I'm not as young as I used to be (now there's a surprise) but Flickr will be pleased to know that I'm over 18, thrice and more.

I come from South Wales where it rains every day, and we either have to love it, hate it or just take it for granted that we are going to get wet unless we wear something that will keep us as dry as possible. So, raincoats are imperative and important enough for some of us to develop a sort of fondness for them. Not the love you would give to a lover, but the tender feelings such as you might have for a friend's baby, or child depending on the age of the mac !

Mae’r Cwfl is “The Hood” in my native tongue so it should come as no surprise that raincoats, or ‘macs’ as we all know them, are the major theme of the account.

Given a choice, I would settle on the rubber-lined satins (or shiny poly-what’sits) that I have known all my life, but I also have a strong fancy for those beautiful German Klepper macs even though I've only seen one and not had the chance to try it. Ha, you’re never too old . . . !

Yes, I know, I'm as nutty as a fruitcake and this is my first effort at a Flickr account, but I hope you'll like it.

You may recognise some of the pictures, and there will be those amongst you who may legitimately lay claim to them. If so, I apologise profusely but I gather photos as a honey-bee gathers pollen, quite indiscriminately, and I often fail to make a note of its origin. So, if any of them are yours, and you don’t mind them staying, drop me a line and I will include any notes that you wish.

If you wish them to be removed completely I will do so without hesitation.

You, the readers, also have a part to play.

You are all free to download copies of the pictures in the account which is something I don’t ask of you, but from a contact there are a few things I do or don’t expect.

It is obvious to anybody that rubber or latex clothing will have an appeal to any lover of rubberised rainwear and a certain amount of it I will accept, though I draw a personal line where excessive rubber, latex, boots and gasmasks are concerned.

Further, many people include photos in their accounts that go far beyond the simple scope of the genre I have in mind, and I will have no hesitation in BLOCKING those including displays of male or female genitalia. Yes, we’ve all got them and I’ve seen a fair share in my lifetime, but this is a rainwear account. A girl’s mammaries seen in her decolletage or even brazenly flaunted are one thing but a hairy male appendage poking through the placket or private parts dripping with ecstasy seen through the open skirting of a mac are not the sort of things I like or expect to see these days, and the choice is MINE.

I have noticed in other accounts that some peoples’ contacts click on the ‘Star’ button with gay abandon, but never leave a comment. You must know that we all love to read such remarks and that not leaving them is the height of bad manners. Those not leaving comments on their favourites here will NOT remain contacts for long.

My final objection is in respect of buddy icons. These items, so easy to create and add that even I managed to do it, are so useful to me when it comes to immediate recognition. One contact with a square grey face would stand out just as well as a picture, but as I’ve had a few applications with icons of that ilk lately, and they collectively stand out as shadowy members of some secret society. Applications from those without buddy icons that differentiate them from others will be REJECTED.

What this lady DOES want to see from YOU is an exciting assortment of rainwear, vintage or modern, well designed, hooded for preference and worn with pride by both men and women. Bring back some wonderful memories and give me hope for more.

Right, that’s me done, so finally . . .

Breast Cancer Awareness . . .

Ladies!!! Go have those boobs checked out and stay healthy!

Lads!!! Pass the message on to your wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, aunts, cousins, friends, even your enemies. Because the WORST enemy is Breast Cancer.

And another message for you gents . . .

Don’t just stand there playing pocket billiards, or spend time counting them after a ruckus, sporting or otherwise. Get yourself checked out easily and painlessly, because Testicular and Prostate Cancer will seriously curb your rainwear admiration.

-----///\\------Please,

----///--\\\----put this on

---|||----|||---your profile

---|||----|||---if you know

---|||----|||---someone who

----\\\--///----is living with,

-----\\\///-----has survived

------//\\------or has passed

-----///\\\-----away from cancer.

----///--\\\----Thank you.

---///----\\\----More than you will know.

Caroline, 02/03/2011