First visit to the YMCA of 2020...

  Picked up some medication and I noted that for some reason, all these sick folks gather at the pharmacy to catch each other's illness while they await their medication. Likely been doing that for centuries. Maybe home delivery is a better way to get them and control the spread of illness. I stopped quickly at the YMCA before I got my MRI.
   As a I caught up with the older Airborne elder, he told me on of his heart surgeons was looking for someone to teach his college son marksmanship before the Army got hold of him. Seems he is in Oregon in the ROTC program.  I figure he is trying to get a leg up, to be ahead of the rest of his class. So I gave the old paratrooper my card so they could contact me to talk about some familiarization. Have to see what he wants, has time for and where he would like to shoot.
   If he wants to come to Tacoma for a weekend run, I have the rifle, ammunition and local range where he can shoot. There is too much magic in shooting now days. Everyone thinks everything is licensed, regulated, or a professional expert instructors are difficult to find. Maybe it is, we don't draft everyone like in the old days, not everyone has served in the military, the military training is okay, just okay until you get to what your regular unit wants from the soldier and is willing to invest in your training, practice and skill enhancements. The military will almost always go to higher tech and more explosive rounds first. But the new qualification system looks promising.
    No telling what is going to happen about this favor. I am willing to talk, plan, execute for a day anyway, and I can always recommend learning in Oregon with an Appleseed or on a local range with a local NRA or CMP instructor. The next Appleseed weekend around here is 8-9 February, 2020 in Redmond.  Like I said too much 'magic' in how to learn, set, up and experience and practice. No one knows now, and experts are all busy turning out experts in whatever has to do with firearms. But most shooters don't feel uncomfortable sharing the knowledge, some ammunition and opinions. There are lawyers, laws, and liabilities but if the shooter can't learn and follow the four safety rules, I have nothing easier to teach him.

New Year, another chance to get it all right...

  So what is it I will do? Better, of course, just have to do better. We all do. First we have to decide who we are, who we want to be, what can we do about getting there - and always remember little victories count as much as major ones.
 
   I have concerns with the idea that government can replace God, but the government goofs love it, it does increase their power, and they are all about power. So to me, I have to get closer to God, and work on me, for I am the only one I can change to be better. Yeah, I am almost a nice guy, much better than I was long ago and far away. Still I am not happy with my best.  Not brave enough, need to stand up for what I believe and speak well - quietly enough that it may persuade them and not frighten them.

   Take the 2nd Amendment, first- a well regulate militia is necessary for the security of a free state -
That has never ever meant the National Guard, nor the professional military folks, nor the police. It has always meant the law abiding good people that are the foundation of the free state. Currently with the abundance of laws, regulations, decrees and policies, the number of armed and out of control agencies dominating our government structures - they are evidence of power projections from the ruling elite, and I don't mean the elected people, I do mean the ruling elite the folks with money and power and voice. They seem to be the doom of the Republic, and they took over so sublimely. They tell you that it is still a government of the people, by the people and for the people.... beautiful concept, it isn't true today. Find good people, make good people and trust good people. Only then can we regain the Republic.
   Second, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed... which really does mean the I can have my cannon, armed aircraft, tank or single shot .22 short. No restriction on that, the government has been established to ensure I don't kill, maim, wound, assault, or threaten my fellow men. And it is supposed to ensure justice. Don't allow the media or the political hacks project their fears upon you and your harmony with the universe - which is the only weapon the anti-gun goofs have to pretend disarming will protect everyone from death from afar. It is only true if you believe it, in your mind. Being a nice person will save you far more than having a gun or no one else being allowed to own and shoot a gun.

   I will continue to work with organizations that believe in America, its Constitution and folks. I will assist in teaching marksmanship, gun safety and history of the nation and the world. I will also work on teaching young people and discussing with old folks religion and politics and solving problems.

   Trying to become a harmless old man is easy, trying to stay relevant not so much. I keep thinking that Don Quixote and I have too much in common. Y'all have a great new year, and you don't have to start over, you just have to endeavor to persevere.

Season't Greetings... read Washington's Crossing by David Hacket Fisher....

   Day before Christmas and my wife and I stop at the Credit Union to sign for a Home Improvement Line of Credit. Interesting, I don't need to draw on it until I need to write checks, and I pay nothing until they send the money I need to my account. Okay. sounds good. Rather win the Lotto, but we all know that won't happen.

    We stopped at the Berger King for a quick breakfast, and Hal Evans, my old friend was there having breakfast with his sister, who was up from California visiting her daughter and granddaughter.... how cool is that? It became a great time, talk, eat, talk... Catching up a little since the last time we met there for breakfast. She remembered me and my Trusty Triumph from years ago. I do still have the motorcycle, just terrified to try and ride it anywhere. I do need to slow do my clicking with mouse and software. I have to regain control of my Windows 10 machine, seems like it has started to respond correctly.

     Seems cold air and wet hair combined to lower my resistance to  a cold, and I now have a stuffy nose and some sneezing and desire for hot soup, hot tea and honey.. My wife has a desire for a really clean home, in case we get someone dropping by for the holiday. The new vacuum is great, picking lots of stuff.  I try to find some meaning in what is on the cable screen, Xfinity didn't get the new components to us, but it isn't nine pm here yet. Still I have more than I need now. All the other packages and gifts arrived, and I got Merry Christmas greetings and shared some with the delivery folks, trying to make everyone's holiday perfect. So I am now on the Hallmark, fireplace, holiday music from all the eras, and kittens, cats, puppies and small dogs, and rabbits?

