Boots, blisters, and deer….oh my

So after I made my post about the rattlesnake on Facebook, my mother got onto me about not wearing hiking boots (I wear hiking shoes), not carrying my gun (it’s against park rules because the park is run by the Army Corps of Engineer’s), and hiking alone. Well I couldn’t help her with the hiking alone part, as about 50% of the time right now I do hike alone, however I did dig out my old boots.

They are actually my old work boots, and as I looked at the bottom I realized all the traction was gone, but what the hey! They may no longer have traction, but at least they will give my ankles some protection….and apparently blisters. I felt the blisters forming not far into the hike, so I didn’t hike as far as I would have liked. I did however, see several of my deer friends out there (like how I played that, lol).

My husband calls me a deer whisperer. When we were at Shenandoah National Park, I walked up to a couple and could actually pet them. Other people (including my husband) would try and they would run off. Funny thing is I am a hunter and I love deer meat. You would think they could sense that.

Anyway, so on my hikes, there have been deer that would follow me for a ways. Or I would decide I wanted a picture and they would let me get super close, as in this case. Other times I would get within a foot or two of one and not know it and they would scare the crap out of me.

I would like to report that no snakes were seen today, but I now have blisters on my heels after this 6.5 mile hike. Guess who will no longer be wearing these boots when she hikes? =)