In the cities of the northern hemisphere, early April’s milder weather often brings an end to wearing boots – especially for adults who won’t be playing in the mud.

I remember that I couldn’t wait to get out of winter footwear & place my daintily shod feet in new spring shoes directly on dry pavement. Or wet pavement, for that matter. It hardly made a difference unless there was snow – and it was actually accumulating. Oh, I suppose there might be a few who still actually wear town bootswith the stiletto heel & fine leather uppers.

Spring footwear in the country, though, is a different game altogether. Lacking the paved sidewalks, pathways & driveways that we had in the city, our dooryard – and that of most others – turns into a muddy quagmire.

The forecast calls for rain here for five of the next seven days, although on a couple of days it might be mixed with snow. But it’s not just the rain, it’s also the effects of all the melting snow.

By this time of the year, I can’t stand to put on my heavy winter boots, which are not especially suitable for mud anyway. I have a slightly oversize pair of low duck-boots that I’ve tried, but the mud sucks them nearly off my feet at every step – and besides, they’re not really high enough. And I have a pair of utilitarian black rubber boots (with the red soles) but feel more than a little self-conscious wearing them to town or to another person’s home.

So I have for a few years coveted a new pair of splashy rain boots. I thought about the classic Wellington boots (that are available now in every color of the rainbow, including traditional green Wellies), but decided I needed something a little more fun. Besides, I had a gift certificate for the Village Gift Shoppe (upstairs at the pharmacy) and they had these. I had hoped to get something black & white like these (I love polka dots!) or even navy with tiny blue whales (how appropriate for this seaside community!). But all they had in my size were these. So these I have.

And I’ve decided to embrace the purple & the daisies. Why not? They’re practical – I’ve tested them already and they’re waterproof, they’re tall enough & they fit under boot-cut pants really well.

A small issue – whether you’re prepared to wear rubber roots in the spring – but it can be the little things that can break the newcomer to country living. Consider yourself forewarned!

Which of these boots would YOU choose? Could you really wear them?

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