On the road again, CAP cadets to make into Riflemen...

  I haven't been around as much as I once was, just often in the otherwheres.  So I packed my car and headed down the road to the range. Found it easily, as local as it gets for me.  Out of three CAP events we have held here, this was my best. Nothing to do with me, just that I have done one before so only the cadets calling me 'Sir' made me happy and uneasy. Difficult to believe there really are polite young people wanting to learn something.

   I had only one loaner rifle, and day one the sights kept coming off, combination of heat from sun, and lack of proper tension on the retaining screw? Well, the cadet was patient with me and on day two I only had to tighten it one time. I did get to fire five rounds while the cadet sat out, should do that more often, since it confirms my ability, and my errors to work upon. All the normal Appleseed things were taught and demonstrated but in a shorter version. Several shooters were improving rapidly and will one day, with practice do much better. We did have a shooter on day one do a 210 without transitions, and given a normal AQT he made 218 on the same day. He earned his patch.

NW Appleseed photo report.  Two fine days of making better marksmen.  Sunday was quick review of all that had been taught, a Redcoat target and an AQT, some dangerous old men stories. The fun stuff was in the afternoon, we brought the target line in to fifty feet (from 82) and posted NRA targets for the shooters to get scores to earn their awards based on their uniforms. Looks very much like the targets I shot in 1962 Junior High Rifle Club, in the high school gym.. under the watchful eye of Mr. Mauger, the American History teacher.

  Next trip is to Custer, 25-26 Aug. Hope to see y'all on the range.

Redmond, WA. Appleseed!

  Seems I haven't been writing much here, but I am back from an Appleseed last weekend and want to share. GTEngineer has to make his third SBiT (Shoot Boss in Training) to get his Green Cap. Two instructors came all the way from Florida, Ken to do the Progress Check and demonstrate how to tell the Heritage. He had all that history memorized, to include quotes from Patrick Henry and Thomas Paine. A fine story teller. He also used the other visiting instructor, Lori, to demonstrate having worked with her before. They didn't really teach our instructors anything new, but it is nice to know that the East Coast knows we have Appleseeds in the West.

  Did I mention that we turned up the heat in honor of their visit? Well, we were above ninety both days, and no matter how much I thought I drank I was getting dehydrated. Two young folks came to learn with their family's support. They learned a lot. Many of the other shooters had heard about us or had been at an Appleseed on this range with us. Hugh was claiming he felt responsible with I tripped and messed my ankle up during the last event. Not true, I didn't lift my foot high enough. There were lots of fine optics on the rifles, I hope I didn't make it too obvious that I thought iron sights were better to learn with. We got the scopes dialed down and tried to keep the shooters from chasing their bullet holes.

  They listened and learned, shooting improved, shot groups became smaller, they started to use NPOA and Rifleman's cadence. One AQT on Saturday and many more on Sunday. Roy was our only lefthander, and he improved constantly. Three bolt action rifles but still their shooters kept pace. With lots of dry practice of all they were presented they will soon be ready for another Appleseed and earn their Rifleman patch. I hope I see them all on the trail in the future.

AAR Douglas Ridge Rifle Club Applesseed, 9-10 June 2018

 Ten years on the trail with the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, and I am ten years younger than Samuel Whittemore, in 1775.  So up early pack out and drive down I-5 to the bypass around Portland. Exit 12. Get to the gate just as Flipper drives up and opens it and follow her inside. New face, ScubaSteve, instructor from Florida - a shivering instructor. Must be airborne infantry, pack light freeze at night, is their mantra.  Nat, Flipper, Janer, Bandaid and I will make up the crew, twenty-seven shooters are on the way. Did I forget to mention Owen? A sharp young man to help with the administration both days.
   Looks like two shooters per position, but the cover from sun and rain will be welcome. A couple of popups are erected on the left for overflow. In processing leads to presentation to safety steps (6 of them) and bringing the cased rifles to the line, clearing the line, posting Red Coat and the day is ready to happen. Nice bunch of shooters, very social but not too many to disrupt the flow of information and learning.

Stopped after a Redcoat for a group photograph, we don't seem to get enough of them but one has to stop and pose and you can't do that Quickly, quickly, quickly... So the instructor crew kept giving the shooters something to think about as they tried to do six simple steps for each shot, ten breaths of air, and the only rest the pause.......

Hope the shooters were inspired to practice, come again, and mastering the shooting to step up and help teach others about what they know very well about... to paraphrase Lord Percy.

