From the desk of Jolt Squirrel

When you scroll through the memory books and ask yourself “what’s a year that you’ll never forget?”, 2020 has become the year you will instantly recall. That’s because the year has brought us and the wider world a lot of difficulty largely thanks to a Chinese virus that has yet to be controlled. But no matter, we rolled through, we survived and we triumphed over everything the year threw at us! So let’s celebrate with a stroll down what this year had in store.

"I'm so jacked, the furries flock to me"

What did said virus do to the furry scene at large? Ground it to a screeching halt! Literally all the furmeets and conventions around the world had to be cancelled and not even the titans of the convention scene like Anthrocon, Eurofurence and Midwest Furfest were spared. Needless to say, when they fell, the convention domino falls. Still, a few conventions such as Anthro New England and Texas Furry Fiesta slipped in and beat the global lockdown come March. Turns out, Vancoufur was the last big furry event of 2020.

"NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME YET!"

Yes, current and former Raiders were fortunate enough to grace the lockdown beating conventions and furmeets with their presence. To name a few, Aeveirra made waves partying hard in Anthro New England while others made their presence known in Fursquared, Vancoufur and Texas Furry Fiesta.

I have discovered the portal to the fantasy world!

However, in these trying times, if you want to get a furry fix, you will have to venture outside the realm of furry events and into the wider world. Other conventions, be they anime, pop culture and gaming were also crushed under the wave of the lockdown. As a fursuiter myself, I can tell you that getting out into the world is so worth it. It’s you, out there, some furry friends, and everything on your own terms. In my case, I took to nature and put Jolty through hikes that take you to abandoned mines, misty vistas and behind waterfalls. In another case, Foxler and Kody took the adventure to Yellowstone National Park and Engineer Pass. So don’t be stuck behind the cage, get out and explore!

Season 3 of the Raiders Rambles shone into the spotlight and as ever, we continued to deliver on the turnings of the world. At a slower pace, because you know, Kung Flu and all that has slowed the world down. Since the news cycle shriveled up, we searched and searched and never gave up to find you Clown World’s crazies for just about every week of 2020. We produced a grand total of 45 episodes this year and established a new home on BitChute. Overall, we haven’t been idling in these tough times.

Once again, I wish to thank my co-host Aeveirra, always there to spread his energy and candiness (is that a word? Whatever, I’m just gonna roll with it) on air. To our participating members, your commentary always adds to the show and makes each episode what it is, and as ever you never disappoint on air, so thank you. Much credit also goes to my interim hosts, Inu and Noble, you pulled through whenever I wanted a grand adventure, got tied up at work and I needed someone to cover my behind. Funnily, Season 3 began and ended without yours truly at the host’s chair due to personal events not lining up, but it is what it is, and I am ever thankful for my interim hosts. We aim to deliver Season 4 of the Rambles some all new art, new insanity and new laughs, whether we’re going fast or slow. And as ever, there is no better time to get on the Rambles Train, so hop on, cause there’s no getting off the ride the world is on.

Jolt’s personal highlights of hosting Season 3 of the Raiders Rambles:

• Taking the wild ride with gaming’s craziest news
• Celebrating at the death of furry events (hey, there is a silver lining to this, you might not see it yet)
• Favourite episodes include #99 – Magical White Tower and #100 – Happy 100th
• Favourite first-timer host is No Dragons Plz

Aeveirra’s personal highlights of hosting Season 3 of the Raiders Rambles:

• Bringing in the boss man twice on the show
• As always, Special Guests. Two for the year which we very much enjoyed having
• Favourite episodes include #116 – Coyote Stole Mah Babeh and #124 - Good Riddance 2020

Now adding a splash of orange, green, purple and black

This year saw the debut of the Raiders Merchandise Store, with armbands, stickers and dakis lining the shelves. Pick your favourite colour or pillow character and enjoy! Further down the line we hope to stock up on shirts, art prints and more accessories, so stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted on new releases.

What’s next for the group? I can say that we’re heading on track to returning to the good old times we’ve had online. With Telegram group voice chat finally arriving, we can finally recover from the bottleneck that comes with lacking a reliable communication service. And as with the parallels to the real world, the voyage may be slow to start but once momentum starts rolling, there won’t be any stopping.

Two wild animals in front of a volcano? This is fine!

After what 2020 put us through, I have the hope that 2021 will be a year of recovering lost time and lost ground, and the Raiders will capitalize on the opportunities made available to us. It’s well known that a fair number of furry events have been called off entering into 2021, but maybe, just maybe, furry events will start again later down the line. Maybe we’ll open up to a hidden gem of an adventure in your backyard? Who knows. But no matter what the great unknowns of next year throw at us, we will persevere. I know, I know, you want a rewind button for this year, but not even I can buy one.

For more on our wrap-up of 2020, feel free to listen to episode #124 – Good Riddance 2020, of the Raiders Rambles, where we stroll through this Corona infested year with great gusto and how everyone dealt with its challenges in their own ways.

See you on the road ahead.