Finding what is lost...

I went to Battle Ground, Washington to find what I was missing  - much of which I didn't realize that I had lost along the way. I was a bit early so went into a Mall at the Sears entrance. They didn't seem to have any 22LR ammunition so I wandered out to the general areas and found a Calendar, Game and Toy store. I hadn't been able to find, on the internet, a Revolutionary War calendar - I knew there had to be one, but the search engines were looking for what 'everyone' is searching for or the sponsored 'finds'.  But in this shoppe, there was ONE with torn packaging looking exactly like what I wanted, so I grabbed it, and was willing to pay the sixteen dollars for it - but only paid four - since most of January was no longer to be counted. It was the New Nation Calendar by M. Kunstler, Lang Publishing. Happy me.

On to dinner at the Mongolian Golden Tent, met the others and the Instructor (ItsanSKS) for the weekend. Got coffee and built some stuff to toss together on the grill. I was shocked by some of the questions, things I hadn't thought about but in general most of the conversation was about past Appleseeds and friends along the trail and the future of the RWVA in the Great NorthWest. We moved to a quieter room for better conversation, desert and more coffee. More stirring of our minds, and focus, and reminders of what being new feels like. Kind of invigorating, being young again. We closed the place down and I drove off to the school house where I would park and sleep in the Caravan or inside if it got opened. George opened it, turned on the water and water heater and I rolled my sleeping bag out and didn't notice the cold outside of it.

Waking Saturday morning I got out of my bag and noticed it really was cold, so I looked at the great wood burning stove, looked for matches, found none, put some kindling on the range and turned up a burner and started a fire to move a flame to the pile of kindling in the stove. Worked! The the flue and the flame and constant adjustment for clearing smoke out - until they stopped opening the top to look. Breakfast is cooked and shared, there would be more food than feasters all weekend. Can you say Elk Burgers? Can you taste them?

After breakfast, set up for instructions, introductions and we were off on a full weekend of training, talking and performance. Pictures here. Excellent outline, constant participation by all, questions answered and diversions re-routed back to course of instruction -- just like we would have to do at an Appleseed.

Six Steps in making a Rifle safe, step six is 'No one touching'. Six steps in making the shot, the first two steps are natural lead ins from the Steady Hold factors, without explaining Natural Point of Aim, one more verification on NPOA and then trust it and fire in Rifleman's cadence. The sling has three medal parts we own the names now - J-hook, H buckle, and Camlock, cinch the loop down to snug, take your firing hand and pull on the J-hook and loosen the sling by pulling it across your chest.  Cross ankle sitting position is with the edge of the feet flat on the ground. COF, target, position, # of rounds, holes in paper, time limit, Magazine prep and Extras.

Stage Craft, how do you present. Suggested video recording of your presentation of instruction, of your History presentation. Looking at oneself critically for ways to improve. Just in rotating the butt of the rifle away from the body and smartly into the shoulder pocket, short firm and complete. Teach hasty sling and loop sling before prone steady hold factors, save Hasty, hasty for the Standing position.

Teach talking targets after prone, yellow sheet as reference.  IMC and FO/RS  Always TPI, Total Participant Instruction - List Discuss List Chorus back.  Always good examples, always saving questions for proper time, no diversions from topics.

Dinner of Elk Burgers, I think I had six of them, and a couple more on Sunday. Slept in the school house another night, with a fire in the stove and the chief instructor in his sleeping bag, too. Overall, great motivating and informative training in perfecting the subjects of Appleseed. Today I signed up for two more Appleseeds at Port Townsend, WA. There is another weekend in July but I have Fish camp that time, so I will have to find other Appleseeds to help.