Just as the weather forecast had promised, it was a mostly sunny day, with a little haze preventing the sky from being picture postcard-style deep azure blue. Since we still have winter, the temperatures were near frost level, going up to about 1°C (about 34F), leaving the shaded parts of the ground frozen and covered with rime, the sunlit parts, however, considerably warmer - especially where the ground was paved.

I packed myself in warm clothing, including my leg-warmers to keep my shins and calves warm, and went out to take my usual walk to and in the park, looking very much forward to the different textures, which I reckoned changing due to being lit and warmed by the sun or remaining in the shade - which turned out just being the case. My bare soles felt cool sand with a little grass and moss, then sun-warmed sand and soil, slightly warmed-up cobblestones, cool and wet grass with frozen soil underneath, quite cold grass with a little rime on it in a more shaded place, muddy paths, soft, wet and cool where the sun was shining on and soft soil with a little moss, grass and pine needles strewn across. That last surface, feeling almost like forest floor, was not frozen, but soft and cool at the touch of my bare soles, and therefore just the right spot to do my relaxation and breathing exercise, refueling my positive-energy mental batteries, before directing my barefoot steps to my favourite group of park benches to sit on, which was basked in sunlight, and invited me to sit down for a few moments, feel some sunlight on my face and bare feet and then leave the park after more than an hour spent on a nicely sunny winter's day.

Since the soil underneath was frozen solid, I refrained from taking more than a few steps on the grass... That hard and unyielding soil felt a little too unpleasant underfoot for my taste.

Here's a little collection of images, depicting my feet enjoying the aforementioned textures:

Jan. 29, 2011 - Sunny Saturday barefoot shopping

The weather forecast certainly was right about the sunny weather today, as well as about the frosty night and morning. In order to enjoy the sunny conditions and the mildest temperatures possible, I decided to make my little trip into the center of the town at early afternoon, preparing myself with my makeshift leg-warmers to keep my calves and ankles warm.

Recycled sleeves from a dark-red cotton sweater and a (formerly) black fake-woolen jacket (synthetic fiber) made into makeshift leg-warmers - one way to re-use pieces of old clothing that have become too small to wear. The synthetics the blackish sleeves are made of act as a very nice insulation against the cold, being totally and utterly non-breathable, while the cotton underneath keeps the itchy fake-wool away from my bare skin. A few moments after putting them on, I felt my calves and shins warm up, the warmth radiating down into my bare feet as well.

Thus prepared (of course, wearing more clothing than just the leg-warmers), I went outside to get to the tram stop, and had the delightful opportunity to feel the different temperatures of the pavement, as there were indeed differences between shaded and sunlit parts, just as I predicted and had looked forward to feel underfoot.

Shaded pavement, still feeling frosty

Sunlit pavement, feeling quite warm, since the sun
already has enough power to warm up the ground.

In some shaded spots, the pavement was still white and glistening with rime, since the air temperature had just risen to 2°C (almost 36F), the ground still frozen, where the sun did not shine onto.
The shopping trip was the usual, without anything too noteworthy... the typical occurrences of "The Look"® here and there, but also a few admiring glances at my bare feet and smiles at me, one of those coming from a cute blonde dreadlocked woman - who was walking the mall (shod) with her boyfriend. Even though it was non-verbal, I take it as encouragement.

The next barefoot event of the weekend will be enjoying the sunny Sunday weather on a long barefoot stroll.

Jan. 28, 2011 - More frosty kisses and the barefoot end of the office week

-4°C (about 25F) air temperature on Friday morning - definitely frosty. However, since the weather was again dry (and forecast to stay that way for many days to come, too), those were still very good conditions for barefooting. Once again, I treated my bare feet with bag balm and put on ankle warmers, too. The shiny, happy feet were on the loose again, also when I waited for the tram to take me to the central station.

Since I had missed my usual tram - it just zoomed by me, as I was on the way to the tram stop, and I am not the type to run after trams or buses - I had to wait for the next one, due 15 minutes later. That meant, 15 minutes barefoot on frozen pavement, too. In order to keep the circulation going, I walked to and fro at the stop, feeling my feet stay warm, thanks to the walking and the insulating layer of bag balm on them.

