Is it a Platinumed Golden Anniversary?

250 years ago, history was changed forever.  Arthur Guinness signed the lease on the St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland.  And more importantly got the water rights on the property. 

The lease terms?

100 pounds down, and 45 pounds per year, for 9,000 years. 

Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

And so today, We all must raise a glass to Arthur. 

TO ARTHUR!!



h/t to Blackfive.

Great Music Monday-Bringing Mary Home

I haven't posted one of these for a few weeks.  My heart just wasn't in it.  But tonight seemed like a good night to get back in the swing.

When I started rendezvousing in 1998, one of the greatest things about it was sitting around a fire listening to music (this is not to say that there isn't still good music, because there is, but I am now part of the performance instead of just a wide-eyed kid wishing I could be that good).

I remember one night in particular at the Galesburg Heritage Days Rendezvous around 1999.  We were still camping West of the main pavillion and on Saturday night, there was a good group sitting around doing music.  Somebody asked Rod and Ollie to do an old Smiley Bates tune, Bringing Mary Home.

The song is the story of man driving down a lonely road when he see a girl in a formal dress along the side of the road.  The driver stops to pick up the girl and take her to her home.  They drive down the road and the girls tells the man to pull into a driveway.  But when he stops the car, the girl is gone.  He goes up to the house.  He tells her the story and the woman smiled, and told how her daughter had been killed 13 years ago, and every year, someone brought Mary home.

The story is loosely based on a Chicago area legend and one of the most famous ghost stories in the country.  The story of Resurrection Mary.

This song is still one of my favorites and every time I hear it I am taken back to that rendezvous where I first heard it, and then I picture myself on the dark, dusty, lonely road and bringing Mary home.

Questioning

I'm beginning to really question what kind of hunting dog Omar the Wunderpuppy is really going to become.

Case in point, yesterday (Saturday).

I headed down to Gobbler's Knob Hunting Reserve between Canton and Banner, with 3 purposes.  Number 1: Clean the clubhouse for next weekend's test.  Number 2: Help anybody that showed up in their preparations for the test.  Number 3: Put out some birds to work Omar on and see if I could get him to connect all the elements, point, bird flushes, shot, and retrieve. 

2 chapter members showed up to prepare for their text nest week.  Both are running Natural Ability, both dogs are Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, both dogs are from the same litter, but the owners did not know each other until last month at another training day. 

Primarily, both of those owners wanted to work on the track portion.  So they got a couple of pheasants and one of the more experienced members of the chapter and I set the birds out.  One dog did a really great job, the other didn't do terrible, but it fell short of good.  All in all, I think they will do alright.  The only thing that matters is that the owner is happy with the performance and uses the test as an opportunity to evaluate where they need to focus training.

The other person there had his German Shorthaired Pointer which he is trying to get to become more steady.  The dog points very nicely, but as soon as you make a step, she wants to break in on the bird.  He worked the dog on three or four birds.

Finally, I wanted to get birds in front of Omar and get him ready for hunting season. He has a good strong point, and does a nice job of retrieving when we train at home, but at the last training day, we would point but I couldn't get him to follow up with a retrieve to hand.  He just didn't seem interested then. 

Not a problem yesterday.  I put out 6 chukar partridge, in 2 differnt set-ups.  The results were spectacular.  On the last bird, I had one of the other guys take some photos for me.

Omar, pointing the bird.

Another of Omar on point.

On Point.  Can you tell where the bird is?

The circle in the center of the picture is around a blaze orange clothespin.  This marks the location of the bird launcher.  It is about 30' in front of Omar.

I'm moving in to flush the bird.

After the flush, taking down the bird. 

And a retrieve to hand.

The great thing about this is the way Omar reacts.  If you notice in the pictures after I move in and the bird has been flushed, Omar is still standing in the same location.  When the bird is shot, he STILL didn't move.  Finally, just as the bird hit the ground, Omar broke from his point and moved in on the dead bird, which he retrieved to hand.

Man, that was FUN!

So do you think he is going to be a decent bird dog?

A Tribute

Today, proper honor was bestowed on one of the greatest American Hero's to grace this country.

SFC Jared C. Monti, was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2006.  Today, his parents accepted his very deserved Medal of Honor.

Words cannot express the extreme grattitude that we all should feel towards Sgt. Monti.  He is one of the greatest heros this country has ever known.

