Boot Tip

Here's a tip of my Bean boot and some brittle ice. They're not my old gum rubbers, that I wore everyday from dawn to dusk growing up, but they'll do. My brother and I each had a pair that, when they weren't on our feet, were lined next to the the kitchen radiator that always seemed to be rattling away. Through my upper elementary and junior high years they were the staple for your feet in winter. By most mid-mornings in school, my grey, wool socks had slipped to the bottom of my feet and were pretty sweaty. I had to take each off to pull up the sagging sock. The gum rubber design is still around today, but with a lot more emphasis on fashion then on keeping 12 year old boys' feet warm. They were pretty important for other reasons too. For example, walking to school and around the neighborhood, if we came upon thin, crusted ice like this, it had to be smashed. To me, much more than the smashing of the frozen water, it was the sound. Much like shattering glass, it brought smiles to our faces. 
Smashing! Crashing! Shattering!
Hey, our fun was cheap!

Birthday Wishes going out today to my Sis J- in Oregon!