After changing to the usual bus at the station, I got out at my stop near the office and since the temperature was near my personal threshold for dry weather, I decided to tune up the stimulation on my soles a few notches, taking the sidewalk where the anti-skid grit had not been swept away (not my usual choice) in order to provide more stimuli for my soles and to boost circulation again. Certainly, my feet never felt numb or too cold, even though a little numbness would have been nice as the pieces of grit were really unnerving. But, on the positive side, them being unnerving meant that my bare feet were well and not in danger of sustaining frost damage. It never felt too cold on the toes where I wore toe rings, either. After that short but slightly taxing walk on the grit-strewn sidewalk, I entered the office building barefoot (a bit later than usual, but still on time), got upstairs, sat down at my desk, and did not put on my shoes for two hours. I even had two of my superiors come to my desk, asking about some things, but never commenting on my bare feet and the bejeweled naked toes beneath the desk. Well, it was Friday after all, and they seemed to take the casual Friday theme in stride with my bare feet as well (even though they were shod).

After the office day, about an hour after sunset, temperatures were just around freezing level, thanks to a sunny day, that had warmed up the air and ground a little. Even though I had taken a little can of bag balm with me, I did not need it to anoint my feet before leaving the office. With the forecasts of more sunny days to come, especially on the weekend, I will make sure to enjoy the sunny moments when doing my Saturday shopping trip and my Sunday barefoot stroll, getting some sunshine onto my bare toes. I'm sure it will also be the first occasion this year to feel the sun warming up the pavement, in contrast to shaded areas with frosty conditions. Another winter treat for bare feet coming up...

Jan. 27, 2011 - First frosty kisses on my toes

-1°C (30F) air temperature in the morning, the ground certainly a bit colder, I felt the first frosty kisses by Mother Nature on my toes. I was prepared, though, having treated my bare feet with bag balm, turning them into shiny, happy feet again.

Shiny, happy office feet

After-office feet at the bus stop

The only downside was, that the bag balm wore off during the day, since I had to step into my shoes in the office again - therefore my feet were unprotected against the frosty evening air, when I stood at the bus stop. Since weather forecasts are telling me about night temperatures going as low as -5°C (23F), I will take the little can of bag balm with me tomorrow, making sure to embalm my feet at the end of the office day. And ankle warmers will be part of my outfit, too.

Jan. 26, 2011 - A barefoot mid-week update

After work: bare feet on the subway station platform, heading home.

January continues towards the end of the month with cool temperatures, still high enough for my taste to be barefoot outdoors. The first half of the week was like the week before - barefoot before and after work, and also at the office before the bosses' arrival.

Since night and early morning temperatures are slowly moving towards frost level and below, I am going to have shiny, happy bare feet in the mornings again, treating them with bag balm. Since dry cold days have been forecast, with a bit of sunshine to push temperatures slightly above frost level during the day, barefooting should be possible for the rest of the week as well. I'm looking forward to feel Mother Nature's frosty kiss on my toes again.

Jan. 22 and 23, 2011 - Barefoot weekend no. 4

Temperatures slightly above frost level, grey and overcast sky, an occasional drizzle - not quite wonderful weather, but good enough for enjoying barefoot freedom.

The Saturday was the usual, with the barefoot shopping day (nothing noteworthy to report there) and another role-playing game session in the evening - this time in a fantasy-themed universe, since a chapter of our space adventures had come to an end last time...
A little extra entertainment came from the gamemaster's dog (Chewie), who again worked on being a cute, but also stubborn young male, appearing not to hear what his mistress told him.

 

The Sunday was the continuation of Saturday, as far as the weather was concerned.
Since there was no frost, the barefoot walk in the park was obligatory, its pleasure amplified by the slightly rainy conditions, leaving textures nicely soft and in some places muddy. I took my time to explore certain spots around trees and their roots, including the three trees emulating the threefold Goddess. I stood on the rich brown soil in the middle of the three, marvelling at the green skirts of moss the Goddesses were wearing, looking bright even in grey and gloomy weather.

All in all, the one-hour walk with little meditative stops at those special trees, left me with nicely earth-colored bare feet, an intense feeling of relaxation and a nice amount of positive energy.

Here are the images of this Sunday's barefoot hour of power:

Jan. 21, 2011 - Frosty kisses on my toes... (testing the limits)

I have found, that my toes, that have been frostbitten more than a month ago, have become very acute tactile sensors when it comes to temperature limits of barefooting. This Friday was to be a somewhat frosty day, with temperatures in the morning just below freezing level and during the day as well as in the evening just around freezing level.

