A Masked Tale
Mask it Up
I must be a “Nervous Nellie Snowflake” because I have been in mask mode since January 2020.
The big set back for me is that I wear glasses and it takes no time at all for them to fog up under normal circumstances, when wearing mask, it’s even quicker.
My first masks came from some Steampunk loving friends, who also happen to be creatives. My friends Yvonne and Lloyd Penney posted some photos of their own custom designed and made masks, and I asked if I could get some made also.
Below is the result, beautifully executed by Yvonne Penney.
As soon as gardening season began, I ran into serious issues. I could wear the mask as long as I wasn’t getting overheated, but pretty soon the glasses would steam up and I was blind.
Enter the face shield.
I was really pleased with this idea. I would have a clear face covering, yet with enough ventilation not to fog up, plus I would be protected from flying plant debris.
So I ordered some from a local retailer who had them for a decent price.
They came in a package of 10, and I rushed out to try one.
Funny, I thought, seems to be a bit glarey — several days later I discovered that these face shields come with a thin plastic protective skin which one is supposed to peel off. It took two more days before I realized there was a peel off plastic skin on BOTH sides of the shield. DOH!
So, I was really pleased with this solution, until a client - who works in the medical field - pointed out that this face shield does not give full protection since it is pretty open at the sides. He explained that while it would deflect stuff coming at me from directly in front, not so much from the sides.
So back to the mask. Sigh.
But on the bright side, several clients have made really nice masks and given them to me, so even if I am fogged up and blind, I look cool.
