My Blizzard Hike Misadventure

Hey there, fellow nature enthusiasts and reckless adventurers! Today, I'm here to share a tale that you might think is a little funny but also wags a finger at the more foolhardy among us. It's about the time I decided to challenge Mother Nature herself and learned a lesson in humility – and physics.

Picture this: a few years back, I was your everyday hiking adventurer, hitting the trails of my local nature park with the enthusiasm of a squirrel on an acorn hunt. Rain or shine, I was there. But then came the day when the news forecast a blizzard. Did that stop me? Of course not! I laced up my boots, grabbed my trusty camera (a partner in all my escapades), and headed out into a winter wonderland.

The trails were a blanket of untouched snow, and the snowfall was so thick it turned the world into a giant snow globe. I was a few miles in when I decided to take a loop back, probably prompted by the tiny voice of reason that I usually keep gagged and bound in the back of my mind.

As I trudged along, I reached the top of a large gulley. It looked innocent enough, but looks, as we know, can be deceiving. The moment I stepped onto the snowy and icy slope, my feet decided they had enough of being under my control. Whoosh! Down I went, sliding all the way down the hill. It was like an impromptu sled ride, minus the sled. And in a desperate attempt to save my camera, I held it high above my head like a trophy, making the whole scene look like a bizarre ritual to the snow gods.

When the ride was over, I lay there on my back, a human snow angel (or snowman-in-progress). First things first, I checked for injuries – none, thankfully. My camera? Also unscathed. It seems luck favors the foolish – sometimes.

Getting up, I decided that was enough thrill-seeking for one day. I walked back to the park exit with the cautious steps of someone who's just learned their lesson. That day, my love for hiking had pushed me into a foolhardy blizzard adventure.

So, here's the moral of the story: love nature, enjoy hiking, but maybe, just maybe, when the news screams 'blizzard,' it's a good idea to listen. Stay safe out there and remember, a good story is only fun if you're around to tell it!

I'll talk to you later.

A Blustery Day's Shock While Hiking in the Forest

Howdy folks! Let me spin you a tale about an old hike of mine that turned out to be anything but ordinary. It was one of those days in my local nature park where the sky was more gray than blue, and the wind had a bit of a mischievous whistle to it. A perfect setting for a tale, don't you think?

So, there I was, taking my regular stroll along the winding paths, with the wind playfully tugging at my jacket. The trees swayed like they were sharing secrets, and the whole forest seemed to be alive with whispers. I've always felt at home among these old trees, but that day, they seemed to hold a different story.

Without a moment's notice, the forest's whispers turned into a shout. A sound so loud and fearsome, it could've woken the ancient spirits! It was like a giant's growl mixed with the crack of thunder – a deafening crashing and tearing that echoed across the woods. My heart skipped a beat, I tell you.

Turning towards the ruckus, what I saw was a sight to behold. A mighty tree, older and taller than any storybook giant, was surrendering to the wind. It was falling, and oh, it didn’t fall alone. Like a king in its final descent, it took several of its woodland companions along with it. An awe-inspiring, yet heartbreaking ballet of nature.

There I stood, rooted to the spot, my eyes wide as saucers. Shocked, startled, and just a bit scared, if I'm being honest. It's not every day you witness such a display of nature's raw power. And would you believe it, in all that astonishment, I didn’t even think to snap a picture. So, you'll just have to use my new artwork here to help you picture it in your mind.

The rest of my walk was a quiet one, filled with thoughts about the age-old dance of nature – creation and destruction, all in one. It’s moments like these that remind us of the grandeur and unpredictability of the great outdoors.

So next time you're out in the woods, take a moment to listen to its stories and respect its power. And maybe, just maybe, you'll have a tale of your own to tell. Stay safe and keep exploring, my friends! I'll talk to you later.

A Squirrelly Surprise in the Heart of the Park

Well, folks, let me tell you about an unexpected encounter I had on one of my old morning strolls through my beloved local nature park. The kind of moment that leaves you scratching your head and thinking, "Did I really just see that?" And it involves one of my favorite subjects. Squirrels!

The morning was off to a great start. The air was crisp, the sunlight peeked through the trees in that magical way it does, and the world seemed to be humming along just right. I was lost in thought, admiring the beauty around me, when a sudden rustling caught my attention.

