BAREFOOT CONNIE SUE IN COLORADO

Connie Sue is a great barefootin' friend I made on my 'Net travels. She's an avid barefooter, even in the CO snow and when hiking. Her bare feet elicit quite a reaction on CO's harsh trails, as she writes, "Last summer I was out hiking and ran across some guys. They could not believe that I was barefoot, and after talking to them for awhile, they decided that I was, in fact, a mermaid from the nearby lake. Well, I told my parents this story, and my Dad wrote the following poem in my honor." So here it is, reprinted with permission, of course:

The Mermaid of Sough Lake

She went tripping up the trail,
Brown legs flashing in the sun.
Not a thought about travail
For she was having too much fun.

The rocks and pebbles bruised her not:
Her feet were tough as leather.
"Wear shoes? Wear boots? Perish the thought!
Bare feet are so much better!"

Then at last the lake was there,
And also a bunch of guys.
They shook their heads, the stood and stared--
They could not believe their eyes.

"Three whole miles without any shoes,
Lady, you gotta be kidding."
And so they searched for some kind of clue,
And decided "She has to be fibbing."

Are you an angel that floats throught the air?
Or are your boots hidden right back there?
Are you for real or are we just dreaming?
Are you a mirage with a face that is beaming?

"So here is a gal without any boots,
But fellas, make no mistake,
All of your guesses are really quite moot,
For she's the Mermaid of Slough Lake."

by Carlos the Swede, 1998

Connie Sue, Barefoot As Always

The Mermaid herself, barefoot and free. (Yes, that's snow behind Connie, but she doesn't seem to mind one bit, even in shorts and bare feet).

 

PS: Connie Sue Lind--if you're still out there, barefoot in cyberspace, I'd love to hear from you.