I took this photo ages ago (as you can see by the date at the edge. I took it on a whim, and technically it’s not a good one. Good doesn’t even begin to describe! It’s dull and has too much brown in it. So drab. Can you even use the word ‘drab’ here? Well, I’m sure you know what I mean. So after editing it a little, I put in a folder named ‘NOT to use for Blogging’ – please note the capital letters. I just placed it in a corner with the intention of not publishing it. Ever. And now it’s here. Go figure.
Today’s catching up task was to write something about one single image. A feeling, poem or just a little bit of prose. I found some fantastic photos on the web – in the Creative Commons over on Flickr and also on Unsplash (a suggestion from the guys over at WordPress). I found some that I absolutely loved but I just couldn’t find the right words for them. So I looked in some of my discarded shots, and found this. Now for this one…I do have some things to say.
This image may not seem much to you, but it says a lot about us, as in my lovely hubby J and yours truly. Let me present to you our walking shoes. The ones we used regularly on our outings in the English countryside. Minutes before I took this photo they were filthy – so filthy that I didn’t want them in the flat. So I gave them a good wipe outside the door, but later let them in for a scrub, a wash and polish. J’s pair, on your right, were dirtier than mine. You see, he walks in paths where I don’t dare to tread. The rougher and dirtier the path, the better it is. He likes to climb the hilly bits, which sometimes drives me nuts. I, on the other hand, like more leisurely routes. I like to walk on paths were these kind of shoes are not really necessary, with many pauses in between, a.k.a. coffee and lunch. J is also a climber and an amateur archer. I love sports, especially tennis, but I stopped playing regularly. I also have a pair of red and black climbing shoes (yes, the colours are important) which I used at the climbing wall at the sports centre in Surrey until my right shoulder and elbow started giving me a whole lot of trouble again.
Did I mention yet that my walking boots are the most uncomfortable shoes on the planet? I had a pair of Peter Storm ones which were nice and light, but I managed to damage them irreparably when I made my way across a deep muddy pool somewhere in the Lake District. They were waterproof, to a point. Everything has its limits. So I bought these ones. I tried them on for a while and liked them. In the shop. When I tried to break them in, they seemed fine. But on the first walk they basically killed my feet. Not fun. Don’t ask me why I bought them. I truly don’t know the answer to that.
J and I could not be more different, but somehow we’re still here.
Chorizo & Thyme 
Those boots definitely look like they’ve seen some serious hiking! Great post Roberta. And thank you for introducing me to Unsplash. I will check it out.
My husband’s definitely have. Mine are almost new, but to be fair I also have another pair that are shoes. They are lighter than the boots which make walking easier. J had a pair that lasted him for almost 10 years before this one!
Yes in many ways. Next pair will be army boots for me! I heard those are really durable!
You both have similar taste 🙂
This story reminds me of my husband and me!
A friend of mine just told me that too Sadie! 🙂