Right there in front of me stood a grand old tree, one that's probably seen more sunrises than any of us. And from this tree, would you believe it, hundreds of squirrels were making a dash for it! They scattered in every direction, their tails a flurry of motion, and the forest floor seemed alive with their energy. I was so taken aback by the sight, I just stood there staring, forgetting completely about my camera. The moment was so surreal, I forgot to even snap a picture.

As a side note, the picture below is the first view of what I look like without my fake rat suit on that I like to claim that I wear while hiking. Oh, that isn't really me, but it's remarkably close. I wore a brown jacket then, and mine had a hood.

This is also one of my old adventures that I've finally been able to bring to life in these new pictures. It really happened, but sadly I don't have the pictures to prove it this time. Even so, I'll remember it to the end of my days. How could I forget something like that?

So, if you're ever wandering through your local park and come across an old tree like that one, keep an eye out. Nature has a way of surprising us when we least expect it. And maybe, just maybe, you'll be luckier than me and capture your wild moment for posterity! 

Thank you to the few of you who remember me. I read all your comments. I'll talk to you later. 

 

The Legend of Ratty and the Raccoons

It was a day like any other as I embarked on a leisurely stroll through our local nature park. The chirping of the birds and the rustling of the leaves provided a calming soundtrack to my thoughts. Just as I was lost in the serene ambiance, a soft patter of footsteps caught my attention.

To my astonishment, a group of friendly raccoons emerged from the underbrush, their curious eyes locked onto mine. It wasn't just one or two, but a whole family! They approached slowly, their bushy tails swaying with each step, displaying a mix of caution and curiosity. I couldn't help but stand still, captivated by the unexpected encounter.

But here's where the story takes a twist. While these raccoons seemed friendly, my instinctual reaction was to make a swift exit. And by swift, I mean I channeled my inner Olympic sprinter and bolted for a solid two miles! Who knew the sight of fluffy raccoons could turn a leisurely walk into a full-blown marathon training session? As I caught my breath, I chuckled at my own antics, thinking, "Well, that's one way to get some cardio in!" Lesson learned: always expect the unexpected in nature, and maybe pack some running shoes, just in case.

You may think that I made all of this up because these aren't real pictures. But no! This all really happened to me several years ago. And I really do have the pictures to prove it. But you say, "Why don't you share them here?" Well, I did. You can find the pictures of the actual encounter in my blog archives right here on The Everyday Adventurer. I made these new pictures because I wanted to illustrate the actual chase scene. I hope you like it. I'll talk to you later.

The Prairie Trail

My little nature park has two main trails.This time I decided to visit the one I usually avoid, the prairie trail. I don't usually go on this trail because there aren't any trees along it. It cuts through the grass. There's usually not much here except that grass and a long walk, but I found a little bit to share this time.

This trail used to go in a circle back into the woods and join up to the other trail, but a fallen tree across the path at the edge of the woods stopped them from maintaining the trail in that area for some reason. These trails have really deteriorated since that first year I visited this place. It's a shame. I just have to assume they had no choice in the matter.

The first things I saw were lots of rabbits relaxing in the shade of some of the few trees on this side of the park. These pictures were cropped heavily because the rabbits weren't nearly as close as they look here. I had to do something so you could see them as more than dots. The rabbits ran as soon as I got anywhere close to them.

here's another rabbit that wasn't far from the first one. I have to say that the rabbits weren't limited to this area. You can find them all over the park. This just happened to be where I was this time. Many of these rabbits are juveniles. The rabbit parents were apparently very busy last spring.

This gnarled old tree is probably the main attraction on this trail. It makes kind of a nice looking picture, but there isn't much more on the trail. Now maybe you understand why I usually go the other direction. This trail is nice to hike everyonce in a while though.

This last picture shows the same tree from the other side. From here I am standing near the woods at the end of the trail. I really hoped I could get through there to the other trail, but the path is blocked too well to make it.

I even tried to go a little farther in the woods to maybe find the trail on the other side. My poor nonathletic dog protested greatly when I made her climb over that really big fallen tree. She hated it even more when only a few minutes later she had to climb back again.

Maybe this post sounds kind of bleak, but I really did see more on this trail. I'll show some of it in my next post. It really was worth the hike. I think I'll be going the other direction for awhile though. I keep hoping I'll see a deer or something one of these times. I'll talk to you later.