This is a video of the presentation Ceremony, this afternoon.  Caution, it may cause you to get choked up. 




Thank you to MCQ at BlackFive for originally posting.

Respect is Gone

Well, it is official.

Any waining shreds of respect I had for the United States House of Representatives is completely gone.  Zilch.  Nada. Nil. None. Goose egg.

Currently, there is a major debate on how to reform health care.  We are still fighting a war in Afghanistan.  The economy, at best, is reaching for the rim of bowl of the crapper that it has fallen into.  And the nut jobs in charge in the House of Representatives felt it was more prudent to take a day on OUR DIME to bitch about Rep. Joe Wilson's comment during the boring dronings of the POTUS last week.

What the hell are these idiots thinking?  I mean really, WTF. 

Yes, Rep. Wilson's comments were in poor taste and a breech of decorum, but in the heat of the moment, after Obama just got done calling almost every Republican in the room a liar, Wilson let his emotion loose.  He apologized to the POTUS within an hour of the end of the speech, which Obama accepted.  The issued should have ended right there. 

But no. 

The Dems had to play party politics and flex their muscles and beat the dead and rotting horse for a week.  Now, they've gone and caused the carcas to explode and their face is covered with the disgusting carrion. 

And then, to ice the intestinel slime that has covered them, Barbara Lee (D-California) and James Clyburn (D-South Carolina) have the audacity to suggest that Wilson's comment was somehow motivated by race.  Good God in heaven, please give me the strength to keep from vomiting.

Get it through your freaking heads-just because Obama is black, does not mean that everyone who opposes him is a racist.  It wouldn't matter if Obama was black, white, red, yellow, or purple with pink polka dots, it is his policy positions that make my blood boil.  And quite frankly, I am sick and tired of the racism towards people like me. 

Rep. Joe Wilson is right to stick to his guns and not issue a second apology.  And the Dems should be rebuked for the wasting OUR MONEY on this bullshit.  Rebuked at the ballot box. 

9-11 Reflections

It has been said that members of my parents generation will never forget where they were when they heard President Kennedy was shot.

And for my generation, it is the attack of September 11, 2001.

I was a Freshman in college at Black Hawk College's East Campus.  That morning, I took my very first college test in a U.S. History class.  Once the test was over, I went out to a commons area to prepare for my Speech class.  I had been sitting for a couple of minutes and opened up my book bag  when a woman walked in and said that a plane had hit the WTC and Pentagon, and another was headed for the White House.  I sat there, dumbstruck for a minute.  Not sure I had heard her right.  I packed my bag and proceeded to the student center where over 100 people were gathered around a 27" TV watching Aaron Brown on ABC with the towers burning over his shoulder.  Some people whispered quietly, but most were just silent.  As I stood there, I muttered under my breath "bin Laden."

That afternoon, the local newspaper editor took an eerie photo.  Jet trails.  7 of them.  In lines across the sky.  By that time of the day, there was only one plane in the air, Air Force One.  Bush was flying from Nebraska back to the East Coast and fly right over my town.



The only feelings I remember feeling that day are surprise that it happend, sorrow for those lost, and a deep burning anger against those who had perpetrated the heinousness.

And now, 8 years later, I am sitting here tonight, listening to Alan Jackson who did such an elegant job of containing the confusion I think we all experienced.  The History Channel is running video footage of the attack.  Tonight, I think it is affecting me more than it did 8 years ago.  Maybe it was shock on that day.  But it is also stirring my anger and resolve that we WILL prevail.  We MUST prevail.

But today is also a day for great celebration in my town. Another group of American Hero's returned from Afghanistan this morning.  They have been deployed for a year.  This is the second homecoming in just over 3 weeks.  And it is appropriate that tonight is also Homecoming at the high school.  There is local news coverage of the homecoming HERE, the coverage begins at 2:33.

It is because of hero's like these, that I can right this blog, and that we have gone over 2,900 days without another attack on our soil.

Baxter Black, the great American cowboy poet, really puts the right perspective on today and every single day.


Thanks to Michael Bane for the Baxter Black video.

The Defender's Creed

I read this this morning in the weekly e-mail from the USCCA (United States Concealed Carry Association) and thought it bore repeating again and again.  I may print it and frame it to put on the wall.

