Leather has a mind of its own. The reason I say this is because its not at all like fabric. Leather can hold moisture which you can pick up from the air not necessarily from rain. When storing any leather garment take care to make sure that it hangs "freely" in a dry room before putting it away. By this I mean don't stick it in the closet or leave it rolled up in a saddlebag until spring. You'll know that you have a mold problem by the smell and color of the leather, it looks kind of dusty almost greenish.
Depending upon the area of the US that you live in, you need to be aware of what can happen to leather in a damp environment. Keep in mind that leather consists of fibers that have been chemically treated in order to preserve the "skin". These fibers can hold moisture and within them mold can start to grow. If left for long periods of time mold can ruin leather or leave it with a smell that you can't get rid of.
There are commercial products that will get mold off of leather or you can do it yourself. Here's how: first using a damp rag wipe the mold off of the garment, preferably outside so you don't breath the mold. Clean all areas which include both the lining and the leather itself. Frequently rinse out your cleaning rag. It does not hurt to use a mild soapy solution like Woolite or even Fiebings Saddlesoap (its the best) then wipe again with another clean rag. After wards, condition your leathers with a good quality cleaner. If using Saddlesoap you get to skip this step.
The most important part is that once you clean the garment you must let it dry thoroughly. A word to the wise: Don't let leather hang too close to a wood stop or furnace...you can fry it like bacon. It then become really ugly! Good luck and remember spring is just around the corner!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
On another note
We often times don't stop and think about our communication skills until it's too late. Better yet we all tend to blame it on the other party who we're sure misunderstood what was being said but let's talk a minute about how much trouble we can save ourselves if we just slow down.
Bob and I made the decision to changes web host servers. EasyASP Hosting could not provide us with the ability to enlarge photos so that my customers could see the details of my work better. No problem...Bob found another host. In the meantime he asked that I relay our plans for closing our account which was to happen at the end of December. Being that EasyASP Hosting does not have a live body to speak to a very long process was initiated and every web owners nightmare occurred; my site was taken down without my permission.
I would like to blame everything on them but I can't. What transpired was that the important wording stating "Please be aware that we will be closing our account as of the end of December..." was left out of my email and only "we will pay until the end of December" was what they read. Needless to say the site was down for 3 full days and the worst part was that I have lost all of the online exposure which had me up there in the search engines.
What can you do? True if EasyASP Hosting would have real people to speak with the issue could have been resolved the same night it was taken down but when a company chooses to do away with live customer service and go to the world of long drawn out emails a lot is lost. Would I recommend this hosting company to anyone, "NO" especially if you still value the ability to speak to a real person. Onward and upward. :)
Bob and I made the decision to changes web host servers. EasyASP Hosting could not provide us with the ability to enlarge photos so that my customers could see the details of my work better. No problem...Bob found another host. In the meantime he asked that I relay our plans for closing our account which was to happen at the end of December. Being that EasyASP Hosting does not have a live body to speak to a very long process was initiated and every web owners nightmare occurred; my site was taken down without my permission.
I would like to blame everything on them but I can't. What transpired was that the important wording stating "Please be aware that we will be closing our account as of the end of December..." was left out of my email and only "we will pay until the end of December" was what they read. Needless to say the site was down for 3 full days and the worst part was that I have lost all of the online exposure which had me up there in the search engines.
What can you do? True if EasyASP Hosting would have real people to speak with the issue could have been resolved the same night it was taken down but when a company chooses to do away with live customer service and go to the world of long drawn out emails a lot is lost. Would I recommend this hosting company to anyone, "NO" especially if you still value the ability to speak to a real person. Onward and upward. :)
Underneath the bad haircut, she's still Riley Marie
It's been several weeks since the Terrorist had her pink tights removed and started her rehab. Those of you who have had an animal in rehab know that you are not only doing your best to cover all of their needs, keep them safe but the hardest part is second guessing what it is that they are going through. The beauty of animals is that they stay present to what is going on at that moment; they don't live in the past or the future.
So after the tights were removed Miss Riley Marie became the center of attention. We live in the country on a steep hill with no level areas to speak of. The vet's instructions called for confinement, walks on a leash preferably on level concrete surfaces. "Oh brother!" I thought in a sarcastic train of thought! Needless to say she had to get tuff pretty quick because there are no options for "walks on concrete" where we live and lucky for us our vet understood this. We did the best we could finding small areas of land that were even the tinniest bit level and there was always one of us who was out with Riley on her leash.
Slowly but surely things have gotten better, except her attitude when she doesn't get her way. Going for a walk and having Pete go out of her sight is not a good thing. Ken has started to let her outside on her own (without Pete) and this seems to be allowing her to strengthen her legs at her own pace. We have one more week to go before her possible final vet check.
In the meantime like a muttly dog who tired to look like a poodle, her "hairdo" continues to look bad and the indignant looks we often get from her have not changed.
So after the tights were removed Miss Riley Marie became the center of attention. We live in the country on a steep hill with no level areas to speak of. The vet's instructions called for confinement, walks on a leash preferably on level concrete surfaces. "Oh brother!" I thought in a sarcastic train of thought! Needless to say she had to get tuff pretty quick because there are no options for "walks on concrete" where we live and lucky for us our vet understood this. We did the best we could finding small areas of land that were even the tinniest bit level and there was always one of us who was out with Riley on her leash.
Slowly but surely things have gotten better, except her attitude when she doesn't get her way. Going for a walk and having Pete go out of her sight is not a good thing. Ken has started to let her outside on her own (without Pete) and this seems to be allowing her to strengthen her legs at her own pace. We have one more week to go before her possible final vet check.
In the meantime like a muttly dog who tired to look like a poodle, her "hairdo" continues to look bad and the indignant looks we often get from her have not changed.
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