Farmer Tan

Yesterday was Saturday. This means that Devin and I (and my brother and his wife, because they are visiting us, and visitors are not spared - ask anyone who has visited us over a Saturday, they'll tell you tales) spent hours in the yard, trying to tame the wilderness that disgruntles our neighbors.

Usually I put on sunscreen, because as most people know, hours in the sun cause sunburns, and repeated sunburns can cause skin cancer.  I am hoping to avoid this, and so we lather up the girls and ourselves before heading outside.  Now, to be clear and honest, usually when I lather up I put the screen on my face and arms.  I leave my legs alone, because those poor things never really see the light of day, and when they do in my cut-off-yard-working jeans I like them to catch a few rays.  Not that I've ever seen any evidence of them catching any at all, but hope dies hard and I just keep trying.  Yesterday was no exception, my legs were completely screen free, ready to take in any and all rays the sun sent their way. 

Once we felt satisfied with our work yesterday, we came in to take showers and get ready to go get some ice cream. Hard work should be rewarded, don't you think?  My turn in the shower came last, and as I looked down at my legs, I noticed a DISTINCT color difference on the skin of my calves, between my feet, where my socks had been, and my thighs, as my shorts had gone, of course, to my knees.  Colored skin can only mean one thing, my legs had finally caught up to to the color on my arms, which is not to say, strictly speaking, a tan, but something a shade darker than the glow-in-the-dark color I had been sporting on my legs.

Upon closer inspection however, I came to the sad realization that it was just a fine coating of dirt.  When it all came off in the shower I knew for sure.  There was no real tan here.  Thus, I nominate a second definition for the term "farmer tan".  Farmer tan: noun, a coloring of the skin resembling a tan caused by a fine layer of dirt resulting from a day of hard work in the yard.

Anyone to second my nomination?

Comments

  1. There is something weird buried in your observations, I have sunburned on a number of occasions but I do not recall my legs ever suffering this experience. Leg skin must be very special.

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  2. Ames, I'm glad that you're getting all 'lubed up' when you go outside. It's important. (do you remember that?)

    I think it's a good day when you have to wash off dirt in the shower. I can tell I've lived if I've mosquito bites and dirt on my skin -- which, happens often with my kids.

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