A Look At The Park

I'll try to give you a look at my little nature park this time. There's more grass than anything else here. That's really what everywhere looks like in my area, grass. There are scattered clumps of trees, and if you get in a good place you can pretend you're in a regular old forest sometimes.

I haven't seen much in the park on my last few visits, but something will come. Right now I'm just trying to get used to walking nature trails again. Ever since that old car accident I can't walk very far before my back starts acting up, but I hope with repetition I'll get better.

My back has been getting worse and worse over the last few years until now I can only walk partway in this little park before I have to give up. I used to go for miles and miles. Once I get back to traveling this whole park I'll be much happier.

 The picture above shows the main entrance to the trails in the park.

You can see above how the trails are cut into the grass by a riding mower. All the trails in all the parks in the area are done this way because of all the grass. There aren't many dirt trails.

I hear lots of birds in these trees but I almost never see them. I'm watching very closely for them so I can get a few pictures, but so far they've eluded me easily.

I think that's really all I have to say today about this. Nothing rewally eventful has been happening at the nature park. One of these times I'm sure I'll walk right up on a deer or something.

One other thing. I've started a new little blog. It's just a little thing I'm doing for fun. I've had very strange dreams ever since I can remember. I've decided to start writing down what I can remember of them when they happen. I thought it might be an interesting look into a person's subconscious mind. Just in case you want to take a look you can find it here at this link: Strange Dreams Of The Rat

You don't have to visit it. Like I said, I'm just doing it for a little fun. I don't really care if I never get any visitors there, but that would be fun too and comments are free. I'll talk to you later.

Let Me Take You On A Hiking Tour

I'm going to take you along on a short hike with me today. I've attempted to do this in years past, but I always seemed to get distracted from my tour guide duties, then I ramble on about several other things. Not this time. I do have a few extra pictures in this post, but nobody has been complaining about the other posts with lots of pictures, so here we are.

First we start out on this very civilized wide trail at the front of the nature park. It's not paved, but it's well graveled and manicured. It's the kind that gives greenhorns a nice warm feeling inside. The thing I like about it is that it stretches on for quite a ways. We don't know what's coming next.

After awhile we see something new on the side of the trail. Cut into the grass is another trail that forks off into two directions. Are we allowed to go off the main trail and onto this strange one cut into the grass? Well there's only one way to find out. Let's take a chance and hit the grass trail. I won't tell anyone.

After taking the fork on the right we come to an even smaller trail. Nobody has come running over and yelled at us yet, so I'm pretty sure we're allowed to go on these new smaller trails.  Besides, they were clearly made for a reason.

You can see at the far end of the trail that there are a few more trees there, and something interesting is happening. Right at the end the trail there's a dip that clearly takes us downhill. That means a new bit of the adventure!

We now get to that end of the trail so we can now see what's beyond. We're standing at the top of a hill looking down into a very woody area. Some of you may not be impressed with the amount of trees, but believe me, this is very woody for around here. You can also see there on the left a hint of a body of water.

Finally we get to the very end of the trail. We're now standing at the edge of this small lake. This is our destination. I usually stand here and look out over the lake for awhile and just enjoy nature at its finest. This is what it's all about. I love being near the water.

At other times there may be several kinds of ducks and other water birds on this lake. It will take a few more trips like this to see them. You can't get that lucky every time. Just reaching our goal and seeing the lake is good enough for me though. I love this place.

And that's our little tour. It kind of gives you a much less fun view of my experiences. There's really nothing like being there, as many of you know. This was just a short hike. The longer ones are even more fun and interesting. There's just so much more to see on those. Maybe one day we'll go on one of those long hikes. I'll talk to you later.

Adams Homestead And Nature Preserve

I found a nature park that reminds me of my favorite little nature parks back in Michigan that I used to visit almost every day. I actually found it several months ago but I haven't really had time to explore it or post about it until now.

In this post I can only really give an introduction to the place because I like to limit each post to only a few pictures at a time. That way you don't have to spend too much time here in any one post. It's just the way I like doing things.

Because of this I'll probably be writing posts quite a bit more often, at least for a little while. I really want to be able to take you through this park all the way. There are quite a few things here to share, and I'm not quite sure where to begin yet.

One thing I like about this place is that it's flat. Most of the other parks around here are so full of hills. Walking up and down all of those hills just about kills me. I still like them, but it's really hard sometimes. This flat land is so much easier to hike through right now.

