STRIPTESE

What To Do When It Gets Hot
         The first day in Yorkshire we woke to cloudy skies and considerably cooler temperatures than we’d had the week before. I decided that it would be a good idea to put on my silk long johns since the trousers I was wearing were pretty lightweight.
         I was looking forward to our first moor hike just because of the literary romance of the area. We started the day with a ride to Rosedale and a walk around the village.
        We were to hike over the Spaunton Moor to Lastingham, finishing at Hutton le Hole. Aren't English names interesting?
        What a start! The first and really only undulation that day was straight up 1000-feet to the top of the moor. The cloudy and cool day didn’t tame the steady climb upward over a narrow footpath. Many of us did a fair amount of huffing and puffing, and I, for one, thought we might never make it to the top. My mantra, I think I can, I think I can, I DID.
         Two hours later we were at the top only to find it so windy I thought it might blow a couple of the little people over! We stood in the cold wind near old railroad tracks for an explanation of the old iron kilns where the iron oar was decalcified to make it lighter for transport. It was sheltered on the other side of the kilns and a perfect spot for lunch.
         Fortunately the afternoon was all down hill, gently, over a reasonably good wide path. A couple of days later I learned that most groups are taken up  the moor over this gentle undulating route, but our group was deemed fit enough to make the climb up the moor through the pastures!
        It got warmer and warmer as the afternoon wore on. Coming down off the moor a stop in Lastingham provided a visit to the old crypt church. Built on the site of a Celtic monastery in 1078 it is a shrine to St. Cedd who brought Christianity to this part of England. He is buried within.
         By that time I was more than ready to shed those long johns! I thought about using the crypt to strip down, but decided that the church might not be quite the appropriate place to disrobe. However, the deserted church cemetery served nicely. One boot off, both pant and silky legs off, pants and boot back on, then repeat with the other leg.. In the blink of an eye my hiking boots were laced up, the silkies bunched up in a trouser pocket,  no one knew what I’d been up to, and I certainly was more comfortable.
         Down the path a way I pulled the silkies part way out of my pocket and said to Jan, "Lookie here."
        Totally surprised she exclaimed, “When and how in the world did you do that?”