New Boots, Old Boots: 10/10/14 1957.6 to 1966.5 Miles

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Virtual Hike Weather Map I completed segment 29. Another circle changes from yellow to green, and another circle from red to yellow. That's my goal for the next eight legs. These used to be cause for celebration, but now that I'm in the routine, I hardly notice the weeks passing. I keep walking and the circles change.

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New boots, old boots

Yesterday, someone posted a picture of old boots on Facebook. I started thinking about my boots.


The old boots on the right have walked over 3,000 miles. I stopped keeping track after that. Like people, they have gotten shorter with age.

We met at the Military Clothing Store at Ft. Carson. I asked the sales woman which boot was the most popular for troops deploying to Afghanistan. She said these were by far the most popular, so I bought them.

This morning, I started to wonder if they would have preferred to go to Afghanistan, but boots don't get to make that choice. Either way, they continue to serve me faithfully.

They were comfortable out of the box, and they are more comfortable now. They are waterproof, and I often walk through streams instead of taking the trouble to find stepping stones.

When they get dirty, I sometimes throw them in the washing machine with some old towels. Then I let them dry in a cool place.

I cover the soles with Gorilla tape to keep the soles from wearing out. Each day, I cover the worn spots with little bandaid sized strips of tape.

The new boots are the same type and they seem excited about getting on the road. They take turns so they have a chance to dry out after each use. One day, the new boots will be old and blessed with many miles.

I suppose there are lessons on life here, but these boots don't talk much to me. They quietly do their job.

Maybe that is the lesson.

It was a perfect morning for walking this morning.

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Thanks! Road Walking.