Christmas tradition holds that our "stockings are hung by the chimney with care"... so in the spirit of the season, this post is about socks.  Maybe some of you even received some for Christmas?

Living north of the Keys, we took socks for granted.  We all owned them... we rarely thought of them, but we wouldn't consider getting dressed without them except for the occasional trip to the beach or the pool on a hot summer day. 

Annapolis was a little different since it's such a boating town.  People love to wear their deck shoes without socks, but when the cold weather comes everyone dons their socks and waits until the First Day of Spring when the Maritime Museum hosts the annual "burning of the socks" party to signify the arrival of warmer weather (usually more theoretical than actual) and the ability to once again wear one's deck shoes sans socks.  We have been known to wear our socks long after the Official Sock Burning since thermal comfort outweighs the fashion statement of bare feet in deck shoes... until summer, at least.

Living in the Keys it's easy to forget about socks since virtually no one ever wears them.  We were talking to several locals just before we left for the holidays, and inevitably the topic of socks was raised by people who had to trek north to visit family for the holidays.  These people didn't even own a pair of socks.  Their ankles hadn't been covered in years.  One fellow was heading to Pennsylvania to visit his sister, and she asked him what he wanted for Christmas.  "Wool socks", he told her.  Just give them to me as soon as I get there.  The lady at the Library said that she and her husband have a big lumpy parka that they can use when one of them goes north to fetch their grandchildren... but they didn't have any socks.  Seems strange, but it's a common problem in the Keys.

So the real question is:  what does Santa do when he doesn't find any stockings hung by the chimney?  No socks... no chimney.  Makes you wonder...