Trunks Drying

We have arrived at an annual fashion milestone here at the little hacienda, that being the wearing of swim trunks the entire day.  Actually, we probably reached this state more than a week ago, but somnolence being what it is, we were not inclined to notice or comment.  It seems important today.

For those readers unfamiliar with life on the edge of the Tropics, particularly on this nutty peninsula called Florida, a brief fashion discussion is in order.  First off, you can wear anything you want in Florida, we invented casual, (sorry California) but not always as much or as little as you might want.  The changes in weather and climate everybody says we don’t have determines this, and like just about everything else in this state, weather has an aberrant, kooky nature.   For a certain part of the year, (this, of course, varies,) you start out dressed to the cool, only to find it stifling by afternoon.  Sweaters in the morning, shorts by afternoon.  That kind of thing.  This occurs, to a greater or lesser degree, (sweaters optional; substitute shirt) from Mid-October through May in most cases.  Beachside, there is even an afternoon cool-off much of the year, requiring putting back on some of the stuff you’d taken off a couple of hours before!  Only in true summer is this condition simplified and put to rest.  For me, anyway.  There remains a bell curve of temperature through the day, of course, but swim trunk worthy at both ends, thanks to the lows rarely sinking past the mid-seventies (try mid-eighties in August.)  I climb into a pair in the morning, and out at night.  These will occasionally be the same pair of trunks at both ends, but not because we’ve worn them all day.  There are dips in the ocean at intervals, surfing, etc., followed by a rinse in the outdoor shower, (trunks included,) those trunks set in the sun to dry, and another set pulled on.  This sequence may occur several times a day, so you can see where we might end up shedding at night the trunks we’d put on in the morning.  In short, for every pair of trunks worn there is a pair drying somewhere.  A perfect system.

Just in passing a word about other attire accompanying the swim trunks.  Not much.  Flip-flops, of course, and a shirt.  We remain adamant about the wearing of a shirt.  We see way too much no-shirt wearing by those of advancing years on Skinny Island, and it ain’t pretty.  The beach is optional, though I would prefer most put something on.  I can still get away with it there.  No supermarkets, please; no sidewalks, and no driving shirtless.  Very bad taste.  Now, though I am insistent on wearing a shirt, I do not button it through the trunk wearing period.  Always open in front.  Just a small nod to comfort while maintaining some dignity.  I do not believe color coordination between said shirt and trunks is an absolute necessity, though I more often than not tend to comply.  But, since all of the six pairs of trunks I have are of a solid color, and the shirts mostly tropical in nature, there is little chance of a clash.

I hope this has been of some use to you.

Wide Morning Beach