Blog Shoot

Thanks to Kevin for setting up the annual Blog Shoot and Wind Tunnel Firearms Test!

I showed up late at the Elsy Range in beautiful Casa Grande as it is still dark at 7 AM. There is enough difficulty getting through all my PT exercises and getting to work on time much less doing it on the weekend. Besides, it should be warmer later in the morning. I am only really motivated for early morning events like hunting, fishing, and the occasional steel shoot.
I arrived on site to see target stands being blown over and the cheerful clapping sound of the flapping targets caught up in the range fence. One did not have to worry whether the wind was going to blow or not as it seemed to be a steady wind about 10 to 15 mph with gusts that had to be in the 25 mph category.
The range was actually pretty busy with a bunch of hardy souls busily blaming the wind for the world's ills. Most of my time was spent with my hands in my pockets watching others shoot. This was fine as it was by my choice. Sometimes I would move into the sunlight to try to catch a few rays of warmth.
It is hard to not laugh when you watch someone go downrange to set a target back up, pile some small rock on the target base, admire their handy-work, get back on line, the range goes hot and the wind gusts up to blow the target over.
One shooter had the right idea. They brought some cloth bags with them and filled them with sand/rock at the range. These were heavy enough to serve as adequate target stand ballast. The wind, not to be outdone, really gusted up and ripped the target right off the stand. The target stand stands alone.
I finally did get around to shooting the EAA and Single Six prior to leaving but never did shoot a couple of rifles that were left safely out of the wind in my vehicle. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood regardless and it was nice to meet a couple of new people. It was a great morning!

Diet of Nope - Part III

I haven't kept up the rapid weight loss over the Holidays but I did continue to lose weight. Woohoo! I'm down 80 pounds. 30 more to go and then I will see if my target weight was correct. A document of diet foods that I like/dislike has been started and I will share this later. As with most thing, some items taste fine and other are beyond description but I will try. Often the items purchased are best described by the picture below.

Where Did Everybody Go?

I went out to the Crossroads of the West show on Jan. 3rd at the fairgrounds. Where were the vendors? It was a dismal show from my standpoint as the floor was probably about 60% occupied with a lot of the Ma & Pa tables being absent. I like to peruse the small vendor tables as that is where I get see some of the more interesting items and oddities. I really have no interest in looking a three vendor tables full of new Taurus weapons. That might just be me since I would not buy another Taurus anything.

My interest would fall more to seeing another S&W top break, H&R top break, Bernardelli Model 80, or many other items that are not in production anymore.

I am interested in a 410 derringer but Bond Arms derringers must be gold plated according to their pricing.  The only real interest here is to take it dove hunting and see if I can pick off one or two that come close by for bragging rights. "Heck, I don't even need a shotgun to get my limit. All I need is a derringer". I would carry it as a backup bug occasionally but $500 for a two shot?

The previous show in Tucson at the Expo Center was also pretty poor. Guess that I will have to head up to the next one that is held in Phoenix at the fairgrounds to get to a larger venue. Sounds like a road trip. Phx gunshow in the day and over to Bass Pro for some gator tail later!

I Like Christmas, I Like Cookies Too!

I found a great tree for Christmas!

We set it up, took a picture, sent it to our daughter and announced that we were cutting back this year. With both daughters being gone, it just wasn’t the same and I wasn’t in the mood. We took down the cute little tree, put it upstairs and proceeded to decorate. Here is my obligatory picture of decorated antlers.

I had a fun time this Christmas. Daughter #1 made it home to visit and that is always a pleasure. My wife and I tend to buy our own items for the other to present. She got a nice ring and I bought a gun safe. The safe was a screaming deal as one of my co-workers won it in a raffle and had no use for it.

We picked daughter #1 at the airport on Christmas Eve. I had special presents for everyone to open prior to going to service that evening. I informed them that I had contacted the church and they were in agreement for us to join in with their band for a number or two. They both viewed me with those skeptical glances that tell me that they know me too well.

My wife received a couple of slide whistles so that she could match the key of the songs. I believe that the wiener dog was her favorite.

Our daughter got the kazoo and tambourine. She is very talented at both but that is no surprise to me as she has always been able to walk and chew gum at the same time.




I could switch from the jaws harp to the spoons at a moment’s notice. The spoons were good but I think that the jaws harp was defective. I could not make any noise but some irritating twang come out of it

We played around, practiced and laughed a lot. When it came time to leave, I noticed that they did not seem to have their instruments with them. They refused to take them with them! I was sorely disappointed and tried to convince them that the church was depending on us but this was to no avail. The last song at service was very lively and our daughter leaned over and commented that she should have brought the tambourine.

I received some great presents but will not post any pictures of underwear or socks. Daughter #2 and son-in-law #1 got me a very nice replica knife along with a bowl. Let me know if you can translate.


They are currently in Okinawa and come up with some interesting items.

Daughter #1 got me a big candy cane while at Disney.

My wife got me a masonic square and compasses that folds to expose a dagger.










Santa brought me some gun oil made out of Liberal Tears – Now With Bacon! I don’t know how I could add anything more than what is on the bottle.
No not the bottle of Cholulu, the other one. Perhaps that is what makes their eyes tear.

It was a fantastic Christmas!