The Defender's Creed
By: John Farnam

I accept and understand that human predators exist. Criminal or terrorist, they take advantage of our civilized society to prey upon the weak. They represent evil and must be confronted and defeated.

I believe that self-defense is a moral imperative, and that illegitimate force and illegal violence must be met with righteous indignation and superior violence.

I will not rely on others for the security of myself, my family and my community.

I proudly proclaim that I run with a like-minded pack. I do not amble through life with the mind-numbed herd.

I will train with my chosen weapons, maintain them and carry them in a condition of readiness at all times.

I will be mentally prepared and physically equipped to effectively respond to an attack or emergency.

I will constantly test myself against realistic standards to discover my strengths and weaknesses. I will turn weakness into strength.

I will seek to learn new skills and techniques, and then teach what I have learned to other members of the pack.

Be it with firearm or blade, empty hand or blunt object, I will hit my enemies hard, fast and true.

I will live a quiet and unobtrusive life, but I will develop and retain the capacity for swift and decisive violence.

I recognize that I am the modern equivalent of the traditional Minuteman, and that I may be called to service at any time against heavily armed enemies. I will respond effectively.

I accept that I am a pariah among some of my countrymen, and a quaint anachronism to others. I will not hold their ignorance against them.

I will win, or die trying.

I swear this creed before God, my family and my fellow citizens.




John Farnam is an internationally acclaimed firearms instructor, and the author of three books and numerous articles. Please visit his website: http://www.defense-training.com

Great Music Monday-The Mercy Seat

Johnny Cash is a Legend above legends. Inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame, but permanently banned from the Grand Ole Opry, you would be hard pressed to find a more iconic musician anywhere in history.

With a career that spanned nearly 50 years, Cash would see some amazing highs and very deep lows throughout his career. And what could have been a huge low towards the end of his career, actually turned out to be and amazing redirection. When the Nashville establishment no longer seemed to have an place for Cash, he found new direction with Rick Rubin of American-best known for their rap and hard rock records. The albums Cash did with Rubin pushed him to new limits, and were among the best of his entire career.

This week's Great Music comes from one of those albums. And while not written by Cash, he made this piece his own, to the point where I haven't found another version that really compares.

The Mercy Seat.

Interesting News Piece

Last night, after watching Jay Cutler and DA BEARS!!!! beat the Broncos, the late local news came on, and they had a story that blew me away.

Now, it is easy to find "stories" in the MSM that portray gun owners as right-wing wackos. But this particular piece I found to be very good, done by the local NBC affiliate about a USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) regional competition held this past Saturday.

The video is HERE.

Or to watch the whole newscast and see how the story was led into, go HERE. The story about the USPSA begins at 13:30.

The news station even linked to the USPSA site. Which I clicked on, and right there on the homepage, was another video from the local Fox station with a feature story about an area shooter preparing for the USPSA Steel Challenge. Watch that video HERE.

I guarnatee you would not see stories like this on a Chicago station.

The "Lion" sleeps tonight, forever.

The "Liberal Lion" or "Lion of the Senate" if you are the MSM, is dead.

In case you missed the headlines on EVERY SINGLE FREAKING MSM station, Sen. Edward Kennedy died last night, following a battle with brain cancer.

I have two thoughts on this.

1) Politically, good riddance. I am glad he is gone. It has been 47 years of Teddy. WAY overdue for a change. Politicians are like diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.

2) I would not wish cancer on anyone except the most vile wastes of humanity, i.e. Osama bin Laden, Hugo Chavez. Aquavelvajad. I would NOT wish cancer on Ted Kennedy, or his family. Especially following the passing of the sister just a few weeks ago. The Kennedy family is in my prayers for their personal peace.

So many options

Well, I think I am taking the Stoeger back to Gander Mountain tomorrow after a meeting in Peoria. So today, I was surfing through the Gander Mountain site at some options to replace it.

Here's the list I am thinking about.

1. Marlin 39AS .22 lever action. I've always wanted a lever action, and like the function of the Marlin levers.

2. Ruger Mini-14 Ranch Rifle. I've thought about the Mini-14 for years. The only drawback-.223. Not really a big fan of the glorified .22.

3. Colt Single Action Army Revolver. The Peacemaker. 'nuf said.

4. Marlin 336 XLR lever action. The classic Marlin, with a laminated stock, stainless barrel and receiver, and chambered in the classic .30-30 Winchester.

