Dear Perimeter Hiker

It's time for another session of "Dear Perimeter Hiker"! Let's just jump right in, shall we?
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Dear Perimeter Hiker,

You tweeted that your shoes and socks have holes in them. Well, what does a worn out shoe from the Texas Perimeter Hike look like?

I like my Shoes New

Dear ILMSN,

If you regard the above picture, you'll see a small tear in the shoe toward the middle right of the photo. I noticed this when I felt a tingling in my foot. Looking down, I could see my pinky toe through both shoe and sock! Upon further inspection of my footwear and a quick calculation of the miles walked in them (over 400 miles... I got them after Palacios and then walked a lot of the beaches barefoot), I realize that it's time to retire said shoes. Hard to say what I'll replace them with though. More on that later.
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Dear Perimeter Hiker,

I notice your mileage is way down. How's that toe treating you?

Stay off the Foot

Dear SOTF,

After 50 plus miles, I've come to the conclusion that I fractured my toe as opposed to breaking it. It hurt badly the first couple of days out of Texarkana, but it's gotten much better since. I use two poles and do my best to keep the weight off of my left foot. In the picture above, I have used the "buddy system" of toe healing. Underneath the bandage is a slightly swollen and slightly bruised toe. It feels better but still has a ways to go.

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Dear Perimeter Hiker,

You haven't posted a picture of yourself anywhere. What do you look like these days?

Looks Aren't Everything

Dear LAE,

The weather has changed and with it any chance for looking even remotely like everyone else. The straw hat has been replaced with the stereotypical homeless head-hugger. The normally awesome Patagonia polypro has many holes in it, but since it does the job, I'm hesitant to invest in a new one. I'm wearing longjohns under my shorts now that the cold has come in (low 40s today in Paris, TX), and I imagine even these looks will change in the weeks to come.

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Dear Perimeter Hiker,

What are you doing for the holidays? Are you plunging ahead into the Panhandle or what?

Watching Your Progress

Dear WYP,

I am getting off the edge of Texas! I am spending both Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends. I just hope I don't come back to an arctic Texas.

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Until next time, wanderers...