The thing I loved about my Michigan parks was all of the trees. Unfortunately there aren't as many here. That's just thew way things are around here, so I'll just have to live with that. But there are areas here that are just fime for tree lovers like me, so I like that just fine.

Let me give you at least an idea of what there is here. The first trail splits in two directions. If you go to the left you really get trees, but that's not all. Back within all of the trees is an old village. It's like being able to explore an outdoor museum.

If you go to the trail on the right then you go past a lake with special viewing areas where you can observe several different types of ducks and other similar birds. You'll have to see them to really understand what I'm talking about.

The trail goes on quite a bit farther but I had to turn around to give my dog a bit of a break. She has become incredibly out of shape because I don't walk the hills much. Now that I have some flatter land to hike I hope to fix her. You wouldn't believe how glad she was to see my truck when the hike was over.

Maybe now I can do some of my older style posts where I explore the trails instead of showing pictures I took from my truck. I'm always excited when I find a place like this. The good thing is that it's not the only one. I hope I get to see some of those ducks one of these next times I visit this place. I'll talk to you later.

More At Five Ridge Prairie

I have to say that I've been very tired recently. I think I said that already. I still have some good pictures for you today though. After some short whining I'll tell you a little about them.

Here's something funny I got from the car accident I was in. I went to the doctor the other day and I came back home with a shopping bag full of medication, literally. I'm almost used to that kind of thing now, but it's still not fun. But just try to picture the amusing sight of seeing someone carrying that much medicine. It really is kind of funny. At least my head doesn't feel like it's ready to explode now.

Anyway, the picture above is the trail into the park. It stretches on for quite awhile. I think I mentioned before that I thought at first that it was only an old road leading to the trail. It took me quite some time of walking before I realized this was the trail.

This next picture shows the first indication of just how big this park really is. All you see in the distance is still the park. It really stretches out for many miles. It's an extra beautiful sight when you know that.

I walked for quite some time when I got to this point. I found myself in a valley that was full of birds. Those birds weren't afraid of me at all.  They were flying back and forth in front of me. The only thing that sent them away was Isabella's barking.

Isabella seems to take personal offense at the presence of any other animal sometimes. She constantly argues with the squirrel outside of my house. The problem there is that the squirrel likes to argue back, and he often starts it.

I'll go outside after hearing her barking. I then find Isabella focused on a tree outside. I'll yell at her to stop, but the squirrel is chattering every bit as loudly as she is barking.

But let's move on. We arrived at this river here and I took a few pictures. There is no other place where I've ever felt so far out in nature. It's a great feeling. I go out here and feel so good that I almost never want to leave.

I saw a big bird flying around down here, but it went behind the trees too quickly for me to get any pictures. I have some birds for you in future posts though, including some very big ones.

One last thing. Emma over at Nature Center Magazine has been slowly trying to contact some of you to ask if you'd like to be interviewed. If you like the idea of being interviewed then pop over and follow the link at the bottom of mine and let her know. I think it will be fun.

Isabella's Scary Foolishness

I'm still so busy that I'm having trouble finding time to be here right now. I had hoped that would have changed already. I had planned on spending a nice relaxing day reading some of my favorite blogs earlier today, but of course I never got to do that.

I recently ordered a new extra large hard drive for this computer. But after spending all day trying to get it to work, I finally had to give up and send it back because it was no good. I hope the replacement doesn't give me so much trouble.

Now all I have time for is to finally tell you the story of the danger my dog Isabella foolishly tried to put us both in on our latest adventure. The strange thing is that I had a strange premonityion that something like this might happen. Let's get to my little tale.

The picture above shows the view from a place atop Stone Park. This place hovers perilously hundreds of feet above the highway below. The only protection on this particular trail is the little fence you see in the picture. That fence is only about ten feet in length and at its end on either side is a very dangerous drop. A person is safe only as long as they don't behave foolishly here.

Notice the mini-van in the far distance below? Well, as it happens, Isabella likes to chase cars. As I was taking just a few quick pictures to show you just how far up we were, that mini-van came cruising by on the road below.

I heard it coming from a distance, but didn't think anything of it. After all, it was far away from us. I then decided that a picture of it might help to show the distance. It actually worked rather well, as you can see it looks very small down there. I didn't account for a foolish dog though.

