It is so hard to be humble...

when you are perfect in every weigh... or was that way?

I am not perfect in any way, but I sure am all me... which will always make me humble. OldNFO was having and interesting conversation that he shared about perceptions of military family members and their military members differences from those that weren't. It made me think about how alone you are in the foxhole when your combat buddy is grabbing some sleep, that stuff they don't issue. Then in your darkness and fear you might be listening and find God there... you might. So you aren't alone. And when you are hot you are hot, and high speed no drag and suddenly you meet Murphy, and Murphy is always there, always. So you have two constant companions. The more familiar you get with each of them, the better your life can become... but you still have to take the shot.

At Home on the Range sad news, but I will go with my mother - what kind of Heaven would it be if dogs weren't allowed. You can gauge how much a human loves you, we learn early, but our animal friends have gone far beyond in their love for us, not being an entirely reasoning selfish person... I am not a hugging person, but she would get one for her loss.

What is life? it is the adventure of becoming what we will and can't be. Do love a lot, the adventure is better that way.

The Bus Man's Holiday... one of my mother's favorite stories...

So the Bus Man, drove the bus every day, and he was very professional, kind and timely and people thought he was great. Rain or shine the bus was clean and neat and on time. When they gave him a holiday, to enjoy, you know what he did? Well, he would ride the bus, greet the people, and help the driver that had replaced him on the run. A bus man's holiday.

So there was an Appleseed in Ariel, Washington this weekend, and I decided to attend as a shooter, to keep working on the interface between new rifle and old shooter. It is a compatibility issue isn't it? marksmanship and new equipment?  Kind of cold, a little damp. But there were two iron wood burning stoves to cut the chill.


The drive down was pleasant and I found a old time Country Western radio show out of Portland, imagine, songs I knew the words to and could sing along.

Nine shooters, four RWVA volunteers manning the line and the process. After introductions and briefings and bringing the cased rifles to the line.  Clear the line, post the Red Coat target and get to shooting thirteen rounds to see what your skill level is... I only got three in the 100 yard target, and missed the Headshot, when posting the sighting square target I wondered about why I had done so badly. Back on the line I found my rear sight loose, so I fixed that, but the truth was the shooter was still loose and needed to focus!  My sights got locked down, and adjusted for me and the day and the rifle, a couple clicks up and one to the center..

Five at a time and my groups were still loose, but on target. Six horizontal to be engaged with ten, 3,3,4. Lunch and two strikes of the match, my wife had made me a lot of lunch.  After lunch back to that last target, and then new positions, sitting in all its variations. I like kneeling because I can get into it quickly. But I need to practice them all to build muscle memory. We also do the ball and dummy drill, and then the standing position.  We are ready.

So right into the AQT, and my standing is my best position, 46 of 50 points. Next best is sitting, I did get all ten rounds off within the time of 55 seconds, No non scoring points, but the total was only 41 of 50. Should have taken a split second to get NPOA lock. Fives pay more than threes. Stage 3 again I get all ten rounds off on the three targets, changed the magazine quickly after the first two, but then dropped the round on zero points, shifted and shot two on target and one in the unknown, shifted again and fired four, all counters but by just barely.... total 33 of 50 - dropping 17 is not acceptable.  Last stage, lots of time, counts double and I shoot it calmly and shifting targets, but I am not locking myself deep enough to make it worthy, so I got only 31 of fifty, or 62 of a 100 and those thirty-eight points missed mean I only get 182 of 250 possible. Only a Sharpshooter, but the best I could do without more time and practice. I will work on it.

So time is up, and we post and shoot the last Redcoat target, I want to do very well on this, but I miss Daniel Morgan's shingle and one round on the 300 yd target so 11 of 13 possible hits and I have a new Avatar for my Facebook follies.

Life is good, and love, even just remembered love is awesome...

As I take a long look back, at the falling apart as my body fails a system at a time, and the best medical technology, and doctors and medications attempt to slow, stop or reverse a trend or failure... I will have to take time to remember how wonderful it was to be in love, to receive love and to feel loved. Can I remember the dollars, sure, I still have little cash books where I spent how much for what and when - but that is all nothing when compared with the time in love... it is nothing.