I had taken precaution against the cold by applying bag balm to my bare feet, making it a special foot care with twofold effect: keeping my skin supple and protecting against the cold. It also added a special fragrance to my feet, since the bag balm I used is made with marigold extract, too. Therefore, I had some shiny happy feet that morning, as can be seen at the bus stop...

... as well as in the office (where I was barefoot again for more than an hour, before having to put on shoes).

On the way to the office, after exiting the bus, I could clearly see, that it was frosty weather indeed, since some shallow puddles had frozen over, and the grass strips next to the sidewalk were covered with rime. Since the sidewalks themselves were dry, the coldth did not sting my toes, and thanks to the protective grease covering, my bare feet were insulated just fine, all warmth staying inside.

Of course, I just had to try out the feeling of walking barefoot in the rime-covered grass, and since it was only slight frost, the soil beneath the grass still felt soft and yielding - a wonderful combination, really. I made sure to take the same way back, when it was time to leave the office in the early evening, again enjoying that special feeling. Since I had worn shoes over the office day, the bag balm had disappeared from my feet (doing its job as leather care, applied in a more unusal way to the insides of my Birks), but even though there was slight precipitation - frozen drizzle, too small to call it snowflakes, really - my feet never felt too cold while walking (the trick is to keep moving, as barefooters know). But, even when I was waiting for the bus, my feet never felt numb, and as soon as I felt them tingle with cold, I took a few steps, walking to and fro, to get the circulation up and running again.

If winter will continue this way - with only slight frost and next to no snow, my feet will stay bare, happy and on some occasions shiny, too.

Jan. 19, 2011 - Short barefoot mid-week update...

The mild spell has come to an end, replaced by typical January weather with high temperatures around 5°C (40F)... at night, frost is imminent, and an errant snowflake or two might find its way onto the ground by the weekend.

Especially in wet weather, I now have to be careful as my toes are now fully-healed, but the skin underneath is still tender and very sensitive to coldth. Nevertheless, I have been barefoot before and after work since Monday, and also spent a first two hours unshod at the office in the morning, too... Let's hope that it will be just cool and not too cold weather, so that I can keep barefooting in my free time.

Jan. 16, 2011 - The barefoot Sunday power hour (barefoot weekend no. 3, part 2)

Sunday, sunny weather, temperatures around 13°C (almost 55F)... such a day would be wasted without taking a long barefoot walk to recharge my emotional and spiritual batteries before facing another week of working in "the machine", otherwise known as "the office". It also was a nice counterpart to some of that machine work I had to do even before the office week started. As mentioned below (in the Friday footnotes), I had the assignment to translate a PowerPoint presentation of our company from German to English - a thing that was done easily (and barefoot, too) at my desk in the morning, while doing the laundry. So, after having finished that assignment, I decided to go out to the park in the late afternoon, wanting to capture some of that special sunset atmosphere while feeling the different textures underfoot. Since the weather was rather mild, I decided to dress for a spring day rather than wearing winter clothing - and as far as I could see, I was the only person around wearing pants cut off mid-calf and just a cotton hooded jacket over a t-shirt. While walking, I felt quite warm, and even when sitting down on a bench in the park, I never felt cold at all. So, it was the right choice not to bundle up for polar weather, as some mainstream people strolling through the park still did, seemingly taking the calendar as guideline for dressing up rather than the thermometer.

The tour of textures in the park began with the usual:

Cobblestones at the park entrance

And after entering the park, it was the sandy paths, giving me that much-loved beach feeling beneath my bare soles, leading me to a spot where I could capture the first impression of the late-afternoon sun setting, looking at the theatre building adjacent to the park:

The sand on the paths felt cool and moist, as always after a few days of rain...

And after walking on these paths for a while, I decided to sit down on a bench, have a look at my feet and the nicely earthy color of my soles and then gazed into the park, which was fringed by the golden light of the sun that now had vanished beneath the horizon...

After sitting there for a while, I went on, exploring textures, enjoying the different touches of Mother Earth's bare skin on my bare soles... and also standing on bare soil for a while to execute my relaxation exercise, the barefoot breath meditation to relax and energize.

I then went to the little threesome of trees that I discovered weeks ago, reminding me of the trinity of the Goddess (Maiden, Mother and Crone), and again marveled at the warmth of the rich brown soil underfoot - that spot again felt warmer than the surrounding muddy earth... that gave me an additional boost of spiritual energy, feeling Mother Earth's warmth flooding upwards inside me through my naked feet. It felt, that near those trees the soil was a bit cooler than in the center of that triangle - again, I was sure of that place being a spiritual hot spot.

