Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Muck Boots

Ladies, let's talk boots.

I bet you're enthused, sitting there with your cup of coffee, thinking I'm going to chat fashion with you. You're thinking about those Frye boots or a nice pair of Lucheese that you've been wanting.

I'm here to tell you about a whole new realm in fashion.
Hollywood here thinks she would like to chat about boots. Do you see the reflection of white in her sun goggles? The fact that the goggles were busted out is proof that that white won't last too much longer.
Kids from the prairies are part mud.  You probably didn't grow up here if you haven't had your gum boot fall off , trudging through that ooze, and  kept on going in your sock feet because your feet  were so cold in springtime weather.

We still have feet of snow on the ground, but it won't be long 'till we are swimming in sludge. A big ol' nasty, mire of nothing but pure dirty, that makes a grown man grin as he digs trenches in the lane. That huge ball of fire in the sky is packing heat on some of these afternoons and my little girl has discovered the joy of puddles. Trucks are filthy, the farmers in the coffee shop are grinning, and gophers are running around on top of the snow. We are busting out the Muck boots.




I mentioned Muck boots in a previous post and I received an email from a lady thinking it was funny that us Albertan's call our gum boots Muck boots. Girls, we don't just call em Muck boots-they are an actual brand of insulated rubber boots here that are meant to keep your feet warm and dry all year long. They are a thing of beauty.  Pair them with a dirty ol' Carhartt coat and you're Redneck stylin'. I love these bad boys so much that I'm writing a whole post on these blessed chore boots.

Back in the day there weren't such luxuries as these treasures. Ranchers would wade out in the sludge to check calves and come in with stained socks much to their wive's dismay. I'm sure no one really minded that much; you're just thrilled Spring arrived here.

One of my favorite famed 'muddy' stories in the family took place right where my folks live now. It was my Great Grandpa's place many moons ago, the legendary hero we all called Pappa. Years ago, when Charolais bulls were relatively new to Canada, these big beasts got out and were heading to get in with the heifers. My dad was out with Pappa in the barnyard soup when Pappa started hollering to beat the band at my Uncle, at the top of the pasture, to cut the bulls off. With all the bellowing Pappa's teeth flew out of his mouth and landed right in the slop and manure. Losing his teeth paused the hollering, but Pappa just gave those teeth a quick wipe, popped them back in his mouth and commenced whooping. Only in Alberta- we don't let the mud and manure get in the way!

24 comments:

Julie Harward said...

She is mighty cute..I think she could start a trend! I love the boots, I call them life savers cause they do! ;D

Lindsay said...

We LOVE Muck Boots! They are the BEST!!! :) I like the little rubber frog boots, too. I got a pair for my daughter that were cows and even had a little rubber tail hanging off the back!

Jaimi_C said...

Funny story! I don't know if I would have been that brave to just pop them back in my mouth :)

I can't tell you how much I love my Bogs! They are simply the best! The hubs gave Muck boots a try this year and he loves his as well. Cute little froggies for Hollywood!

Just keepin wading through the mud and the muck and before you know it the ground will be dry!

Jaimi

LindaG said...

So you buy boots to go over socks and not shoes, right?
No, I don't know, haha. That's why I ask. :)
I love the frog boots!
Hope you all have a great day. :)

Deb said...

Ooh, gross! The teeth story I mean. I love the boots and have never heard of that brand. The handles are so neat.

LadySmith@CashmereandCarrotSticks said...

love them. we have the same little froggy boots in our house:)

Petie said...

Love this post. Love the history.

mikki roo said...

How can I be from the prairies and not have heard of Muck boots?? They look AWESOME! Mind sharing where you got them?

Cathy Brian said...

I wish I could send you a picture of our Mucks All seven of us have a pair and one day I came in from the corrals and there, lined up on the back step was every pair we own. that's 14 boots all neatly in a row. And what does this blogging momma do? That's right, I grabbed the camera and got a shot but I don't think I ever got around to blogging it. sigh. LOVE the Mucks!!

Sherry Sikstrom said...

I adore my Muck boots, I wear them well into winter thety are so nice and warm. reminds me ,I need new ones soon

Alicia said...

Great boots for splashing around. Hooray for muck season! :)

Crystal said...

I love those muck boots, i actually got a pair I can ride in and they are so nice in winter! I got to get a less insulated pair for summer though cause they have too much insulation when it gets warm.

NaomiG said...

That story is awesome. You gotta love a person who just does what needs to be done, no matter what.

Those boots are great. I thought our mud was bad here, until I read this blog post, ha! Yowza!

Steph said...

We even use Muck boots way down here! They are good for working in our chicken houses! I wear some every day!

Gumbo Lily said...

We have the same boot styles here! Nothing like 'em. Your story about Pappa's teeth flying out of his mouth just kills me!

Jody

Rach said...

Chey- you totally made my day! Remember 'our' little creek between your house & ours? :) I lost my boots in there a few times too besides the mud! It's kinna nice not to have mud here but sometimes I do *almost* wish my boys knew what puddles were... O well, the back entry stays waaay cleaner!!

Suzie Salmon said...

Out here on the coast those are my main boots throughout the winter! I have a fancy "city"pair (Hunters) and a "country" pair (good ol' Walmart gum boots bought 1/2 a size too big). To keep my feet warm, I went to Marks Workwearhouse and bought a $5 insole that's good to -20C ! And I cannot wait for the rain to stop here and that mud to dry up, because we had to bring a truckload of gravel in for the driveway just to stop my truck from sinking every time I pull in the yard!

Anonymous said...

I wouldn't know what to do with muck boots! Even when it does rain, the ground is so hard and rocky that we don't have mud. Seriously!
My daddy used to have a yellow rain slicker, and when he moved from Tx, he never had to use it. It actually dry rotted. That's what would happen to muck boots too, I'm sure!

Anna said...

Oh that is hilarious!! I think your boots are super cute! And anything that can keep you dry AND warm--awesome!

Grace @ Sense and Simplicity said...

You Albertans are a tough crew. I hadn't heard of Muck boots, but they sound fantastic. I have seen some of the prairie mud, but not the worst of it. I'm glad spring is finally reaching you guys out there. We are due to have a bit more snow on Sunday - sigh!

Libbie said...

Ahhhhh! Cheyenne! That is terrible abou the teeth! :) Ew! But I have a feeling my husband or his dad would do the same thing! My husband is a farmer at heart & raching would be his dream :) I do toy with the idea of moving to our farm but for now he just goes every Saturday :) Your stories make me think of him living that life ...& the boots...perfect! I just sent all the kids out the door with him (except Roo) & they all had their boots in hand....maybe I should get my hubby some MUCK brand boots for his birthday :) Hope that white is totally gone!

crystal.cattle said...

Those are awesome boots. I grew up in Alberta, and my friends in the states are constantly asking how we can ever keep warm. I am glad you found a stylish way to do it.
www.crystalcattle.com

Angie Berry ~ Berry Homespun Primitives said...

LOL! Funny story, girl! My dad would have done the exact same thing. Cute picture of the boots!

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

Great fun tales of the history of your piece of the prairie. Your daughter is too cute in the sunshine, I love sunglasses too. Have a good weekend, may the mud dry soonest.

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