A Change of Trousers!

Spring has sprung.

It’s not the presence of crocuses and daffs that lead me to that conclusion, nor the buds on the trees bursting into life.

No, it’s the fact that this morning, faced with a gloriously sunny day, I shunned the Paramo Cascada trousers in which I have lived for the last five months, and instead reached for my summer trousers.

This was no half-baked switch to summer, I went the whole hog and also shunned my Paramo Velez smock (in which I have also been living) in favour of a light windshirt.

Then, without any experimental poking of a lightly-trousered leg out of the door to gauge temperature, I set off to walk to the Post Office the long way, via the local fields. Recklessly, there wasn’t a hat or glove in sight either.

In contrast to this sudden summeriness I opted for completely over-the-top footwear, deciding that it was time to cut the tags off my ZG65s and give them their first outing. I’ve been loathed to wear a stiff pair of boots on our longer, and rather fast-paced, outings on the Chase, but a 4.5 mile stroll over fields seemed like a suitable time to give them their first introduction to the shape of my feet.

The outcome was happy all around. I was perfectly warm enough in my lighter clothing. My feet were happy in my new boots. My boots didn’t object to the shape of my feet. And, Mick’s newly acquired car is now all taxed and legal, which means that as of his arrival home tonight, I have my own transport again.