These Boots …

Black And White Photography, Laurie, Photography

LaurieFour (1 of 1)
… were made for fighting wildland fires, and I wore them while battling the flames in Idaho over 30 years ago.  Now, they serve to protect me while riding the bike.  They’re just boots.  Worn, scarred, dusty, and bearing remnants of fire retardant still … but they are precious to me.

42 thoughts on “These Boots …”

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    1. Thanks! You would have laughed to have seen me, laying on the carport, taking the pictures. The things we do for a good shot, right 🙂

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  4. OK Laurie….where and exactly when did you fight forest fires in Idaho? My husband’s father, Bob Graham, was one of the first smoke jumpers in the U.S. Forest Service and lived and worked in Idaho. John, my husband, who grew up in Idaho fought forest fires, his sisters all worked at the lookouts, and his brother-in-law was a smoke jumper in McCall. Crazy small world! Excellent shot of your boots! I love it!

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    1. Oh my gosh! I went out to Northern Idaho in 1981 and was stationed at Red River Ranger Station. One of my friends just retired from McCall after jumping for 30 years (Or something like that!). I’ll bet he knows / has heard of your father in law. I’ll ask him!
      I love, love, love Idaho and it’s been way too long since I’ve visited … probably 15 years. Someday soon I’ll get back there!
      So very glad you shared this story, Robyn. I just love that connection!

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      1. That’s crazy Laurie! My father-in-law worked all over Idaho and Montana but was in Couer D’Alene and Bonners Ferry for years! In fact, still lives in Bonners. My sister-in-law’s husband, Mick Moore, was a smoke jumper in McCall. He passed away a couple of years ago but he was with the Forest Service there for years. Your friend probably knows him as well.
        We get out to Idaho at least once a year. It’s always a challenge to decide when to go because we love the summer and time on the lakes but also cherish the skiing at Schweitzer Mountain in Sand Point. If you ever have the chance, as you probably know, the drive from Boise all the way up to the Canadian border is about as beautiful a drive as you’ll find. Keep me posted…probably best to email me directly as I may forget to check back here! Have a fabulous day!

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    1. Thank you, Emilio! I do love to “show off” the retardant that remains from a fire 3 decades ago. Great stories! And of course they protected my feet during the wreck 9 months ago. They are beloved

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  10. Those boots do have stories to share. They kept you save as a firefighter and now you’ll rely on them riding, I hope you pamper
    them after all that hard work. They look like they’d be heavy to walk in, Loving the B&W too.

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    1. As they years go by, the boots seem less heavy … isn’t that weird? You’ll love this story though: the loggers who I knew when living in Idaho thought my boots were so small that they should be hung on the rearview mirror of their trucks 🙂

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  12. Just a great shot! You can’t beat a good pair of boots – they grow to fit you and become part of you. Mine too are old and have been with me for years – they just fit like a comfortable pair of socks.

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  17. Yeah, they look like they a story or two to tell. My first farm workboots are buried under 600 tonnes of concrete in the foundations of our house when we were building it 🙂

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      1. LOL, at least you can still get on the ground unlike me 🙂 Usually the only time I am on the ground is if I drink too much and I am using my cuff links as curb feelers 🙂

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