Before leaving the park, I went to another bench, capturing another of those unique impressions, set between day and night, on the way there:

And while sitting on that bench, I looked at my feet, felt them being happy after so much Earth contact, and enjoyed their Earth-colored state - clear indication of Mother Earth's tender touch.

After more than one-and-a-half hour, it had become dark, streetlights shining on the outer paths of the park, so that I decided to call it a day for today and went to the park's side exit to get back to my apartment.

Jan. 15, 2011 - Barefoot Saturday shopping (barefoot weekend no. 3, part 1)

It is the third weekend of this year, and also the third weekend fit for spending time barefoot outdoors. So far, the new year and its weather has been barefoot-friendly, indeed.
And since it's Saturday, of course, it's also the time for some barefoot shopping, as usual.
So, I went my usual way by public transport to the city center, into the mall, encountering "The Look"® occasionally, but no comments - at least I did not hear any, protected by the acoustic shields of my MP3 player. I went to the tobacconist and the supermarket, all unhassled and, with my usual two shopping bags, went outside the mall, which was overheated as usual, too, to cool off and have a smoke before taking the tram back home. Nothing out of the ordinary so far.
Two teenage fashion-victim boys were staring at me, perhaps bewildered more by the fact that I was owning and operating a state-of-the-art smartphone while being barefoot. People still seem to think that being barefoot is a poverty thing. OK, I'm not rich by Western standards, but I live debt-free and have enough money to live a comfortable life and have some things that can be viewed as pure luxury, since they aren't real necessities of life (owning two computers, for instance, one stationary and one portable, is pure luxury, indeed).

After those two teenagers had passed me, a man stepped up to me, smiling, wearing a typical winter outfit, with a light coat, scarf and woolen cap - too warm for my taste on a cloudy day with 10°C. I thought that he was about to bum me for a cigarette, tuned down my MP3 player, took an earphone out, and heard him ask "Excuse me, I'm curious and I wondered why you're standing here barefoot?" - He was addressing me with the informal German "Du", which is normally seen as rude or at least bad behaviour among strangers, but since he was friendly and otherwise well-behaved, I did not mind. I explained to him the wellness and health reasons for my barefooting. Of course, he did ask, whether it wasn't dangerous, since I might catch a cold and such things... at which I smiled and explained to him, that even though the word "cold" implies cold weather, it's actually a viral infection and not the cold weather causing it.
In fact, my walking barefoot provides some inurement against cold, I explained to him, quoting the health rules of old Father Kneipp. He then said, that he wondered whether I was barefoot due to some illness, but I again assured him, that it's for health reasons, taking stress off my joints and ligaments and for general wellness reasons, too.
He nodded, smiled and then said "I thought it was for other reasons that you're barefoot..."
I did not inquire any further what he meant by that, but it might have been the typical associations of 'hippie', 'sect' or 'cult'. I decided to leave it at the health and wellness reasons - I was not sure how he might have reacted to my spiritual reasons... He did not look like a member of the target group for such thoughts and feelings. We exchanged first names - he introduced himself as Hans - and he wished me safe walks on all my ways. I smiled, shook hands with him and wished him a nice weekend.

Definitely a different and very positive reaction to my bare feet.

Jan. 10 - 14, 2011 - Short footnotes in a barefoot week

Monday:

At the tram stop, on my way to work

A cool start of the office week, with temperatures around 0°C/32F on a clear morning. Since the pavement was dry in most places, only a little rime glistening in the light of the street lamps, my feet did not feel too cold. "The Look"® was only present occasionally, with the most extreme being four trend zombie, fashion victim type teenagers on the subway on my way home, looking so often, that they gave me the opportunity to capture their behaviour.

Tuesday:

Again, a morning with sparkling sidewalks, due to rime. Temperatures were again just around freezing level. I had the opportunity to again wiggle bare toes in the office for the first hour of the working day, due to bosses being absent, before going out to the first break. Aside from a bit of barefoot freedom at work, this morning rewarded me with a glorious sunrise before the day turned rainy, and temperatures rose - according to the weather forecast, another mild spell with rain is underway.

