Normal has returned, now about the Appleseed in Poulsbo, WA...

Sure enough, talking like people that care will help all the hidden fears and frustrations. But we knew that.

Still no shoot box with stuff for the Appleseed, no more instructors signing up to help, and twenty-two shooters preparing to attend. Lovely challenges, thank you, LORD.

I am not a fighter I am a lover... ever hear that?

I heard it too often in my teenage years, and I was just the opposite - a fighter, not a lover. I think I got pretty good at the fighting, and since bluff is half the battle I was really good at that.

I had all kinds of things holding me back from dating, daring to was tougher than throwing a punch by a bunch. I was so backwards that a friend finally asked my Prom date choice if she would go with me if I asked her. That was embarrassing. I didn't thump him, because she was a great date and I never have had too many friends.

My wife has stopped talking to me, seems I have shamed her at church or something. We aren't talking about it - so it will be resolved sometime long after I am gone. Realize that I am not feeling her frustration, rage, hurt or whatever is my fault (which is really making her silent), I do love being a clueless man.

This house is quiet when I am here alone. One of my  friends from the Spanaway United Methodist Church rode his bicycle to my house and knocked on the door. We had been playing telephone tag, the door works better. I gave him a bottle of water and we covered many of our bases and things. Cannot text things like that, only face to face talk works - and I don't think the NSA has any idea of our position on Syria. Good to see him.

There must be several degrees of silence, home alone, home with others not speaking, outside with everyone waiting for the cougar to pounce on prey.... several degrees of silence.

All that I valued and love has gone....

Seems that I am not well and will remain in my personal darkness, which I haven't found except in the lonely, that is when you realize that all you have done is off the beaten track, in the fog, in the thick forest of trees, in the deep sinking sand, quick sand or sink holes of life. There seems to be no one around to throw me a rope.


Survival skills, lay back and hope you float or you swallow that first choking slime into your stomach instead of your lungs. The fear of Limbo and the land of the Dead is there is no light, and no love.

There aren't enough volunteers, not for Paul Revere

I haven't much help with the Poulsbo Appleseed. Only a bit more for the Port Townsend a week later. They don't make them like Isaac Davis any more.

Did post my Appleseed Trail, from 2008 to 2011. I may have missed one but likely not.

FREEDOM! for slaves it means one thing, for the freemen a better world is LIBERTY

I have just finished watching all twenty-four episodes of The Slave Hunters, and I was able to see all the parts that had been missed while I made coffee, or worked on something else.

Korea (Joseon) of 1648, the end of the Thirty Years War in Europe, the time of The Three Musketeers, in France, and in England they were beheading Charles the First. In China, the Ming was being replaced by the Qing (Manchurians, really) from 1643 until much later, China is a big place.

The KBS production is available on DVD 2 box set, my library owns a copy (large Korean-American population), it can be purchased on line, probably available on Netflix with English subtitles. It all takes place in Korea, although some of the main characters have spent time in China, and Korea has a younger brother role with the Older brother.

This movie centers on slavery, runaway slaves, and slave chasers (or Slave Hunters of the title), and court intrigue to maintain power. All the bad guys are good, all the good women are really just beautiful (even with slave markings). The martial arts are very fantastic, but close to reality (NOT), but entertaining. To me the greatest hero was the tiger hunter, now slave, that knew how to shoot a matchlock, and taught other slaves the skills needed to kill the nobles. That was revolutionary... and the story shows how the culture resisted the needed changes, although everyone had the dream.

I recommend it for all those that are thinking of resistance to the oppressors, but then I really liked the whole story...just remember, it is loosely based on real history, real martial arts and real romance... loosely.

Time isn't as exact for everyone... it is relative.

I look at the roses, just a little bit ago I had taken pictures of them as buds, and now they are big and bold and about to become petals in the wind... since they grew while I wasn't watching.

I step out, get in my car and drive off to an Appleseed, present instruction, coach, monitor progress, encourage and razz as needed. One of the shooters from a couple of Appleseeds ago said he had been the target of some gentle razzing, and he might have been correct - just not a word I use in motivation... but it does work. So, since I am a retired fellow, I have lots of time to concentrate on the Appleseeds, and I get fretful when all those folks don't check for their pictures, read and/or comment on their Appleseed experience. I want to make sure I shake them up more on the next Appleseed. I need motivating, I measure success in every smiling shooter leaving with good memories and a desire to do even better and to talk about what happened.

Like an elevator in a tall building, one gets on the Appleseed, and the Plan of Instruction flows on, and suddenly at the end of the second day, one gets off the Appleseed and goes about life, real life. Family, friends, bills, work, and will think about this last and the next Appleseed when I have to... and if you don't have pictures to post, the Internal After Action Report to file and the report to higher about this shoot, the progress checks performed to standard, recommendations for promotion and just plain old bragging about how well your team did in producing Riflemen and committed Americans understanding the sacrifices of that 1775 generation of patriots - well, you clean your rifles, repack your stuff for the next one and periodically check to see if anyone posted anything wonderful that you want to snap up into calling this shoot.

I need to make two points at my next Appleseed: word of mouth and internet connections to share the heritage (they are stepping up into Isaac Davis shoes, aren't they?) and that 10 rounds standing, ten rounds sitting (in each of the positions) and twenty rounds of prone are the minimum dry fire recommendation for five days of their week. Do it on the best AQT from their last Appleseed.

Well, enough looking to see if anyone posted anything, on the RWVA forum, or Face book.... I give my wife two 5.11 shirts to get taken in so I look professional and my YMCA bag is packed, when I return today I will start the POI for Poulsbo Appleseed, needing more instructors and more shooters - there are never enough are there?

How to seveth step -- Seventh Steppin'

Still happy about the Appleseed in Custer, WA, and talked to the young lady selling organic blue berries from Mount Vernon about that. I also talked to a former Marine in the book store, since I was wearing my Red RWVA instructor hat, and my Marine shooting jacket. He told me all about his experience with the M1, and since only eight rounds had been through his I did ask if he was ready to pass it on. His price quote made me think it was a recent purchase, with a little more recoil than he wanted. Nice conversation.

I was really waiting to meet the Congressman from my district, Denny Heck. I checked with his staff, they said he would be there about 11:30.  I saw him walking through the farmer's market about 11:40 and he caught the red hat and the wondering about the RWVA on it. I explained it was for the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, and he said I didn't look that old.

I shook his hand and explained our mission and how we taught rifle marksmanship, after asking how he shot.  I told him we told the story of the three strikes of the match about Lexington and Concord  on April 19, 1775. I had lost track of my trifolds from the Appleseed on Sunday (would find them in the t-shirt box later) but I gave him our Appleseed.org address and showed him some of the digital pictures from that shoot.

Very positive reaction from him, I did stress that serving elected officials could shoot free He was going around checking on what his folks had concerns about. So we talked about one of mine  Mostly it was about America's change and the RWVA mission.

That discussion makes me want to modify my closing of my emails.  I want to leave this as my signature:

I won't be ruled, I am in no state to be governed, but I will be represented. In the LORD's Love and Liberty abide.  Earl, Rifleman