It just gets so much better on the road and the range...

  Got up early on Saturday morning, put the last rifle in the Caravan, hit the GPS with coffee and breakfast and drove off to meet the crew at Jefferson County Sportsmen Club in Port Townsend. The weather was perfect for scenic views of the Olympic Mountains as dawn broke, too often it is foggy or stormy. Kenjo has control this weekend, the Shoot Boss, nice green hat. Nineteen shooters signed up, and a whole crew, look there is CubFlyr (Al) with a young man named Jack.  It was good to see Al, and young Jack was impressive.  A lot of repeat Appleseeders, good to see them coming back for a bit more polish. Fixer would earn his Red Hat this weekend, Yankee Terrier would be instructing a lot for progress checks. TioNico would be instructing as a red hat, so six instructors for the shooters to ask and get answers from.
  The day rolled right along, two sighter squares after the Redcoat in the morning, lots of instruction and a few equipment adjustments but time was good, I got to be the Line Boss before lunch, lunch time was historic background, First and Second Strikes of the Match. The first afternoon continued instruction, positions, shooting on an AQT for the different adjustments, getting groups smaller, six steps for making the shot, NPOA, timing of the shoot with the cycle of the pause in breathing. Had enough time for full scored AQTs and the Third Strike of the Match, and re-shoot the Redcoat (improvement!!!!) and more.  T-shirts and homework handed out after the Shoot Boss motivates the shooters to prepare for another fine day of shooting Sunday. Several repeat riflemen are honored and some new riflemen made - loud Huzzahs ring out for each. We clean up after casing up the rifles and putting them in the vehicles. Short meeting with the Shoot Boss about the day and the assignments for tomorrow. He is good about making sure we all get an opportunity to do some of everything.
  Most of the crew will camp out on the range, they have cold running water and toilet facilities, two campers have cooking ability (a microwave?) amazing, I gobble down too many of the Hershey Nuggets set in front of me, I will be fat forever and it wasn't Al's stew that Jack, Al and I chowed down on. The stars shine, the coyotes howl and the night goes too quickly, but solid sleep for all. We get up, shaved and changed and fed again. Yankee Terrier will be bringing doughnuts and Danish more coffee and TioNico will press out some of the best. Totally spoiled but then we are prepared to properly greet the returning shooters, I have the parking lot duty.
   Everyone, except two, return, and we review safety, and then bring the rifles to the line and start with a redcoat target and then sighter square to check sight adjustment and grouping. We will do AQTs, review all positions, all of yesterday's instructions, and work to bring better effect on targets. There are the ball and dummy drills and the carding of the sights for NPOA trust building. More AQTs before and after lunch, shooting the peppermint, exploding targets are a hoot! More Riflemen are made patches awarded and honors shouted out, the instructors rotate through getting some trigger time, I do find that my Liberty Training Rifle is not on perfectly, but just making sure I have and trust my NPOA and focus on the front sight, I score enough to know once I practice and sight in the rifle, I will be making it. All rounds out in time for each stage and my last three rounds on the fourth stage could be covered with a quarter. I am a happy fellow.
   I go get dressed for show and tell, flintlock, hunting shirt, hat, powder horn and possibles. Demonstrate the trade flintlock that PaulW left in my care. Al comes up to hold all the stuff, I load, step by step, aim and fire at a target, and hit! Yeah, so cool. So I ask and get a volunteer to come up and do the same thing, Heather steps up and measures a charge, charges the flintlock, primes the pan, aims on the same target and shoots it - better hit than mine, still makes us all happy. So I sign and give her the target with the wrong date on it (I took my watch off to be closer to Historic period dress).
   Oh, well, the three Dangerous Old Men stories are related, the Shoot Boss will get some more awards like Jack's Junior Patriot, for being a great young shooter. And one last Redcoat target and the shooting has really been improving all weekend. Everyone is tired, putting the rifles away, then doing a great job of cleaning up.  Saying that good-bye to people you have just become friends with and hope to see again, to the crew which you really hope to work with again, back to the vehicle and the drive home, the toll bridge and waiting wife (who didn't sleep at all Saturday night). Next time she comes with me, or I drive home daily.