Wednesday:

One danger to bare toes: shopping cart wheels  

Before putting my bare toes in danger after work, I had the fun of walking barefoot in the rain, including lots of puddles. The day started off dry, 5°C (40F) and a forecast of lots of rain by mid-day. And the forecast was exactly right. Puddles and rain will be the condition for bare feet in the next days, too, with temperatures about to rise above 10°C (50F). The mild spell and therefore a perfect time for barefooting is just about to begin.

Thursday:

A mild but rainy morning gave me the special treat of walking barefoot in the rain - but also made in necessary to carry a typical item of protection: an umbrella. I guess the little incongruency of not being afraid to get my feet wet (and not to evade puddles) and the open umbrella shielding my head and upper body against the rain puzzled people even more than just my bare feet...

Friday

Before work: bus stop (underground, central station)

The last day of the office week started like the days before - mild and overcast, with rain imminent - however, I decided to try my good luck and left my umbrella at home and went out barefoot, enjoying a very mild 12°C (54F) morning.
I did encounter one surface, which is almost as slippery as ice on frosty days: the tiles at the underground bus terminal at the central station, which were wet, mixed with the fine dust that settles there, made of diesel engine soot and rubber abrasion from the bus tires (or tyres, for the British). That mix is just as slippery as green soap. On dry days, that fine dust is a guarantee for pitch black bare soles. After mastering that tricky surface, I went to the office, spending again the time until the first break barefoot at the desk and walking around, too.

It seems that my good luck stretched over the whole day, since I did not get wet by rain on the way to work, or on the way home - and work went by smoothly as well. And even though the bus going partway home was delayed, meaning that I would have to wait longer for the connecting tram to take me to my stop, I had again luck, since that tram was delayed as well... bad luck for others, but good luck for me.
And with the end of this partly barefoot working week, a fully barefoot weekend is ahead, with the mild spell continuing - and the chance to get some pre-Spring sun on my barefoot Sunday walk - even though I have a little work to do over the weekend... another small translation assignment for my employer - seems like they just don't save the company presentations I already have translated from German to English properly.

After work: bus stop (outdoors, a patch of dry pavement)

Jan. 7 - 9, 2011 - The first fully barefoot weekend of this year.

This barefoot weekend was foreshadowed in the middle of the week, when weather forecasts were telling us of thaw setting in by Wednesday morning and temperatures going up as high as 12°C (over 55F) on Saturday. And even though that Wednesday started off as the usual frosty and cold winter day, the sunrise as witnessed from our office was again of the spectacular sort you typically have on winter days:

During that day, temperatures were rising above frost level and stayed there, even overnight. However, there was still a lot of frozen slush and remains of snow lying around, as well as some areas where salt had been spread. Therefore, even though the temperatures were well above frost level on Thursday, my feet stayed shod that day, while I was waiting for the mild temperatures to deal with that stuff. On Friday morning, when I looked out of the window, I saw a large part of the sidewalks around the house I live in free of slush and chunks of ice and snow. Therefore, I decided to make this morning the start of a barefoot weekend, even though I could not be barefoot all throught the day - it was, after all, the final day of a week of office work.
But I did not put on my shoes, but put them into my shoulder bag, and went outside on my bare feet to get to the tram stop and from there to work. Evading the odd piece of frozen slush on sidewalks, I went happily barefoot on public transport as well as on my way from the bus stop to the office building, then into the building and sat down - still barefoot - at my desk, with my bare toes enjoying their freedom very much.

One happy office barefooter

As people came in, there was also talk about the weather, of course, and one colleague of mine, whom I regularly meet at the central station, changing from the subway to the bus taking us to the office, and who regularly spots my bare feet on that occasion, said to another co-worker "Well, I knew it had to be a mild day today when I saw him walking barefoot".

And she was right. About an hour after work started, I slipped my feet into my office Birks (reluctantly), but since the bosses were due to arrive, I had to answer those stupid social demands, doing the "normal" thing, according to the dress code. After the office day was over though, I took off my shoes, certain of not putting them on until Monday morning, when the new office week was to start.

After-office bus stop feet

Leaving trademark tracks on public transport

Arriving at home, happily barefoot

The strange nature of the weather on Friday was, that temperatures were rising steadily towards the late evening, and not dropping overnight. So, I was facing an almost spring-like day on Saturday, with temperatures climbing as high as 14°C (over 57F). And even the occasional rain did not make me feel gloomy at all, but really happy to let my soles feel fresh air, cool ground underfoot and, of course, puddles to splash my bare toes in. All those poor fashion victims and trend zombies who were careful not to get their fashionable sneakers wet or dirty surely missed a treat, since those folks were taking evasive action, whereas I made sure to step into all puddles happily and clearly on purpose.

