My Grandpa (WW I), my Dad, Uncles, and my friend's Dads and Uncle's (WW II) and my brother (Vietnam) all said the same thing: "Take care of your feet!!"

So this post is about blisters. I know it seems such a mundane and banal topic, but believe me, blisters can put you on profile, in the hospital, and even in the ground. I included a picture of my foot with a blister that needed antibiotic treatment and had to be drained by a Surgeon.

How did I get that blister? Simple, I forgot what my Elder's told me. Nobody to blame ...but me. So here's how that unfolded. I did more than a decade in the Infantry, and not a single blister. As a Civilian, I got the one pictured.

My brother Mike went over to France and walked to Spain on a World Famous Pilgrimage called: "The Camino de Santiago." The route he took was over five hundred miles, and a few thousand feet in elevation changes. It took him 43 days. So I decided I would do my own " Camino de Santiago" in my hometown to honor my brother.

So I walked anywhere from 12 to 17 miles a day until I reached the five hundred and some mile mark. The same length he walked - minus the elevation changes. And in the same number of days the took: 43. And on day 12...my foot looked like that. Why?

Well back to the Vets from three wars: " Dry socks, vaseline or petroleum jelly, and boots that fit and are broken in." Those were there prime directives. Never walk with brand new boots. (my first mistake). Break them in over a few days or weeks. (My second mistake.) Make sure your socks are dry. "Yeah, number three mistake already.) Smear petroleum jelly over your foot, then pull on dry socks. At the end of the day, clean your feet, dry them, and put on fresh socks. And you guessed it. I didn't do that either.

So my blister grew. But I had finally broken in my new hiking boots, so with a proper bandage on, and dry socks, I started walking again. Eventually I did make both the miles and the days match up to my brother's walk. (Minus the elevation change. He walked over the Pyrenees mountains, where I live- a steep driveway is a hill.

Lesson learned. Take care of your feet. Keep them dry. Get boots that fit. Socks that wick away moisture, and rest and massage when you can. Air your feet out after long walks...and keep them clean.

Then you can be blister free.