This next picture was the one I took as Isabella yanked on her leash in an attempt to chase that van. Luckily, I was able to grab tight and hold my ground while yelling at her to stop. It would have been only a few feet for her to fall over the side to her death, possibly taking me with her. She's a big dog.

Needless to say, this was also the last picture I took from this place, and the last time I'll take her there. The place is not unsafe, but it is not a place for foolishness. I never thought Isabella would try to do something like that. This was perhaps the scariest thing that ever happened to me on one of my hikes. I'm just glad we were standing at the right end of the fence to keep her safe.

I quickly took us both back up the trail toward my truck and to a safer path. I think Isabella must have realized what she did afterwards because she got a little sick all over the ground when we got about halfway back. I hope she doesn't forget this incident. I know I won't.

Let's Go Down The Hill

Now it's time for me to show you the second part of my trip at Stone park. I would have done this sooner, but I've been a bit distracted with all of the details of getting my things here from Michigan. It might be that way for another couple of weeks while I get everything organized.

Okay, you can see the trail on the left side of the picture above. That's my starting point. I follow that all the way down to the narrow part you may notice in the distance to the right. After that there is a drop off steep enough that they had to put steps in the side of the hill.

Isabella and I eagerly followed these stairs on down to the next level of our hike. I took this second picture halfway down the second set of stairs. It wasn't too bad getting down this far, but it was hard walking back up to this point. We were both exhausted.

And the third picture is what greeted us after some more distance down the side of this hill. We were now far from those long sets of stairs. You may notice that the bottom of the hill is still far out of sight. I told you before that these hills are the size of mountains. I was not exaggerating at all.
 

And we now finally come to the very bottom of the hills. We were greeted by a hidden surprise. There is a lake down here! We couldn't see it from any point until we got right about where I took this picture from. The lake is called Turtle Lake.

We were both excited to see this when we got down here and we were glad to finally be here. I was hoping we'd find something good, and we did. This was a much different hike than any of my little hikes from before. I'll try to be back with another post some time this weekend showing you some of the sights we saw at the lake.


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Dunham Prairie Preserve

Even though I live in the middle of nature now, I still love the nature parks. So what would I be able to do? Surely there are no nature parks so far away from any big cities. Why would anyone need a nature park out in the country? Why not?

The real answer to all of this is that there are indeed nature parks here! In fact, there are even more nature parks here than there are where I lived before! And they are even closer to me than the others had been. They range from as small as the smallest to bigger than the biggest I visited before.

One of the closest nature parks, and maybe the smallest, is a place called Dunham Prairie Preserve. I'll probably be visiting this one more than any other for awhile. You probably guessed by the name of the place that some of this is prairie land. There are actually many features here, but we'll look at the rest another time.

The hiking sign in the picture above is what I first saw from the road when I found this park. I knew right away that this place was for me. Something I found out during my first trip here was that this place doesn't get a lot of visitors. I was the only one there. I like that.

As I walked the trails, I wondered what kind of animals I might find, or if I would find anything at all. With the dog along it might be difficult. But the intention of this trip wasn't really to find animals anyway. The reason I was here was to explore and discover.

I like the trail markers they have here. Huck Finn Hollow is one of many good names of places in this park. I'll be showing you many places like this in the days and months ahead. This post is just the beginning of my adventures at this park, and maybe the beginning of my new life.

I'm also getting back to Nature Center Magazine today with a new Cool Nature Video. I don't know if I'll be posting quite as much there at first, but I'll gradually get back to it. I also have a new story up over at Rat Tales. It's called "Fair". It'll be in five episodes. I've had this story in my head for many years. It's actually the one that inspired me to create Rat Tales.

I'm excited about a few of the things I'll be sharing in the next few posts here and my other two sites. I am also very busy here, but I'll be trying to post more often now. Blogging is actually helping me deal with the extra loneliness that I'm experiencing so far from everyone else I know. As long as you're reading, I know I'm not fully alone. So I'll be back soon! Same Rat time! Same Rat blog!


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Where I've Never Been Before

Look past that fallen tree, down to the water of the lake in the background. That closer water is a creek that feeds the lake. It is down a steep drop off, and I have never been down there, until now!

I searched and searched until I found a good path to get down there. I have never seen another living persone down there at that place. Only ducks and geese. That only made me want to go down there even more.