First contact with cool and wet pavement on leaving the house

A small-sized grit bed - free massage trail

One happy barefoot shopper

Of course, since it was Saturday, I went for my usual weekend shopping trip, dressed up for spring rather than winter, since temperatures did not call for thick jackets, a scarf or warm pullovers. Strangely enough, many people still dressed according to the calendar rather than the actual temperature, and so they went around packed in thick winter clothing, while I was again the barefoot exception. Needless to say, really, that I was the only barefoot person around the mall at that time, too.
"The Look"® occurred a few times - not too surprising for me, since some people will gape at bare feet even on hot summer days.

After coming home from my shopping trip, I went - still barefoot - to our regular role-playing game group, facing an evening of adventures in space, ending this part of the campaign with a great space battle... which we won, though not unscathed. At least it were only NPCs getting hurt much.

And after that Saturday, the final day of the barefoot weekend just had to contain the barefoot Sunday walk to the park, of course. I was looking forward to a quite muddy barefoot adventure, since the thaw would have left that place all wet with new puddles and mud for my bare toes to explore. The weather was cloudy, with a little sun, too, and temperatures a little lower, around 6°C (44F), which called for a thicker jacket again.

As it turned out, the ground in the park had swallowed up the water from the Saturday rain and the thaw quite well, so that it wasn't as swampy and wet on the paths as I expected it to be. The way to the park was not uncomfortable, either, since most of the grit on the sidewalk had been swept aside. The only trail of anti-skid still lying on the sidewalk was the bio-degradable sort...
The sawdust still was there, much to my delight.

On entering the park, I saw that the winter wonderland I had seen there just seven days ago had disappeared completely, as if Mother Earth had decided to take off her white dress and put it into the laundry to return clad in it in all new white splendour a while later... This mild spell could not fool me... winter is still here, and I'm sure there will be more snow later in this month or the next. However, those thoughts were at the very back of my mind, as I entered the park, feeling the cool and moist sand paths underfoot, greeting the grains of sand mixed with small round pebbles as if meeting old friends after long absence.

After walking a little on the paths, enjoying the beachy feeling they gave my bare soles, I stepped aside to now feel some of Mother Earth's bare skin - soil, nicely brown and moist.

Even though I just had spent less than five minutes walking there, I already felt positive energy flooding me from my bare feet upwards and fatigue and negative thoughts falling off me like drops of water fly off a wet dog shaking itself - not that I emulated that movement, however. The long days of snow and ice had left their mark especially on evergreen trees, as some large branches lying in the grass proved, broken off due to the load of snow they had to bear.

In another spot, I could see that in my region the moles weren't busy gathering information for Wikileaks, but rather seeing to their private housing needs and desires - they were about to build a little village, it seems...

Of course, in order to get a nice view of that mole hill colony, I stepped onto the grass, feeling cool, soft, wet and a little mushy underfoot. - or to put it in one word: perfect.

Continuing my stroll through the park, I found, that the paths were not free of puddles, and of course, I granted my bare feet the delight of feeling cool water and mud, too, wiggling my toes in it.

Even though the trees were void of leaves, the afternoon winter sun was basking them in a very nice golden light, providing an extra feeling of ease and relaxation.

After feeling some more cool and wet grass underfoot, I went to one of the paths again, discovering that not all frozen remnants of snow and ice had disappeared, giving my toes the occasion to feel a little slush on soft and muddy ground, too.

After feeling that short tingle of frost, I went to the side of the path, feeling comparingly warmer mud and grass underfoot, and then even found some really waterlogged grass with soft and squelchy mud inbetween - perfect to let my barefoot inner child out and play with it...

All those different textures in one package made me one happy Sunday barefooter, indeed.

After strolling through the park for more than an hour, I turned to the exit, taking a look of farewell, and taking in some almost postcard-like scenery, too

And that was not the last example of such nice views, courtesy of the golden late- afternoon sun, as can be seen at the crossroads by the bus stop I was waiting at, directly at one of the locks of the river Ruhr:

And just like a symphony ends on a big final chord, the barefoot Sunday outdoors ended with a spectacular winter sunset, too, providing sort of an optical final chord.

Indeed, it wouldn't have been a complete fully barefoot weekend without the Sunday stroll in the park - and I am hoping for mild weather continuing to repeat that next week, too.

