I spent 5 1/2 weeks off the road and felt something akin to what a thru hiker experiences after coming off the trail.The best part was hanging out with my dog while she convalesced from pneumonia related to heart disease. She's almost 14 and has a plethora of health issues. It was wonderful to see her rally back to her old self. I also spent some time doing a few updates to the van and going to doctor's appointments, including PT for my neck. Cricket doing what she does best these days Finally time to hit the road again. First stop Arkansas for hiking and backpacking and visiting with friends at the Backpacking Arkansas Gathering after a 2 yr hiatus. It was a rainy weekend with a big storm arriving in the middle of the night Saturday. Fortunately only small hail but some high winds. I decided to leave the van parked at the pavilion for the night. I'd noticed a tree at my campsite that was only anchored to the ground on one side. About 2:30 AM I was up watching the we...