   PEACE on Earth and Good Will towards Men. And the angels will sing and life is best when done in the Glory of the Lord.

Earl's View, focus on the front sight: It is Friday, Remember the Deployed... been there ...

Earl's View, focus on the front sight: It is Friday, Remember the Deployed... been there ...: and we are still doing that.     Today a break from YMCA, I am waiting on a service repairman. I found my powder horn, just almost where I...

It is Friday, Remember the Deployed... been there and done that....

and we are still doing that.

    Today a break from YMCA, I am waiting on a service repairman. I found my powder horn, just almost where I remember it.  I think that California will have this school shooting frenzy fixed as soon as they teach the students how to live like prisoners, instead of free folks. That should fix it. They are doing so well with all their other efforts. I wish they had schools and communities like I grew up in. We didn't seem to be unduly influenced to kill others in our struggle to be important enough for love. But then I do remember starting the day with the Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance - pre-Marxist take over of education. Not that I believe in the pledge to a godless government of goofs. I do believe in Liberty under the LORD, justice and honor. Once believed that everyone did.

Dad and Mom came to Korea to visit. Reunion Tour.

  Just checked out my father's Junior Class Yearbook, 1942 TIGER, Albert Lea, Minnesota. He went to the Prom, played pool and his school didn't look that different than mine, except his was really larger. Well, my wife is up - I will have to drink my coffee and make myself useful gazing at the screens everywhere. Still working on the Procrastination Pile.   

Earl's View, focus on the front sight: Veterans' Day weekend at an Appleseed...

Earl's View, focus on the front sight: Veterans' Day weekend at an Appleseed...:    One of the best parts of being just an old man, is sharing with those that aren't. I was signed up and went to the Appleseed in Redmo...

Veterans' Day weekend at an Appleseed...

   One of the best parts of being just an old man, is sharing with those that aren't. I was signed up and went to the Appleseed in Redmond to help. Saturday was a bit tough, the water was often falling the Sun was cloud covered but we soldiered on. I got to tell the Second Strike of the match and private Hosmer and Captain Davis died and Luther Blanchard would be wounded and the Revolutionary War hadn't begun yet, leave the audience hanging waiting for the third strike of the match, when it would.
    Will got his Shoot Boss hat, which talented man he is he had crafted to fit him. Looks very good on him. He had his family supporting, and they all had nice Appleseed sweatshirts for the day. Ben and Leanna had come up from Vancouver, WA. Good to work with them again. I will be going down to Douglas Ridge Rifle Club to learn some Pistol Seed training later this month. We picked up another volunteer, and a new Orange Hat was presented on Sunday.
     Our first day of the event was wet and cool, which to shooters that have to lay down in water is cold, no drying out possible. Sunday was better, the clouds would be fleeting and everything seemed to dry a bit, and we felt warm. Reviewed on Sunday was quick and complete and the shooters got to cranking out better groups and higher scores as the day went on.  By the afternoon, we were hollering out loud HUZZAHS! for all the Riflemen scores and Cleaned Redcoat targets. It did seem to rain success upon the shooters, made me think we must have had a lot of ringers or repeat Appleseeders, but it was just magic. Cleaned up and got to drive home in the daylight, the message of John Adams and those days shared with the shooters of our future.  All about Liberty, gentle readers.

Napping while waiting in barracks for Yom Kipper War 1973

   Today is Veterans Day, and I have been posting pictures of my military veteran moments on Face book.  It has been fun, will go back to normal and family and such on Friday probably. As I was scanning through my digital photo album I ran across this October 1973 photo, a candid shot from the upper bunk of the NCO's room. I don't remember who took it. We had been alerted and assembled to respond to the Yom Kipper War (which hadn't been named yet). Like most military gatherings, at a certain point it is 'hurry up and wait'. The rumor mill said one American Airborne Division was going to confront seven Soviet Airborne divisions in the Sinai or Egypt. I wonder if the coming end of the Vietnam War had much to do with the American response, remember talking to a Ft Sill Sergeant that got his self propelled gun ready to deploy and then lost it to the Israelis until it could be replaced by another six or more months later.  We never got to find out if the 82nd could handle all those Soviet paratroopers, thank God, and maybe there were better heads than mine? But reading the Wikipedia article reminds me 'they serve who only stand and watch' or sleep under a magazine waiting for glory.

   Lots of Veterans in my family and our history, I was really unhappy with our nation and the treatment after I came back from Vietnam, I was honored to serve and others had painted us black and ugly. Bad enough that our great grandchildren will never know how proud I was to serve, the country drove me to stay around for the next one because I couldn't really talk to those civilians. I remember telling a war story to a family audience at my mother's home and as I blurted out the f-word for effect my mind had flashing red alarm lights going off - right in front of my mother! I stopped using vulgarity in my conversation, until it would enhance my life. But nothing ever happened to me is always going to be my best war story. I wrote an essay title "Secret Hero" and read it at my father's memorial, but I figured everyone that risks everything for a cause is a hero, even when they don't pay the price. The hard part is coming home and being a gentle person, making a family and building a better future and at the end of a fine productive life you will be remembered for all your best. No medal nor marches needed, just surrounded by your good life and loves.