Way, Way, Out In The Sticks

I had a long walk recently on a cold, windy day, and got lucky with this shot of a wise donkey in the same neighborhood in southern Jasper County.  The shaggy critter was keeping his backside out of the wind and catching a few late winter rays.  I got out of my warm truck and hiked a couple miles on a mud road, in the wind, and downwind from a hog operation.

I gave myself a challenge last fall, and have made it through the entire winter wearing leather boots without the benefit of Gore-Tex.  My Corcoran Field Boots have had regular applications of Pecard Leather Dressing, and I wear Thorlo combat boot socks most of the time; mil-surp wool socks on really cold days.  This day was the first time that water invaded my boots, and it came in right away when I had to walk through a ditch.  The boots are about three years old, and a crack has opened up that the Pecard dressing couldn't seal.  I'm breaking in a new pair now, but three old pairs stand in the wings for dry days and upland hikes.

Most of my work hours are spent on a computer or behind the steering wheel, and my boots are greased well weekly, with hours to dry sitting near a wood stove at night.  The Corcorans have performed well with my relatively light duty and regular applications of Pecard Leather Dressing.  They hike a lot of  miles during a year, but I baby them and don't allow mud to stay on the leather, sucking the oil out of my boots.  Good boots, well cared for, feel great when you pull them on in the morning.  Nighttime, when I pull them off and pull on my sneakers; the sneakers are almost painful.

Stand by for Brat Cat and a record.  I was beat when I got home from work and didn't feel like setting up to do a record.  I will crank up sometime on Friday.