The game is becoming boring, only need to show up twice a day...

  So how is life really on my end of the internet? It is fine, sure there are some challenges, but nothing that fewer carbs, more exercise and rest and constant medical interventions won't delay the end. And among the things I can help, the end isn't one of them. Still enjoy teaching Sunday school, and AWANAS has started back up. So I am getting a good dose of youth to balance the old veterans sitting around telling war stories. I do get some fine opinions, ha, ha.
  My wife continues to do her church and volunteer work, says she won't leave me in the Washington Soldiers Home, we have some of our Sunday School classes that visit there also. Everyone should visit before the only chance to see them is under their headstone.
   Remembering that it has never been anyone else's fault that I consume too much, a modern problem of the indolent old men... I want to get a better vest, I wear the work ones because of pockets to fill with stuff I couldn't find on the other side of the belt and belly. A proper waistcoat... like Men's Wearhouse would have what I want.  Sunday night, I am listening to the Blues, although I was happy to see Stanford defeat USC. Time for sleep. Good night, all and y'all.

Ah, I need to fix that in my life...

   Notice that all I seem to write about is my latest Appleseed. I am hardly telling y'all about the Sunday School class, the old men and lively ladies of the YMCA, my wife and her adventures, and how much I do love a good nap in the afternoon and a good book on my kindle... hmm, boring fellow I have become.

   Last weekend I drove out in the early morning darkness to get to the Custer Sportsmen Association for another Appleseed. A small one.Four full instructors and ten students, three of them likely young men some of which we had instructed before. The club was very welcoming,  I got to do the sign in and t-shirt give away, something I haven't done in a long time. I do the line or the meet and greet in the parking lot, more often, change up is good. Doing the money for range fees was also strange, note to self - twenty dollar bills don't change much except hundreds and no one walks around with them.

GTEngineer talking about the Redcoat target

 

I did miss the introductions, and since I wasn't there they talked about me behind my back, not really. I was turning in range fees and the list of shooters. The day seemed to be smoothly paced. The shooters listening but having some difficulty in making it all happen at once. Some of the best first day scores, lots of good groups and positions seen. The shifting of body to find the next target was noted.

   I think consistency will come with much dry and live practice, one has to live the six steps on each shot. Our drills for NPOA and Ball and dummy will be used to refine the shooters, perhaps they will use digital cameras to record how they move and take their trigger into the shot. Lots of things to think about in shooting. Try to keep it all simple, learn it well, and keep practicing. 

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.