North Carolina Park Service Notes follow...
 Equipment of the Continental Army Soldier
During the war, Continental soldiers were the core of the American Revolutionary war effort. These were the men that General Washington and Congress depended most upon. Congress raised the Continental army by calling on the individual states to organize regiments of soldiers. North Carolina was asked to raise two regiments of five hundred men each. Eventually it sent ten regiments of infantry to the Continental Line. These regiments were formed into a single brigade called the North Carolina Brigade. This brigade joined Washington's army in 1777.
The Continental infantryman had equipment that was like that of the British soldier. In addition to a musket, he carried on his right side a leather or tin cartridge box that held twenty to thirty rounds of ammunition, a musket tool, and a supply of flints. On his left side he carried his bayonet in a leather scabbard attached to a linen or leather shoulder strap. Each soldier had a haversack, usually made of linen, to carry his food rations and eating utensils. The utensils usually included a fork made of wrought iron, a pewter or horn spoon, a knife, a plate, and a cup. He also had a canteen of wood, tin, or glass to carry water. A knapsack held extra clothing and other personal items such as a razor for shaving, a tinderbox with flint and steel for starting a fire, candle holders, a comb, and a mirror. Soldiers also often carried a fishhook and some twine so that they could catch some fish when they were near a lake, creek, or river.

 Equipment of a Militiaman

The Continental army often used the local militia to help out. The militia, made up of male citizens over sixteen years of age, was the defense force of each state. Regiments of militia were called up for service by the governor or the commanding general to serve for a campaign or for a period of time as needed. These soldiers were told what equipment they had to bring with them.
The militia soldier carried equipment that looked different from that of the Continental soldier but that usually performed the same or similar function. His knapsack was generally made from linen or canvas and sometimes painted. His haversack and canteen were usually similar to those used by the Continentals. He also had an ax and a blanket.
A militia rifleman carried his rifle, knife, tomahawk—a light ax, water bottle, a powderhorn for his black powder, and a hunting pouch that held other shooting supplies. Sometimes a patch knife, used to cut a patch of cloth, and a loading block, which held patched bullets enabling the rifleman to load quicker, were attached to the strap of the hunting pouch. In addition, a charger measured the amount of powder to put into the rifle when loading.

Uniforms

Uniforms were a vital consideration to the armies. During this period, battles fought with black-powder weapons would produce enough smoke to make it difficult to see more than a few yards. Clouds of thick smoke would form over the battlefield. It was important to distinguish between friend and foe. Because the smoke was white, bright colors were used for uniforms. The British wore, for the most part, red and scarlet uniforms; the French, uniforms of white and differing shades of blue; and the Americans, dark blues and browns.
Congress did not adopt a Continental uniform until 1779. However, soldiers attempted to have clothing similar to the others in the company or regiment. Many volunteer companies entered the war in uniforms purchased by themselves or their commanders.
The uniform of the American soldier was made up of:

• a hat, usually turned up on one or three sides,
• a shirt made of linen or cotton,
• a black leather stock, worn around the neck,
• a wool coat, usually with collar, cuffs, and lapels that were a different color
• a waistcoat or vest, usually made of linen or wool,
• a pair of wool, linen, or cotton trousers, either breeches that were gathered just below the knee, or overalls,
• stockings, and
• leather shoes.

Congress adopted brown as the official color for uniforms in 1775. But there was a shortage of brown cloth, so some regiments dressed in blue and gray. In September 1778 Congress received a large shipment of uniforms from France. The North Carolina Continental Line regiments received blue coats faced with red collars, cuffs, and lapels. In October 1779 Congress adopted regulations requiring North Carolina troops to wear a uniform made of a blue coat with blue facing and laced with white around the buttonholes.

Wow! Friday, and I WIN!

  Visited the doctor, scheduled maintenance check, passed. Went to the YMCA to sweat a little, did same, showered and changed and met cousin and wife at steak house and spent three and a half hours talking, went home to see if the Factor was worthy, but I fell asleep so maybe I wasn't. Then my wife returned with a bunch of clams and oysters and I got up and maintained the yard, mowing everything green and above best. Then I actually loaded the Caravan out except for one rifle, everything else is on board, doors locked and I only need to put clothes on and on. Ready or not, Appleseed and Port Townsend are about to meet again.

Falling up the stairs, Gravity rules!

  Arriving with a bang at the YMCA yesterday, I tripped and fell up the stairs loudly, catching myself just before face plant. The backpack was annoying in its inability to compensate as fast as my body for the departure from vertical. Still, I now had everyone's attention and gasps of concern for the fat old man struggling to look cool getting back up and on to work out. I did say I was fine, just clumbsy. Yes, I am leaving it that spelling, kind of alluding to the climb... not performed to perfection.

   On I went to row to the MixxFit class below, they have to have the best core work out, and the music is constant for the whole hour. Rowed twice for eleven thousand meters total. Did two bicycle runs for about fifteen plus miles, with about four hundred and eighty more miles pedaled I will be over five thousand recorded miles upon the expresso.com machines. I have miles that I worked out that weren't recorded, things happen. On my second time rowing I was watching two different college age women run laps, they were beautiful, full stride, soft foot placement and seemingly smooth and tireless. A real joy to watch, then one looked over her left shoulder and her right foot got in the way of her left lift and she went down as fast and harder than I had on the steps, she kind of caught herself, but made sure everyone knew she was okay, and then walked on to where she sat and stretched out with the other runner. Gravity rules.
 