Jan. 2, 2011 - Happy barefoot new year... a barefoot Sunday stroll to the park
(but not quite into it, though) and encountering organic, bio-degradable anti-skid

The first Sunday of the new year, and the weather decided to play nice, too... to live up to its name, the sun came out today, raising temperatures slightly above frost level to up to 2°C/35.6F, making it mild enough for me to not only go barefoot to the gas station across the road to replenish soda and smoke supplies, but also to take a barefoot Sunday stroll to the park - my usual Sunday barefoot pastime. Since it was a spontaneous decision, I did not prepare my feet with bag balm, but decided to meet the sidewalks with bare feet as they were... I also broke my "silver rule" about toe rings, and wore one on my left foot.

As I had seen and felt on my barefoot shopping trip on New Year's Eve day (as can be read on the December 2010 sub-page). most of the sidewalks had been taken care of by the people living next to them, rather than by municipal winter road maintenance. And on the way down to the park, those friendly neighbourhood people had cleared the sidewalks not only a foot wide, as most lazy neighbours would, but cleared a nicely wide path, allowing two people to pass each other by without having to do acrobatic evasive maneouvres. Of course, the cleared bits of pavement were also strewn with various anti-skid helpers, such as different sorts of grit and in some places. One exception was a small strip of sidewalk, where none of the still-frozen slush had been moved away, but a special sort of organic and bio-degradable anti-skid was strewn onto: sawdust.

OK, that's a different approach of making me feel like a barefoot circus sensation, for sure... but, all kidding aside, it's a nice and barefoot-friendly approach, really. Another effective and foot-friendly alternative would have been sand, as I encountered that in last year's winter, 2009/2010. I sent a silent thanks towards the house, where the sawdust trails were leading to, in my name, as well as in the name of all other barefooters and bare-pawed dogs, not having to pad through irritating salt at least on this part of the sidewalk. Although this was quite thoughtful, I found that in the places, where frozen slush still was lying on the pavement (e.g. on having to cross small intersecting streets), my bare feet gave me excellent traction. Since there were only a few people around, passing me by, "The Look"® only occurred occasionally... until I came to the bus stop near the park entrance, where a group of four elderly people was having a conversation, almost oblivious to their surroundings. And since I approached soundlessly on bare soles, they didn't hear me coming, but as I stood right in front of them, they hurried to move out of the way as gracefully as they could, since they had to step onto frozen surfaces to let me pass. And, even though I had my trusty MP3 player with me, listening to my favourite Trance album (Ekoplex, Creatures of the Forest), I could clearly see their mouths change from talking to gaping mode, remaining open in mid-talk, as they saw me walk barefoot past them towards the park entrance.

On entering the park, I saw that the first part of the entranceway had been totally cleared of any snow or ice, which is understandable, since that paved part of the entrance also leads to the adjacent theatre building's back entrance, and for delivery trucks to be able to reach it without trouble, that way had to be cleared totally. However, beyond that, all paths leading into the park were totally untended and still white with old snow. I tried out the first part of that path, carefully stepping onto the old, crusted snow, making my way to the first fork turning left, where I could take a look over the frozen pond and beheld a winter wonderland, while standing on that frozen white stuff, toes tingling...

And since that tingling sensation was increasing especially in the two newly-healed but still tender toes on my right foot, that had sustained frostbite more than two weeks ago, I decided to keep my barefoot visit to the park this short, turned around and exited the park after only a few minutes. Furthermore, the path leading deeper into the park has a more than ten-degree downward angle, and that layer of old crusted snow, which had thawed at the top, then frozen over, then thawed again, etc. for a few times just appeared a little too unsafe to walk on for my taste (barefoot or shod). On exiting the park, I marveled at the light filtering through the trees that only occurs on winter afternoons, when the sun is low over the horizon, milky clouds appear and the whole sky gets a buttery yellow appearance.

I made my way back up to the large crossroads near my apartment house, again silently thanking the friendly neighbours for their good work in making the sidewalks safe to walk on.

As I arrived opposite the place I live, I noticed what a sidewalk looks like, if a lazy neighbour tends to it... those guys even leave the dog poo lying there. Yuck!

Some people tend to believe, that it means good luck to step in that... as things can only improve for the better afterwards. However, I rather stick to other and less pungent lucky charms. A Happy Barefoot New Year, everyone.