So there I was, down the side. I was standing by the side of this creek, looking out at the lake and everything surrounding it. There were no ducks or geese here this time, but I was here. I found no human footprints anywhere.

Do you know what it feels like to set foot on a place where you know nobody ever goes. Even if you're not the first, you know you won't be bothered, and this is a real adventure. To go off the path can be a very good thing in the right conditions.

This picture is from the same spot. I'm just looking in the other direction. The creek goes up until I can't see it anymore. I thought about finding the source, but I decided that just being in this place was enough for today.

There will be another day when I travel up this creek to find where it comes from, and then there will be another great adventure. I can only imagine what wonders await me there. Maybe I'll find gold and treasure. Maybe I'll only find more trees and plants. Either is good.

After my daydreaming it was time to go back to civilization. I went back up the hill to deal with the people who come through here walking their dogs. What a mundane thought. But at least I was down there where no one had gone before. It was thrilling!

Yup, I'm an adventurer. I adventured. It may not change the world, but it certainly changed me just a little bit.


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I'm Still Here

Well, it's been longer than I had hoped since my last post. My activity had to slow down just about everywhere for awhile because of a few problems. Let me explain by telling you what happened on my last short hike. This should be a lesson for anyone to watch your health closely before doing any outdoor activity.

Most of you already know that I've been struggling to get back to my old everyday self since a car accident some months ago. I was thinking exactly that when I was finally able to go hiking two days in a row. That first day felt a little tedious for some reason, but I didn't think much about it at the time. I was just happy that I had been out.

I was a little disappointed when I got home because my camera didn't cooperate that day, giving me some very bad pictures. It turned out that I had some of the settings wrong from some previous experimentation. If you think the pictures I have in this post look bleak, you should see the bad ones. So I decided that more pictures was good enough reason to go back out a second day.

I wasn't sure I wanted to go out again, but I felt okay before I left so off I went. But when I pulled my truck into the parking lot of the nature park I could sense there was something wrong. I felt tired and my heart just wasn't into the whole thing this time. That's when I wisely decided I'd make this trip a little short. I'd see how it went when I got out there.

You long time readers know that I was out at these places all winter long last year with no problem. But this time it just felt colder to me than I thought it should. I walked only about 2/3 of the way through the park and decided I should go ahead and turn back. I just couldn't shake that tired feeling.

Then about halfway out I began to feel strange. All of a sudden I couldn't catch my breath and I was beginning to get very dizzy. I decided to stop so I wouldn't fall over. So I leaned against a snow covered park bench for a few minutes. I began to feel a little better so I methodically, but quickly, made my way out of the park to the warmth of my truck. There were no further incidents that day.

I decided when I got home that I would wait at least a few more days before I went out again. I thought maybe it was from breathing in too much cold air though. But then that evening came another problem. Another dizzy spell, but this time I was in the house. Not good. This hasn't happened since right after the car accident.

That wasn't the end, or the worst. I woke up in the middle of that night feeling a pain in my chest. It felt full, like there was air trapped in there. This has happened to me in the past, long before I ever started really enjoying nature. It was just stress before, but this hurt worse than ever before. I thought this was probably the same, but it did hurt quite a bit more. I waited there in my bed for a few minutes, and the pain began to lessen. I went back to sleep.

The next day I still felt a little bit of pain. It now felt like those old days when I felt a similar pain from stress. I had another scheduled doctor's appointment in a few weeks so I decided to do something then. The pain stayed with me off and on the whole time. Even though I was lucky, I should have gone to the doctor much sooner.

Well, yesterday was finally my appointment. Upon hearing my story, the doctor ordered an immediate test on my heart to make sure things weren't worse. Luckily the test results came out fine. I have to say I was a little worried. The chest pain turned out to be stress caused by all the problems from the accident.

I let stress get to me very easily, which is why I began my love of nature. Nature soothes that stress for me. I used to have similar problems until I found places to go and be alone with nature. But I haven't been able to do much of that for awhile now. This has not been a fun time for me at all.

So that's my story. Even though I was lucky, and my health has been monitored very well recently, for the most part, this should remind everyone to be careful before doing any outdoor activity. Check with a doctor. I'm not that old, and I'm reasonably healthy other than a bump on the head, but I still have problems sometimes.

And now that I got that out of my system, I hope I can move onto more cheerful things for my next post. See you then.

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