With the Boys

For the better part of the day Saturday, Fred and I joined Tommy, Poo, Bob and Brandon for 4-wheeling on the ATV trails near Bloomer and Cornell. What a blast! The formation was: Poo in the lead, yours truly, Fred, Bob and then Brandon. Things got going about 10 AM and we started out on the pavement headed for miles and miles of woodsy trails.
So, Poo gets on the trail. We all pull into three by three and talk a little about safety and where we are headed. Then, it's off to the races! The first big mud puddle (it had been raining off and on for a few days) Poo goes right through the middle. I could not tell right off if it was deep or shallow, but I did the same, but lifted my feet which were covered by my WHITE Vans and white sox. Ok, not so bad, I didn't get wet and just a little splashing. Sound like a wimp? Uh-huh. But, just at first. After traveling on some field road trails for a while, I think we headed for some woods trails. Yeah, that's when the real fun started. Literally hundreds of right and left angle turns, mud puddles the size of Lake Superior, rocks, gullies, wash-outs, thousands of Dragon Flies, mosquitoes, horse-flies, deer-flies, bridges, narrow gates, fallen trees on the trail, low branches, deer, mud in my teeth, face, ears, arms, legs, and did I mention this was so very much fun! I was whooping and hollering and I do believe...I kept right up with our leader and didn't flinch when he spun out and sprayed mud and dirt all over me and my rig. Potty break stops? Sure, I just turned the other way, and when it was my time to go, they all looked away. That's ATV etiquette, I guess. We had a great lunch at the Rock Lake Tavern, then back on the trails. More of the same, except I think my confidence level increased, and I found myself feeling more comfortable and it simply was a get dirty, roll in the mud kinda fun that I will do again.
My shoes, which are my fave boat shoes? After a soak in bleach water, and a wash, they are on the porch to dry in the sun when it shows its face. And, I actually got all the mud out of my ears and hair. A finer thing in life? To have a shower when you REALLY NEED ONE!
So here's thanks to the "guys" for letting me tag along. I think I kept up just fine, and here's to getting out there again. It was a blast!