I do feel very good now, am gaining strength and working out a little harder and trying to be a much better me than yesterday. Hope I am doing it at the proper pace, don't want to hurry and hurt some thing... so a glass of wine, and good night. Tomorrow comes early, and I will shoot at least the first day of Appleseed, may rest and praise the LORD on Sunday, and give thanks for all that I have received, especially all the love, that counts big time... why didn't I pay more attention to making it bigger and better? Well, it was very fine what ever I got and all I gave, it was all good. Good night, and wake to more of God's blessings on the morrow.

So things are happening in Ukraine...

And you think of it as part of Russia.... sigh.

Public education system, huh?

So go watch Taras Bulba, 1962. Filmed in Argentina.... they had horses, and pampas which are almost steppes.  After seeing the movie - go look for the story - in English, I won't strain you into trying Russian.

Taras Bubla by Gogol   from gutenburg.org thank them very much. Now back to my reading.

Don't push it...

Got up early, packed out and said farewell to wife, she was going hiking and I was going to Oregon to try shooting Known Distance at Douglas Ridge Rifle Club. Almost three hours later I was there. So was the RAIN, heavy constant storms dropping water upon us. Still, except for two shooters, we swam on.

The first surprise was one round, cold bore, at Captain Morgan's shingle on the Redcoat target. Hmm, okay, I am not impressed by cold bore, and there is a zero on my M1 and settle down and break the ice. Bang! Cease Fire, Cease fire, cease fire. Unload and Clear. Is the line clear on the right, on the left. Go to your target and look.

Well, look at that, I hit it! Then the Shoot Boss comes by and awards a patch for joining Morgan's Riflemen. How cool is that? Immediately I thought I should just pack it up, it will never get better than that shot. But it was so nice that I had Ralph take a picture of this humble (?) shooter, there were eight others that did it also, but many of them were using optics, but the equipment is helpful, but in the end it is all the shooter for the refinement.

I had a fine day and a half, I changed to Range Safety Office and coach/instructor, seems my pacemaker wound is not happy with too much activity. I did like splashing around with the others and watching them get better and shoot an AQT, Spent the night safe, warm and dry with one of the shooters at his home. I was knocked out after a hot shower. My wallet was holding lots of paper pulp, the money and plastic always do better on swimming than the business cards, and appointment notes. What is the reason the Medicare Card isn't plastic, too?

Impressed am I...

So Valentine's Day, many things come to mind. But most importantly I thought deeply about heart.

I had to, I was in a ultra sound examination, of my heart. I got to look at a computer representation of my heart, beating, alive and well.  Very humbling, something that I am that I couldn't build myself without lots of directions.

So the cardiologist has lots of various pictures, many in motion, of my heart and I should be finished. Still, I do understand better why ultrasound examinations often change people's minds about physical reality.

01:30 here and why am I awake?

Heavy constant rains, gurgling in the gutters and down the drain spouts, soaking the soil. Which the Caravan will make fine ruts.  My wife is hiking in the morning with her group, it will be raining. I will go and do another light work out at the YMCA, a few more kilometers on the rowing machine, most of the cardio will come from hot ladies in yoga pants and the bicycle which only faces a concrete block wall and has the video screen to divert me.

Final cleaning, greasing of the M1 tomorrow - I ought to find a name for that rifle, except I have never named my rifles. Should name them all, but then I might have conversations with them. I have had two calls to confirm my appointment on Friday, I have finished my form for the last rifle I purchased, since I hadn't used my whole middle name when I filled it out.

Should be a fine weekend in Oregon shooting known distance on Douglas Ridge Rifle range, I will go slow, don't need to cause myself any problems and I want to make every shot count. Since I have been taking some long hard naps, I guess I don't need as much time asleep - best start reading again. NFO is about to release his book, which I will likely get in kindle and hard cover. He bought me lunch once and I have read the beta versions and I liked it.