Sometimes "things" just happen too. Some of you may remember my post from last summer where I was walking around a flooded farm field behind my property somewhat late one evening - in clear view of my house. I was using a GPS to map the boundaries of the flood water so I was walking as close to the edge of the water as I could. I was wearing rubber boots and accidentally stepped into a hole when crossing a shallow (6") portion of the flooded field. One leg sank into the mud which filled one boot with mud & water, and filled the other boot with just water. I did my best to rinse the mud out of the boot, but the act of rinsing in the flood water forced me to put my stockinged foot back into the mud. I was kind of a mess and I knew I didn't have a lot of daylight left.

Anyway, if you've ever walked in wet rubber boots you'll know how tiring and nasty that can be. That apparently minor event - certainly comical in hind-sight - could have turned into an overnight stay and a possibly ugly situation had I been in a more remote area.

Plan ahead, be equipped (not just gear), and use your head. That is what this form and ETS is all about.