I’m pretty sure that most are aware that I have been known to have a bit of an online shopping obsession: Rue La La, Hautelook, H&M have been my daily friends. The problem is, the longer I live on a farm, the less those sites have anything I can use. L.A.M.B stilettos and cashmere sweaters are not the best choices while tending to the birds. The heels would get trashed and the dry cleaning bill for weekly removal of chicken shit doesn’t seem worth it.
I have my uniform here on the farm: spandex shorts when it is warm and leggings when it is cold. Wife-beater tee with a flannel shirt over when chilly. If it is drizzling I will wear one of my crappy raincoats (my “nice” LL Bean one is for going to town). If it is pouring, I will put on the matching rain pants.
My closet is literally jammed with “farming” clothes. I have multiple pairs of everything: tees, stained socks, spandex and flannel shirts. But the part of my daily wardrobe I cannot live without are my farm boots. I keep only one pair at a time and I covet them.
My farm boots serve many functions and I wear them rain or shine, in the heat and in the cold. I love the way they slip on so easily that I can get out to do my early morning chores without even having to bend over to pull them on. I love the way they feel when I step in a muddy field. I love even more how easy it is to wash off the cow shit that I probably stepped in while out in that muddy field.
My boots always come high enough to protect me from the prickly weeds that inevitably sprout up amongst the crops. They are also high enough to keep curious chickens from pecking at my bare legs. But probably the greatest functions of my knee-high boots is that they serve as a barrier from fire ants; nothing worse than fire ants, and it is a long crawl up my boots before they can bite me.
So it is no surprise that I received one standout Christmas present. In years past it would have been a glittery bauble, a large box of Godiva chocolates, a bottle of my favorite perfume or something slinky and sexy. Not this year. My favorite gift was a new pair of kick-ass Muck boots given to be me by my children and kids-in-law. I love them. My boots and I will get to know each other well in the coming months and I will cherish them until they crack, fade and are rendered useless. That should be about 12 months from now……hint, hint.