I am not sure about you but I am really getting tired of the winter fashion….boots in particular. Heavy slugging. But hey my toes keep warm which is a bug a boo of mine in having cold feet. Reading socks are the bomb for sure. Is that an old adage “cold feet, warm heart”? Anyway not my cup of tea. So off with the winter boots. Please. Can I really put them away? Well maybe I will keep them on the rubber mat just in case because March has not finished. It came in like a lion but heaven forbid it would go out like a lamb. We shall see. So winter boots, you are on standby. But off with you….my feet feel lighter already. I love wearing running shoes or sandals. Oops there is an in-between stage though….rubber boot weather. You know its a thing.
Right now, I have a tune and lyrics in my head from Nancy Sinatra’s “these boots are made for walking and that’s just what I’ll do…” I know the song is out of context for my thoughts today but the boot theme is not. Spring is here!! Woo to the hoo. And with it comes all kinds of outer wear…look out runway, fashion heats up, with its finest. Not really being a fashion statement myself, but shopping with my middle daughter the other day, the cutest kiddie boots with handles, were on display. LOL. Where do they come up with these ideas? But you have to love the imagination of the footwear designers. Just like any good producer of fashion, you got to catch the eye and in this case, the little eye. And so like any good mother, she lets her little one take a boo at the wide array of boots. Personally what I think and what the little one thinks….nope not even in the same ball park. Oh yes boot designers, you got the kiddie market.
Surprisingly, my daughter does not go with door # 1 or 2 of boot selection from her baby’s hand grabbing but with door #3….plain jane solid dark coloured boots with tiny handles and pink soles. Why? Well, heaven only knows. I mean there is a smorgasbord of Princess, Paws, zoo images, 3-D wing coming out of boot, flashing soles, tie-dye, splash of technicolour strewn in geometric crazy etc. I guess when the boots get muddy it does not matter. But there you have it…rubber boots ready and set in the buggy. Little one is going to be wearing them everywhere. It is always interesting picking her up in the morning to be with me for the day and her shoes or boots are missing. Where might these ones end up? Last time, her winter boots were found in her brother’s bed. Not sure how my granddaughter determines the map in her own mind. Too complicated for me.
So rubber boots (or depending on where you are from wellies, wellingtons, galoshes, billy or gum boots. Who knew?). They are in fashion. I find on the island there is a certain culture of rain boot wearing. Maybe it is where I am walking or looking but young and old alike seem to be okay with rubber boots. Not fancy but solid thick rubber soles – Canadian Tire or Marks specials. In fact, many male/female younger/older wear the ones with the banded stringed tall tops which funnily enough we bought a pair a couple of years ago when my daughter and later me gave working on the mussel socking line a go. Which by the way it is HARD work let me tell you. Anyway, the standard spring boot wear seems to be a lined pea green boot with tied at the top feature to reduce water coming into the boot. Kind of like an all terrain vehicle of boots…good tread, durable, takes most surfaces, rugged. I have to say I see quite a few wearing them in all four seasons too which I guess is not a surprise as it reflects the island fishing culture. I kind of like that.
However I do not want to wear big rubber boots for too long. They are kind of clunky too. But unlike my daughter she would and does. Not the CT special…no no no…not for her. Fashion is her thing which I know will be her daughters too. Yikes. The thing to do is get Hunter boots. Hunter rain boots. You got it. They are kind of like the Sorrel of winter boots, only for fall and spring wear. I never have heard of them before until my daughter pointed them out to me a few years back. Looking at the price which really if you break it down….how often are you going to buy another pair of rubber boots. Oops I should say rain boots as the Hunter line says on their site. My bad. So take the price, divide by the months worn yearly, length of years keeping them….not so bad. It is the ouch initial outlay or at least for me. Because we are talking about rubber boots. RUBBER BOOTS!!! Yet I do have to say they are stylin’ on her, seem to wear nice, and practical. She had her pick from a variety of tall or mid calf length, full colour range, buckle for bling and practical use for a larger or smaller calf fit. I do have to say nice rain boot.
Why a big to do? Because the charm of the island with its red clay dirt roads, lanes fields, and pathways….lets just say sink or swim. Don’t get me wrong. I love the red dirt charm. You should see me come across the 13 km bridge with the sun beating down towards the shores of the island….beautiful deep rich red stone and dirt. Lovely. When you sign up for island life, you sign up for all of it….not pick and choose. Which I did and do, as I have parked my truck up at the top of lane because the permafrost is melting and creates havoc on my lane never mind places that are not paved or gravelled. I like the natural look…what you see is what you get. Which means suck it up buttercup.
So today my granddaughters debut…little boots meet mud and melted snow puddles. Woohoo. It was gorgeous today, simply beautiful with a southwest wind, melting of snow and jacket weather. But look down, way way down and I’ll call Rusty – oops that is an old children’s show. New page. Look down and there are my boots and her boots. Hers sinking in the lane. Aaaahhhhh. Noooooo. And don’t I turn my head and there is Maggie May sinking deep into the soft parts of the muddy red dirt lane. Yep. Its official. ITS SPRING. Deal with it. Okay okay I am calm. The little boots leave a trail of boot prints down the lane. Why would she do anything else unlike me who as I look down, being so much older and wiser, walking on the side of lane next to grassy part. No sinking. No deep tread marks. Nope. What is she thinking? Having fun. Yep. Get over it.
I look at her and think that is what it is all about. Lets have fun Rara. Yes little one but can we maybe avoid the lane for just a bit. I would prefer not the crater look, or in this case, the footprint look on the lane. Just for a hot minute. Hahaha. No can do as she takes off seeing another puddle. It is all the same to her…life to be lived.
So what to do. Well let me see. Spring time. The season of perpetual unpredictable weather. It rains. It pours. It gets mucky and muddy. It makes puddles. It gets squishy and mishy. It soaks. It gives us cats and dogs, thunderstorms, lightning. The whole kit and caboodle. We get all bundled up in winter, what happens in spring? Mud and rain. Growing life, mud and rain. Blooming and planting, mud and rain . Get picture. Yeah. Have you not seen this. People dodging the rain as they jump over puddles to get to car holding onto the umbrella trying not to get more wet. What part of you did not get wet? And where is the shopping cart? Hmmm. Covid-19. Take it back. Oops. Maybe rain gear could be good…. including rain boots!! I mean who wants wrinkled soggy menchy feet and to top it off ruin a perfectly good pair of shoes.
Side humour today. While carpenters were busy working outside the old house I just bought, I busied myself with indoor cleaning. I had just finished washing the floor when one of the workers came in and asked to use the washroom. I looked at his muddy boots and said “Just wait a second, Ill grab some newspapers“
“That’s alright lady,” he responded, “I’m already trained.”
These boots are made for walkin’. Go and enjoy jumping and laughing and carrying on. Mud and all. Blessings.
Let us pray for those whom are in need of our prayers and for the dance in the rain, boots on,
Karenpondering 