about.
Until it's needed!
     It's "Umbrella Day!"
     I got my wife two new umbrellas as
part of her Christmas haul last year. She
was under the impression that a few rips
and tears in our existing umbrellas
rendered them useless. I thought they
might each have another year or so left.
But when I saw umbrellas on her
Christmas wish list I figured she was
serious.
     We like those huge "golf type"
umbrellas. They've come in handy to
shade us from the sun and protect us
from the rain during our grandkids
soccer games.      
      My search for new ones was not
easy. Although I found a large selection
without too much trouble I quickly found
that the purchase of one, let alone two,
with a popular team logo would leave
my wallet soaked!
       I turned my attention to another,
non logoed, that seemed to have two
separate upper sections. It took me
about 12 minutes to find out how to get
it open. I never did find out how to
close it again! I left the one I tried
fully open in the hope a clerk with
better mechanical knowledge might
happen along.
        I found a better choice in a local
big box store where I found two, slightly
different, models that one could open
and close without an engineering
degree. I even got a break on one without
a price tag that was reduced, for me, to
the same price as the other.
        On occasion we used to rent a beach
umbrella on our vacations at the shore.
We pretty much gave up that habit after
seeing others flying through the air in
front of us when the winds whipped up!
         Our new umbrellas are ready for
this year's challenges and we're anxious
to try them. Especially as protectors
against the sun's rays. If we see any soon
we may get them out!
          Hope you don't open yours inside
(bad luck you know) and that all your NEWS
is good!