Don't like the weather, wait it will change soon...

I was expected, welcomed and loved for all my parents' dreams come true.

My mother wanted to be a writer, an author, a true champion of God, a lady, a real do-gooder and settled for wife and mother. If she wanted anything in greed, it would have been more hugs, more time in conversation and more visits from far away children and to know about the grandchildren.

A different world that I grew up in, no real Home Schooling, although my mother seemed to tell stories always, read books with us, and tolerate the blanket house under the table, the couch pillow fort walls and stepping on AWOL army men with her bare feet. Dogs and children, church every Sunday, and summer church camp adventures to add to the vacation Bible school. Taking us to Uruguay and Argentina for a meeting with those we had only heard about.

She spent an awful lot of time trying to rein in her first born, a challenge from the get go. We had quiet talks in the car about the real important stuff, so as not to be interrupted by siblings, telephone nor time. Those stuck in my mind and heart long years later. She had rules and I was always testing them, for I always had things to do and was late already.

In the end, I am hoping that she was happy with most of what I did, why I have done it and what my life shared with her meant. I should have loved her better, but what do I know about love?

So this Mother's Day, I wish more Americans have what I did - a loving mother, a confident, a warm heart and a cheer leader. She did work making doughnuts for a bit, taking census in 1970, and wrote a lot of poetry - but where she earns her sainthood was as my mother. Thank God for mothers that love enough for His glory. Amen.

I turned my death clock off, it was ticking down...

My pacemaker is going to last longer than I according to the Death Clock app. Maybe, I couldn't say just yet. It is too beautiful a day to be concerned about. I found an old photo of my mother, smiling in her decline, it is now my Facebook avatar for this Mother's Day weekend. Maybe I should pay bills but I am about to go to the YMCA so I can look as skinny as I did in 1971 (when was Obama born?).

That is sixty to seventy pounds away, and ain't gonna happen. I am doing the Savage Revenge on the bicycle -- a twenty mile jaunt through the snowy mountains with Yetis yet. I have done it before and will probably scull 6.2 miles on the rowing machine after. Real sculling would be better but someone would insist I wear a helmet and have a floatation devise on...Sigh.

Not everything in the Republic of Vietnam was not worth taking a picture of. I snapped this one of fleeing beauty. I really have always loved that size, type and utility Truck.

The young ladies were the Miss America contestants doing the only USO visit to our little fire base. I was so tongue tied I couldn't even say hello, hi or thanks for coming. Real American women, things only vaguely remembered from a time long ago and very far away.

But I sure do like that truck. And hot showers and hot food and a cot to sleep upon. When I got to the 82nd Airborne Division in the 1973 alert for Israel and Egypt in conflict I got the floor. Which never gives way.

So you wanted to know how much time is left?

Afraid or just timid? different degrees of fear, aren't they?

I am worrying on the next Appleseeds, and there aren't a bunch of shooters out there signed up to learn, shoot and hear the stories. Have all the Americans been on the line already? Don't think so.

Not only don't I get all the shooters, but I am having challenges getting enough great crews to instruct, coach and make the shoots safe and entertaining. There is something amiss.

I am blaming it on the ANTI-Gun Goofs and elected Foolish Officials and their shared Mouthpieces. The gun guys and gals are just tired of beating their heads against the wall of stupidity maintained by media and political correctness. Haven't any of them gotten beyond the entertainment industry's glorification of guns and gun violence? For sure the criminals haven't, but then we can all agree that there aren't any smart criminals caught and convicted - so they have a reason to be stupid about guns and gun violence. I didn't say that criminals aren't effective as the police in making the innocent fearful of men with guns. If I believed all the stories in the media and entertainment I would think disarming the military and police should be first priority, but most law officers aren't trigger happy, do train and have thought out why and how they would use their firearms. Still, there seems to be an overcast of gloom among the unknowing population that would like to learn about firearms, own one, and be a responsible adult.

Now I am certain that people that really know why they fear firearms, have good reason. And I am sure I will never convince them that they should overcome their fears. But when their fears start to ruin my day, week, month, year (and I don't have many of them left) well, that is my challenge. Get them off my back and out of my life.

On a very positive note, if they are getting work and building a better world and haven't the time to come to the Appleseed events - that is still a great thing, for them and the world. Go get it done, pilgrim.

How are you doing, really?

I now know exactly what my DNA ethnic estimate can tell me William Earl Dungey.  Now traditionally the table talk has always been that in about 169? there was a rebellion in Ireland - not really, there was a major defeat of the Jacobites and James by the Orange Lord William, also current King in England with James' daughter, Mary, as his queen. The Battle of the Boyne. For whatever reason one of King Williams victorious soldiers could have been our Irish ancestor, whom according to table talk married an English woman and settled in Kent, where all his sons married English women and continued to live in Kent until they came to America in 1848 or so. From all I know about History of England, that portion of Kent and Sussex, the DNA is close to perfect.

For as long as my ancestors lived in America, I had thought there might be some American Indian bloodline, none has been found. My mother always quoted that the longer the line to colonial times the more likely there was some. But it isn't there to be seen. I am not convinced of the DNA science yet, they haven't a large enough pool, nor much beyond statistically might be.. so. I want linkage to real royalty and a title... ha, ha, ha! Not happening.

It was the 5th of May, my wife's birthday, and we celebrated with breakfast in bed (almost) then a movie "Heaven is Real" and dinner at the Azteca, which was too much and too good. Home to a Skype.com visit with the grandchildren and son, and the granddaughter is talking a mile a minute and a pitch too high for my hearing mostly. But she is lively and lovely. The grandson is tough and independent. Nice finish for the day for her.

Got the news on Facebook that Jeffro had passed on to his reward, blogger, Poor Farm on the left, shooter, former farm son, truck driver, and race car fan. Good man with a big heart. Never met him before the internet, but we were cousins kind of... wanted to meet him on my cross America motorcycle tour, didn't happen. But it was close in Colorado.

Appleseed happened well in Waitsburg, Washington. The link is on the left but you may have the pictures of me from others.

I have to keep talking them straight...

I shared a picture, message was: 'I am a conservative, Pro-life, gun owner. What else can I do to make you angry?' or some such. A family member comes back with how can you be pro-life and a gun owner? I find that very easy - I actually know the danger of weapons, the effect on the humans shot, and the effects on the minds of the humans shooting. So my choices are because of knowledge, not because somebody says...

Another picture of the NRA Convention and someone posts, a child - what is a child doing there? (She really knew, but was repeating the mantra of NRA+Guns = EVIL.) My response, not that there are any anti-gunners reading those posts in Facebook, The child is growing up, informed aware and interested.

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?