  Finished the day celebrating my wife's birthday, at home and dining out. The call from our son to wish his mother a happy birthday, always will be the highlight of our life. Take care out there, gravity rules and we do so much better erect and balanced on our feet than horizontal on our face.

I drink alone...

  Title or theme of a country song, wasn't it? Anyway, I have again decided that I don't drink well, much better than I did in my youngster days but still not professional grade in anyway. So I will make an effort not to drink alone. Survived last night entirely without any demon rum or its brothers, although I had just purchased three bottles of booze with my lottery tickets - giving the government tax monies on two different sin tax levies. Not even tempted by the marigeejauana marketing, and I am positive legalizing prostitution won't get my money either. I do love being so boring.

  Wrote the checks I could have done yesterday, in the mailbox now, have to get one address and send "And the Good News IS..." on for my son to read while he is under way, sounds like the only thing my son has ever written to me in Naval terminology. How cool is that for a sailor approaching his twenty year mark? Watched 'Imitation Game' understood the whole thing, cheered the victory. Watched 'Black Swan' and understood nothing but was very sad, which I began to believe was the point. I have been watching many other movies, but nothing to comment upon.

  Time for shooting this weekend, need to check out two rifles for sighting tomorrow maybe. The neighbor has almost finished his fence repair, so strong now. Staining only remains. My wife is again concerned that Home Depot and the subcontractor aren't concerned enough about her problem so will be beating them up again. And I have put down beauty bark where I have been promising myself I would for the last fifteen years. Gosh, it is almost ten and I am not on my way to the YMCA yet, sigh, move faster, work harder, die younger... so much to do, so much time to get it all in and I am scrolling on facebook, but isn't the art provided making a comment on content?

Go to the range and get pictures...

   ANZAC Day isn't it? I have the DVD Gallipoli ( Mel Gibson and Mark Lee) to watch and end the day. So I should go and shoot the musket and find out if I can safely load and fire it. Must wear a red RWVA cap for luck.

   So I load out and go to the range, and take two shots, one at twenty-five yards, and one at fifty yards. When I get more powder, I will load buck and ball, and get data for twenty-five, fifty and one hundred yards. It was fun, and I got someone to take pictures so I am happy.      I share:





 the hole at four-thirty near the black was twenty-five yards greased patch ball, 75g of FFg powder.

  moving the target back twenty-five more to fifty yards, the hole at the 6:30 point with large drop for many unknown reasons, no sights want to cobble something together. Same greased patch ball and powder charge.

  You do understand this is all about me and how wonderful my day has been, another tool for the Appleseed instructor shoot boss and box.

Life as rated ...

  I have been watching too many movies, and always love that there really aren't any ratings for movies I have long loved and have seen many times before.

  But then I grew up in a G rated era, oh the language would slide into PG-13 when the ten year olds were still figuring out how to cuss up a bit. But in public if you didn't want to thought mentally challenged you just didn't use vulgar, profane or obscene as communication nor for filling voids in your thoughts.

  Romance was more G rated than R, the idea there was an X out there to cross was not to be on the list to ponder. If it was a brief discussion of how many of the graduating Senior girls were still virgin, the thing I was amazed about was that anyone really knew - I had no interest in asking for the truth, I was content that all women were to be treated as ladies, even if they were never going to raise themselves to that level. And as I matured and the culture diseased and rotted, my definition of lady matured with my appreciation of true feminine virtues - I was living in a heavily male environment, just a voice on the radio became sensuous and to die for.

  Before becoming a professional state sponsored killer all my fighting was G rated. Even carrying and studying how to use a knife never made me use one in a fight, it just was on that list of don't kick the man when he is down rules of conduct. All life and limb combatives are at least R, and mass destruction is always X, and being olde means I don't have to go there anymore, everything I could do will come as a complete surprise - to me as well as those engaged and observing.

  Some will argue that X rated lives matter, but I am actually sure that there are more G rated people's lives than there are X, but they don't seem to make profitable story lines for media promotion. I took my wife and we watched Woman in Gold, the movie theater was fuller than most of the movies I normally attend, hmm and most of the audience were old folks like us, and the movie did mention the terrible things the governments did under the NAZIs and since. But then you knew that governments can't be rated X, since they have no soul and believe in only their own divinity.

   Humans are only one type of primate, the more hairless variety, with some humans being a lot less hairy than others. The best type of humans are humble and humane and far above the common animal everyone is - living in G rated with ones eyes open to improving that might be a great thing.