5. Marlin 1895CB lever action. The first lever action I ever shot was chambered in the .45-70 Govt. and so is this.

6. H & R 1871 Buffalo Classic. Another .45-70 Govt. with a 32" barrel, single shot rifle. Just a classic for the high plains.

7. Winchester Model 70. Its a Winchester. What more do you need to know. I'm a Winchester whore. The first two guns I ever fired were Winchester, and they are American Classics.

8. Tikka T3 Hunter. Manufactured in Finland, no Tikka T3 leaves the factory without shooting a sub-1" group at 100 yards. Adjustable trigger pull with a simple Allen wrench. Amazing quality for a cheap price. And in .243, it is the perfect midwest rifle, coyote, deer, javelina, fox, whatever. And they are said to be very affordable..

Preparations for a return home

This is a video I shot last Wednesday, August 19, of preparations in Galva, IL for the return home of a group of Illinois National Guard Soldiers.

There are flags ever 50'-100' for about 2 miles from the National Guard Armory building all the way to the edge of town. More things were done the next morning, but I wasn't able to get footage of it or the actual return. I simply couldn't get away from work, even though Lord knows I tried.

The video really doesn't do justice to how impressive town was for that day.



God Bless American, and keep and protect our troops. Bring them all home safely.

GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The resolution that had been obtained, has been lost.

And I'm so mad I can't see straight.


Back in June, I talked about arriving at a resolution to a long running problem. I thought the issue was dead.

Until today. I finally took the new Stoeger out to use during some dog training. Since I wasn't actually shooting any birds, just trying to mix gunfire with retrieving, I was using 12 gauge poppers (a.k.a. blanks). But that shouldn't matter since a) the Stoeger Uplander does not up operate on recoil, and b) the problem was with the first barrel. Yes, ladies and gents, brand new shotgun that it took a year of bullshit to finally get to replace the malfunctioning gun, has the EXACT SAME PROBLEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I fired 10 or 12 rounds of blanks during training, and had two not fire.

Needless to say, I am slightly pissed.

So next time I go to Peoria, the shotgun goes back and I am going to get something different. I don't know if it will be another shotgun, a rifle, or a pistol. But it sure as hell ain't going to be a Stoeger Uplander.

Great Music Monday-It's America

I know, I know. My posting lately has pretty much sucked. I've just been rather uninspired.

But then last week, was a special day. August 20th, a group of American Hero's returned home (to the town where I live) from Afghanistan to a well earned Hero's Welcome. I have a video that I shot going through town the night before of the preparations being made by citizens, local groups, and the city. Once it is uploaded, I will post it here.

But their return got me thinking about all the reasons that America is a great country. The Soldiers are always #1. But there are several other great things to celebrate in this country.

Rodney Atkins captured the spirit of America really well in his song, "It's America."

Hiatus

I've been on a little bit of a hiatus for the last few weeks. Partly because I've been busy, partly because I've gone, and partly because I've just haven't felt like saying much.

So a little bit of catch-up.

July 11-18 was the Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous. A 15 hour drive. But worth the miles. There was a little bit of rain on Sunday evening, and Monday we had two wind storms come through. The first wind storm knocked down a teepee and a traders tent, a couple people got knocked on the head by poles, but nothing major.

Tuesday was probably the highlight of the week. Dragonfly, another friend from Northern Wisconsin, and I climbed to the top of the Grey Rocks formation at the North end of camp. I
don't the precise elevation, but it was probably 300-400 feet above camp.

Me and Dragonfly on the way to the summit

















On the way to the top, we found this hot tub with a view. Except the water was only about 70 degrees.
















Dragonfly by the world's greatest hot tub.

















View from the top. Worth every step.


















This is the rock face we went down. The picture doesn't really do it justice.

















View from the South end of camp looking back to the Grey Rocks. We were at the absolute highest point on those rocks.















Another view from the South end of camp. Our route of travel started all the way to the far left side of the picture, up the long slope.














We left Friday morning and headed to the Museum of the Fur Trade. We were not even 10 minutes from camp, still running on the gravel road with the windows down, when suddenly, we hear the horrible hisssssssss of air rapidly escaping. Cut a tire. Bad. So we pulled into a lane to ranch and changed to the spare. After a short delay, we were back on the road.

The Museum of the Fur Trade was awesome. I was particularly interested in their feature exhibit on the voyagers. In particular, the 36' birchbark canoe. All in all, I took over 230 pictures.

