Listening to the Blues, falling asleep at the wheel...

Sunday evening and I listen to the Blues from KPLU while I drive back from Whidbey Island and the Coupeville Appleseed. I must talk too much, because I was tired enough to fall asleep again while waiting to load on the ferry in Clinton. Someone ran out and beat on my window to wake me up. I knew it couldn't happen twice, but it has.

I think back over the two days, and remember the good and bad stuff, I have to write a report and file it. Good that it was a safe shoot, bad that our only riflemen were only repeat riflemen (they had made rifleman before), but there was real improvement in everyone's performance. There were six youth, and they did the very best they could and shared in their families' experiencing the marksmanship and the heritage of the Revolutionary War. I made sure we had an opportunity to shoot a peppermint. That made a very young lady and her father very happy.

Of course the joy of bursting the peppermint could also be shared by the experienced Riflemen on the line, even to the point of offering to do another's candy. Two full AQTs on day one, and six on day two, four Redcoat targets, three sighting square, ball and dummy drill and all the Three Strikes and the basic three Dangerous Old Men stories. Did not shoot any Known Distance and this is a great range for a quick hundred meters demonstration shoot and practical application of Rifleman's Trajectory and bullet drop and rise. The shooters need better grounding in the basics, more study and dry fire and position practice.

I started Friday evening with the first day of a Revival at my church, and the speaker was great, subject was about being a good steward. And how the Lord will give you what you need for the call that He sends you, and you will not be wanting. I thanked the speaker and shook his hand, telling him I was going on my own mission in the morning, the Appleseed. My wife's pastor wanted me to bring another to the Revival during this weekend, but I was going to be where I could do the most good.

Drive and ferry ride were exactly as I expected, met Tracey at the gate and she told me she had ordered better weather (looked a lot like rain), but then she and I knew the Appleseed would happen anyway. So we starting setting up, Ralph came and added to the effort, Bob brought some breakfast and more help. We were on time and on schedule, only two No Shows.

I did too much talking, but I was very happy that Matthew took over nine hundred pictures on the first day, and an unknown but probably enormous amount on the second day. I am in so many more than if I had been the only photographer. He was also on top of handing out targets and assisting in anyway asked, he is still too young to be an Instructor in Training (IIT) but he has shot Rifleman. I think he will have to be my replacement one day in the future.

So as my medical tech asks, as she monitors my pacemaker's performance, have you done anything fun? the only answer is yes - I showed up and excelled. Who is telling this story anyway?