Day 4 - 4 -- An Icy Walk

Weather ruled the day. There had been some freezing rain overnight after a small bit of snow. I waited until mid-morning to walk up to campus. By then, it was raining lightly and the frozen ground cover had begun to melt. It was a bit slushy and on the cement could be slippery if one was not watching the ground. With the temperatures above freezing during the day, the walk home was better. There are still frozen slabs of ice in all driveways -- caused by the melting of the snow banks created when the drives were cleared of all the December snows. Pools of water at the end of my drive will be solid by the time cold temperatures return on the weekend. Today most of the ice slabs had a thin layer of water over the top. This is what creates the slippery surface. I stood on the sidewalk choosing my path over the ice slabs carefully. With my first step, my foot moved down hill. To remain upright, I brought my other foot onto the ice slab muttering the whole time. I moved about a foot downhill before I stopped enough to take the next step. It took 3 steps to cross the 3 foot icy area. Each step had less gravity effect, as the slabs flatten out once into the driveway. I have stood on the sidewalk after a melting day once things had frozen over again only to go in slow motion down hill several feet, so the driveway was minor -- still with danger involved, but minor in the grand scheme.

Three winters ago I bought new winter boots -- for walking not haute couture <smile>. They have big treads with a type of sticky rubbery sole. I still wear ice grips on really bad days, which help even more. I have referred to these boots as my Herman Munster boots due to the thick soles -- they keep me upright most of the time and keep my toes warm and dry, too. They don't look bad or too goofy, though they were made to be functional, they look like hikers. I wonder at the leather soled boots or low end runners worn by many people through the winter. How they remain standing and not broken is amazing. Perhaps that feeling comes from aging -- the desire to not fall and break something <smile>. I like to think of it as wisdom rather than fear, though. <grin>

A song hit my consciousness today as I was muttering "just keep me upright" over and over as I walked along. It is a song that has made me smile if not giggle many times before and today was no different. Enjoy!

These Boots are Made for Walking -- Nancy Sinatra