New Boots

Yes, I had to go shopping again for a pair of my old favorites.

Hey, if something works exceptionally well, why change.

So the search for Timberland Chocura Trail hiking boots

began again.

I started by checking the websites of stores in my area.

Scheels didn't have them.

(This was where I bought my first 3 pairs; in their infinite stupidity they don't carry them anymore.)

Gander Mountain didn't have them in the color and size I needed.

(The do sell them in that horrid tan color but were out of my size. You can see what I did to a pair of those

in the pictures at the bottom.)

Fleet Farm - checked the shelves one day when I was there - nope.

Dick's Sporting Goods - nope.

Cabellas - nope.

They had lots of "hiking shoes" in their catalogs that looked like some hideous mutation of my grandmother's crazy quilts.  I don't necessarily try to make my shoes match my clothes, but it would be nice if they at least didn't clash.  Keep in mind with any design, the more seams something has, the more places it has to come unraveled.  They just didn't look like they would hold up to the dirt and torture I devise followed by a quick "cleaning" via garden hose on high pressure.

So I tried a web search for the Timberland women's Chocura Trail Hiking Boots and it came up with Macy's of all places??  Sorry, they're not exactly the first place I would think to go for rugged outdoor gear.  So I checked out their website.  I guess website search engines are gender blind, because Macy's doesn't sell them in women's.  Thankfully, their men's sizes went small enough.  So long story short, I am now cross-dressing in men's boots, but no one will probably notice anyway, because they look the same.

Here are the old suede-ish tan ones.

First of all, it is impossible to get them looking even remotely clean.  I very carefully avoided wearing them in the garden last summer, but one cold winter's day I needed the traction when I had to empty the pellet stove ashes from the shop vac, and the stains just stuck and stayed.  And halfway through the winter, the goretex waterproofing just quit working.  Even with my oldest pair of dark brown ones, they kept out the water really well until I wore holes in the soles.  I didn't like the tan ones at all!  I wish Gander Mountain the best of luck getting rid of their remaining stock of those.  I would not buy them again unless I absolutely could not find the ones in regular leather.

 As usual, they were starting to look like slicks by the time I finally replaced them.

Happy Hiking Everyone!

Oof

Hope all of you had a blessed Easter.  My apologies, I was too tired on Sunday to do a special post, so better late than never.  For those of you who continue to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ throughout the rest of the year, here is a reminder of why.
Titus 2:13-14
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

So now for a musical interlude:
Here's a peppy one from the 80's

and here's a classic from Mr. Bach

With the weather warming, I've been busy cleaning at mom's house.  The frost has gone out of the driveway and it is no longer a sloppy mixture of mud and gravel, so it doesn't get tracked back into the house with each load of junk hauled outside.  The garbage men probably had a few select cuss words for me this morning as they picked up two full recycling bins and 10' of a double row of garbage bags along the curb.  It is sad to see both mom and stepfather slipping away ever so gradually.  I just hope that I can get their mess cleaned up before their health gets bad enough that they need professional care.  Don't worry, I'm not depressed, just tired and in need of rest.  And the lazy child in me wishes for Christ to "crack the sky and take me home" (in some theological circles referred to as the rapture) so that I don't have to finish cleaning mom's entire house and garage.

The Rain Turned to Snow

We already know what snow looks like by now.  It is pretty, but I didn't bother to take pictures.  In spite of the snow, the grass is turning green, and the neighbor's sump pump has been running nonstop for the last 3 days.  Ahh springtime, ain't it grand.

On the plus side, it is extremely unlikely that the brush fires in Fond du Lac county will be relit.

Rainy Day

It's been raining all day.  The good news is that I saw some earthworms working their way across the sidewalk today; that means the frost must be leaving the ground finally.  I picked them up and tossed them into the garden.  Once the night crawlers come out, I'll know for sure.  We had a bit of lightning and thunder.  Chloe pulled her usual scaredy dog thing again.  Poodles must have memories like elephants.  She just won't forget that spring storm a few years ago.

Well, I guess the weather is telling me I should do inside chores today like spring cleaning, so bye for now.

Chloe's Fortune Cookies

Fortune #1: "The fortune you seek is in another cookie."

"Oh Goodie!  Does that mean I get seconds?"

Fortune #2:

"A new wardrobe brings great joy and change in your life."

 "I'm not sure I like the sound of that one.

Perhaps I shouldn't have been greedy and had that second cookie."

 "I remember this process.

I don't like this process."

"Are you finally done with those clippers?" 

 "Ahh, it is so much cooler now."

"Now ma, you need to fix the other problem and find a suitable beau.  All the boy dogs in this neighborhood have had their family jewels stolen.  It's that time of year again, and I feel lonesome and a bit peckish.  Where'd you hide the dog biscuits?"

Thanks Lord for Lent

And all the devout Catholics and Lutherans who observe it, because the grocery store put beef tenderloins on sale for $3.99/lb due to the lack of demand.

You Know the Economy Isn't Really Better When

Plastic surgeons start advertising "buy one, get one free breast implants".  What if some poor dear is really lopsided and only wants one to even them out a bit?  And what about cancer patients who only have one removed?  Do they have to bring a friend along to get the free one? Or does the doc just put the spare on account in case of puncture or some other accident?  I am not sure there is ever a good way to put breast implants on sale.  What does the doctor do, list a flat rate for the surgery and then put the spare parts on sale at 1/2 price?  That might be really tricky to do as a jingle in a short radio spot.

They really should screen radio commercials.  If they are too funny, it might cause auto accidents.  I must admit it made for quite a laugh while waiting for a red light.