Gauntlets

September 27, 2019

When I bought them, it was to protect my hands from the cold. They’re German military-issued lobster gloves, made for cold weather motorcycle riding. The long gauntlets cover the arms of my leather jacket, keeping winter’s cold air from blowing up my sleeves. Oh yes—I did say winter’s cold air. Being a sidecar bike, winter roads are not the obstacle for three wheels that they can be for two. My bike is licensed and insured for year round use; the slightest break in the weather in January or February can be reason to take it for a spin. Engageable two-wheel drive make the Ural the only factory-issued, three-wheel, all-season, street legal ATV in the world. But I digress. I bought those gloves for cold weather riding.

Processing grapes is simple enough, but it can be tricky. The juice is steamed out of the grapes, so it’s pretty warm when I squeeze the clamp to fill the jars. Once in awhile, the clamp twists in my grip, spewing boiling hot grape juice every which way. So far this season, those gauntlet gloves have twice protected me from getting burned by hot grape juice. Being lobster gloves, they look a bit funny, but no matter what the season, they’re worth every penny I paid for them, and I’m thankful for them tonight; not a burn in the bunch!