The Patriot Day's Appleseed Shoot Boss Report

  Get up early Saturday morning, packing the Caravan for the Appleseed while brewing coffee. How much coffee does a Shoot Boss need to get over the 'what ifs'? Have everything including the prepared t-shirt box with stuff for handing out. Really I do have to fix the demonstration rifle's front sight and the holding of the green laser for NPOA, although when I demonstrated the effect of adjusting the relaxed body on each of the corner squares of the sighting squares I do thing they got it. Eat my breakfast on the move up the highways to the ferry boat, pull in just a bit early, pay my round trip and wait to load at six.

   The weather is beautiful this weekend, and I will stay in wonder of it all weekend, just perfect.  I get to the range, pull over and start adjusting things in the van, soon Tracey pulls up with the trailer and she opens the gate and we get started setting up.

   Nikki is back from college for the weekend with a friend willing to shoot, and Nikki will do all the demonstrations and coach her friend... since she wasn't signed up it was another indication of favor upon the event. We can only be so lucky. No strange twists in my COI, but as I was explaining to the crew, no one even knew the ferry would run, the Shoot Boss would show and how would they have done without me? The other Red Hat (full instructor) Nick would get a shoot box of material in clear containers to carry around just in case from a retiring instructor paulw.  Paul gave me his battle road maps and old Appleseed banner, and a flintlock musket with all the stuff (yes, even the powder horn, possibles bag, and powder and ball and flints and patches and tons of graciousness).  It was really good to see him again, many great shoots we had done together, will be praying for his continued success in his retired life.

   By keeping the instruction simple and less wordy, we got the second sighting square done in the morning and posted the Appleseed qualification target (AQT) for training on after lunch.  I gave a brief pre-April 49, 1775 history, Nick gave the First Strike of the Match, and Fixer the Second Strike.
Ball and dummy drill, then continued working on shooting positions, NPOA, six steps in making the shot. Good demonstration of transition commands and getting down into the prone position for the third stage of the AQT, with magazine change and four NPOA verifications and shooting in rifleman's cadence to make the time limit.  Then sitting position, and having the shooters do the sitting positions without being slung up with rifles worked pretty well. Fewer distractions. We would get our first Riflemen of the day with the two AQTs that followed all the training which would seem like the program is marvelous, but Andy and Alfie were shooters before they came to Appleseed, and Andy had done some serious rifle competitions in Enfield Competitions, and loves to shoot. We had two repeat Riflemen, Kevin is always looking for that two fifty score, and he really wanted to do it on a Red AQT, which we had this weekend.  Matt was still on, just not on every stage every AQT. Happens to the best of us.

   Final Redcoat target was much improved over the morning one, passed out the Homework packet of knowledge, the t-shirt bundles (three styles - change is). Told everyone to prepare for Sunday shooting, and the Memorial Volley. Range cleaned up quickly, many hands make work light and fast.

   Off to Bob and Tracey's place for cookout and bonfire! and sleep the wear away. Waking to coffee hot shower and breakfast, duck eggs! Bob and Tracey seem to do life really well and are so sharing I am always happy there. How do I get two great weekends in a row? 

    Back to set up, prepare and greet the shooters, second day, quick refresher training on everything, as bit too quick, but we back up and cover what was sped over, and the first Redcoat target goes pretty well, now we work on making the shots the same, repeatable. The groups should look very similar in each target engagement, the distance isn't changing, no wind.  Young Gabe gets some help adjusting into a loop sling, he has conquered the shot upon respiratory pause, now he needs the trigger control. Many of the shooters need working on the trigger control. I think the idea of the rifleman's cadence is sinking in, as more and more shooters are getting all their rounds shot on the transition phases. But they need to trust their NPOA more and not squeeze the trigger until at rest, all the bullet hole between targets are only zero point shots. 

   After lunch time Dangerous Old Men stories we prepare to fire the Memorial Volley fourteen rounds for fourteen names from that day two hundred and forty years ago. Not military precision but very good for a people in Liberty the volley roars as the names are read. Ralph had brought center fire rifles for the crew to fire, the only one not shooting was the Shoot Boss, Line Boss (me!). Imagine that was happening at the same minute in time zones across the country. That is cool.  I would cover the Known Distance training since Alfie had set up demonstration targets.  We shot peppermint, we had team shooting, 

   Bill gets a 210 a repeat rifleman, and a ceremonial wetting down with the Charles River water...
and we had Red AQTs to shoot before it was time to allow the shooters and their rifles one last time on the final Red Coat target of the day. We hadn't lost any shooters through the day, most of the instructors had an opportunity to shoot.

   Clean up, hand out of targets, business card and material to encourage future attendance at Appleseeds.  Hoping everyone would have a safe trip home and that they would tell everyone what a fun time they had.