After the museum, we took 2-lane highway to Sidney, Nebraska and Cabelas. Saturday we returned home.



Once I returned home, it was catch up at work. Lots of deliveries to run, contacts to make.

And a project that I agreed to prior to leaving for the RMNR. A good friend from the Quad Cities, who was my canoe partner two years ago on a 3 day Maquoketa River trip, is leaving tomorrow morning (Tuesday) on the MR340. A 340 mile canoe race down the Missiouri River from Kansas City to St. Charles. The boat he is racing in is a 30' Chinook style boat named "Its Woot." The 4 man crew were all members of the 200th Anniversary recreation of the Lewis and Clarke Corps of Discovery. Well, my friend wanted to use a canoe paddle that I built. So the last two weeks were dedicated to making this paddle perfect.

I think it turned out alright.
Full view.























Close up of the Welsh Dragon I hand painted on the blade, with my touchmark above.















And finally, I threw in a great little canoe trip down the Kishwaukee River this last Saturday with Contagion, Ktreva, Wes, Wil, Red, and Dragonfly.

No wonder I'm tired.

Now, more paddles to make, and archery match to plan, and Rendezvous season is about to go into full swing.

Oh, and early goose season is less than a month away.

Great Music Monday-Circle of Life

Sometimes great music can be found in unlikely places.

One of the greatest movie themes ever came from the animated classic, "The Lion King."

Elton John's "Circle of Life" is one of the greatest movie themes ever. 'Nuff said.

Great Music Money-Mary Ellen Carter

Stan Rogers is one of the greatest folk songwriters/singers of the last 100 years who was taken fare to young when he was only 33 following a fire on a plane in June, 1983. There is speculation that Rogers died when he went back to try and help other passengers escape.

One of his greatest compositions is a song about former crew members trying to raise their old ship from the sea.

The song is credited with saving the life of one sailor in February, 1983. As the Marine Electric was going down, the Chief Mate was trapped, but used his snorkeling experience to escape and clung to a partially inflated life raft for several hours in the frigid water. And just as he was about to give up and let himself sink to the depths of Davy Jones Locker, he remembered the words of Roger's song and maintained his resolve by singing the song over and over again. Of the 33 on board the Marine Electric, only two survived. The Chief Mate's story is at the beginning of the video below.

The Mary Ellen Carter.

AWOL

I'm going AWOL.

Actually, it AWL.

Omar the Wunderpuppy is going to the breeders near Rockford for the week, and then Dragonfly, The Man From Ohio, and I are heading for the Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous, a little South of Douglas, Wyoming. for the week. On our way back from the RMNR, there is going to be a stop at Museum of the Fur Trade in Chadron, NE, and then Cabela's in Sidney, NE.

The beatings will resume upon my return.

Great Music Monday-Face the Flag

It's been a helluva day. So I am making this easy.

Saturday was the 233 birthday of this greatest nation on God's green earth. And in 1973, John Wayne (yes, the American Icon actor) recorded a spoken word album of patriotic themes. Sunday morning as I was waking up, I heard one of them played for the first time ever. I was immediately blown away by its power.

I can't find any video of it, but there is a good site with the lyrics and audio playing. Listen to the voice of The Duke, and listen the the words he speaks.

Face the Flag

God Bless America, and God Protect the Men and Women Who Keep Us Free.

Great Music Monday-Only God Could Love You More

This past weekend, I had the great joy of going to the St. Louis suburbs for a very special wedding. You see, I have a small family; one brother, and each of my parents only has one sibling (Dad has two other siblings who died in childhood). Dad's sister is married and has three kids, and Mom has a sister. Outside of that, it goes to 2nd and 3rd cousins.

That is until Saturday afternoon. My aunt married a great guy. Now, my aunt is the same age as my Dad (I'm 26, almost 27, ballpark an age from there, cause I won't tell out of respect) and has never been married. They dated for almost 5-1/2 years, and waited until he finished his Master's Degree (graduated a week before the wedding). He also has a 9-year old son from a previous marriage.

This is an awesome union. Truly, a match ordained by God. And the ceremony reflected that their faith is the center of both their lives. Really, it was inspiring.

So this week, the Great Music is a song played at the reception that really describes their marriage and is in honor of my aunt and new uncle and cousin. Welcome to the family.