Date: 2014-08-09
To: A Different Perspective
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I remember an episode of Reba where Barbara Jean returned back home following a visit to her family in Texas. She gathered the entire dysfunctional family together in Reba's home to show them a slide presentation on her trip. The funny thing was that every slide was a picture of her feet. She would say: "Here are my feet in San Antonio. Here are my feet at the Alamo. Here are my feet at ...." Well, you get the picture. Anyway, it inspired me and I'd thought I'd report on my training and my hiking plans from the perspective of my feet."Well, here we are again, laced up and on the go --- not that we were given any choice in the matter. It's not like old "Lughead" (the big oaf to which we are attached) ever asks us if we would like to go out for a walk. And these days it seems that we're always being taken dragged along in the hottest part of the day. Maybe "Lughead" can feel an occasional breeze up there, but we assure you that things remain pretty hot and steamy down here where we are. Why, we remember being in the shoe section of an outfitter store and looking up on a shelf where there rested a pint-sized jar filled with some amber-looking liquid. It was no surprise to us to overhear the salesman explain to "Lughead" that the jar held the equivalent of the amount of sweat the feet put out on a normal day of hiking. Believe us when we tell you that on many days, especially down here in this horrid Mississippi heat and humidity, we are swimming inside these Vibram-soled cocoons in which we are encased. Oh, we do enjoy a few glorious moments on rare occasions when "Lughead" treats himself to a POBO (Pack Off, Boots Off) rest break. We especially like it when he pulls off to the side of a trail and doffs his shoes and socks and gives us a chance to get a breath of fresh air, raising us up to rest upon his pack. BTW, that's about the only time we are allowed anything other than a worms-eyed view of this path!And frankly we don't see the glory of walking from Georgia to Maine. Old "Lughead" often pulls down from his shelf a book entitled, "Five Million Steps". FIVE MILLION STEPS? Yikes! Do you know how many steps that is? Well, we don't either, but it sounds like a lot. Oh, our aching arches!But it isn't like we are totally neglected. After each walk "Lughead" takes us back home and pours cooling water over us. If we're really good, he may even rub us and sprinkle soothing powder on us. That's nice. We love to be pampered.But all in all, it's really a dogs life down here in the trenches, so to speak. Walking, walking, walking -- mile after mile -- up hills and down -- it gets boring at times. That's why we've developed ways to entertain ourselves -- to take our minds off the drudgery of the hike. Our favorite activity is chewing up old "Lughead's" socks. It's a hoot! Why, we can hardly stifle the giggles when we get back home and see the shocked expression on "Lughead's" face when he takes off his socks and discovers what we have done. Then when he yells to the Mrs. that he has another pair of socks that need darning, and watching her just toss them into the trashcan while saying, "Darn, Darn, Darn!"-- why we can hardly contain ourselves. Well, maybe you have to be there!Well, it would seem that "Lughead" has his heart set on another long walk in the woods. He's been trying to get us psyched up for it. With great excitement he describes the cooling dips in running streams we will get treated to and the wonderfully soothing mud baths we will experience in certain boggy areas -- whatever a bog is. It does sound nice. We just hope this isn't a con of some sorts. In any event, it appears as if we're in for a grand adventure. We are going to walk where we've never walked before and scale heights we've never reached. And for this adventure "Lughead" has purchased us a new pair of shoes -- a Lexus-like version of what we're now using -- with new inserts to add cushion. Ah! what comfort awaits. We almost wish we could start now cause frankly these present inserts wore out their usefulness about eight months ago. Not that "Lughead" seems to notice.Well, that's about it for now. We hope to see many other feet out there on the trail next spring. Perhaps at night, around the campfire, we can do the "Happy Feet Dance" together! Take care to all of your hiking feet out there and remember -- Absorbine Jr. is our friend!"