I've often noticed that weather sounds worse when you're inside. This morning it was one of those 'shall I, shan't I' kind of mornings as I lay warm and snug and the rain battered against the window. But when I got outside it was slightly damp, a little windy, very dark but mild. Not a bad morning after all. And in the east, the clouds were broken enough for me to see Venus shining out brightly.
But the right clothing helps. As I said before, 'there's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing'. From Google I've learnt this is an old Norwegian proverb. Unfortunately I can't find it in Norwegian otherwise we could have risen to a whole new level of learning but here's another quote instead - John Ruskin (English writer and critic of art, architecture, and society, 1819-1900 - I looked him up) said, 'there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather".
Anyway, the importance of good clothing. In these winter months I am mostly wearing (from the top):
- my grey fleece hat (I was given two of these by a friend because they had become 'surplus to requirements' somewhere. I've lost the second hat and I will be lost when the first one wears out. Its ideal because it keeps me warm, doesn't cling tightly to my head and I don't look to much of a moron in it. However, I was given a lot of sympathy in a local superstore a year or so ago when I was wearing it because they thought I'd been through chemo and was hiding my bald head;
- a tee shirt, thick jumper and a fleece buff (see 'great sites'). For extra warmth, substitute a fleece jacket for the jumper (or have both if its really cold outside);
- a pair of fleece (see the trend?) trousers;
- over the top my gore-tex jacket;
- feet - a good pair of comfortable thick socks; and
- a pair of Brasher boots - see my profile for photo. These are essential. I wear mine every day and I treat them abysmally but they never complain and keep me warm and dry.
Postscript - failed to mention my very glamorous, flourescent Sam Browne belt which is essential on dark mornings. Lots of stuff about the origins of the belt (non-flourescent version) and Sam Browne here http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-uniforms/sam_browne.htm