How could we ever forget?

  it is good to remember the lives lost, to remember their smiles, laughter, jokes and their curses for the troubles and trials. Brings them back for just a bit. Some of us don't want to bring them back, because it takes us where we didn't want to be but were.

   favorite song of my military career 'Lay down my burden, down by the river side...' Always will be.
One of the graveyards beside a very old church had mulberry trees and giant oaks and maples, and quiet place to rest, some of the old head stones mentioned the Revolutionary War, too many the civil war service, quiet place to rest.

 

Dreaming, why not?

  So my early morning dreams are strange, they are about me in the military again... which ain't gonna happen. But I am in uniform arrived at a new post and position still undetermined. I find a very different army awaiting me.
  The commander is a woman, the CSM is a tall long black woman, with more rockers and stripes than I remember for a battalion position. Everyone is troubled by my qualifications in their unit which doesn't need my set.  The strange thing they are really stretching to understand is my double 'c' identifier. The only thing I thought it could mean was Christian Conservative.
  Like I said, it was only a strange dream.

Had a wonderful small but effective Appleseed in Custer, Andy was Shootboss, Ralph was ITT and range host.  Six shooters, two bolts, two optics, and all interested in gaining knowledge and practice. I couldn't find a motel room, seems there was a dog show in the area and I didn't want to drive far away, so I slept in the Pacifica, and slept very well thank you.

Update... nothing much here...

  No, really, I just finished my follow up colonoscopy, three pulps removed and everything looked great - for a very olde fat man. Tomorrow: banking, visit storage locker for Appleseed this weekend, YMCA and clean up my mess. The mess seems to run from one end of my life to the other, wish me luck. The grandfather clock won't maintain movement, one other clock on the wall had quit but looked like a government agent knocked it off the wall and then put it back up beyond my wife's reach (only two of us in the home, except when secret agents visit with blank warrants).
   My lovely war game has produced big spenders with no idea of how to win friends and influence people. I blame stupid youth with credit cards on that, but since they have destroyed all my forces except my attacking force of bows behind swords and a large Royal guard, and defense siege engines, all I need to do is finish my daily tasks, solo events and add to the alliance events. I have two Warchief chests of rss, and more of Ronin loot in levels five to seven, six is often double, and seven often triple. I continue to build Paragon, research, city and lots of champion items wi

Another call from the NRA... looking for money and support...

  As I wander Face book feed, I see over and over the NRA membership and contributions are swelling because of the pressure of the children for disarmament. Fine, President Obama was one of the biggest gun sellers around during his eight years in office. I have to acknowledge that there is a feeling of helplessness in not being able to stop crazy people with guns, I look at the crazy people, not the sane ones, and then I still look at all the sinners and the LOST that need God in their life. How do they not see Him everywhere?
   So there are two grave problems in America that much of those that get to make headlines and causes aren't getting safety nor good behavior from... All of us are part of the solutions and the healing and the lack of change for the better. Not one of us can be an observer and not be touched by the events and the continuing cries and oppression. People are doing things to change, not likely to change the people that are causing the troubles and problems, but they are making noise and moves.

   One of my problems with the NRA is that it has become a large power broker in the Swamp, they do lots of stuff for politics. Very much not enough for education of the masses, and promoting safe shooting sports. Shooters get what the NRA does and know they don't go around killing humans, ever. The ignorant masses aren't sure or very much are sure that without the NRA the 2nd Amendment would be repealed and government would control all the firearms and protect all the folks. Which doesn't happen in countries that have strict gun control, look at the people fleeing Central America and Mexico - where they have strict gun control, and gangs and governments prey upon the unarmed populations. For the benefit of those with power and money enough to buy great protection against the masses. Those powerful elites; government, gangs or just goofballs, have all the weapons and warriors they need and ignorant fears of the unknown or badly portrayed in media, news and entertainment will continue to keep the masses unprotected and exploited.

   I guess in the end, I will continue to do the little I can - in discussing, training, helping and educating all those that don't believe as I do, see what I see and get off my chair and away from the mindless media stream. I mean, we do live in a world that the women aren't that beautiful, available and wanton. I do thank God for the really beautiful, nice and loving women that are never portrayed in the fantasy lands of our culture.  It is exactly the same with the news (about what to fear now) or the entertainment media as Costner kills hundreds in Paris (could never happen that way).

   Oh, I did submit my ten entries to the Sweepstakes for those rifles and NRA truck, one time. But I never seem to win those things, although I won one going between countries on assignments. It was an answering machine for the old telephone systems, but I did win something once upon a time.