Oh The Smoldering Ire

So, back in the last week of August or so, there was 'reported' widespread outrage over the upcoming Friends of The NRA dinner to be held at The Inn at new Hyde Park on September 27, 2018 (yesterday evening). Local residents and local politicians were yammering in frenzied voices about shutting down the event and promising to stage an anti-NRA protest in mass. Read the linked article and watch the video in that article for more about that so called ire.

Well, I attended the event last night. It started at 530PM, I got there around 515PM. I pulled into the driveway for valet parking and had them park my car, according to the valet it would be parked in their underground garage (this turned out to be a crock of shit - they retrieved my car from the street - I guess a Toyota Corolla does not deserve underground space). Anyway before I go way off on a tangent, let me say that when I arrived there was one police officer at the front door that I saw. More would arrive after that, later on I saw maybe 20 to 30 of them around the building.

There were the promised protestors too, just not as many as they would have wanted us t believe would show up. In all, I estimate 20 at most at any one time. It was a truly lame effort, or should I say lack of effort, on the part of the anti-gunners. Maybe people are finally waking up and realizing the NRA and the Friends of the NRA are not evil nor are we the problem.

On the inside of the Inn, there was another story going on. There were 461 paid guests in attendance, no protestors allowed and no media allowed (yes there was at least one camera crew outside and two press photographers (or at least two folks with what appeared to be press credentials). Now imagine if you will that the folks from the NRA and/or Friends of the NRA (not part of the NRA) were truly evil as say the anti-gunners. There were 461 paying guests and at the most 20 protestors - the leftists were outnumbered just over 23 to 1; if we gun enthusiasts and supporters of the RKBA had wanted to cause trouble - we would have kicked their arses from new Hyde Park to Canarsie! Yet, we did not because we are civil, ethical and law abiding - anything but the evil doers we are portrayed as by the left.

I had a good time. I spent too much on the raffles, did not win a thing, but spent my money on a good cause. I was at one of two tables of Long Island Gun Club members and enjoyed the company of my fellow LIGC members. I would do it again, probably next year if it comes round again. Don't know why I have never attended one before.

All the best,
Glenn B

Picking Up Good Vibrations

This all looks like lot of fun is all I can say about it. Well, maybe I can say one more thing - looks like  at least one shooter was getting more than merely shooty goodness out of going full-auto.
 


All the best,
Glenn B

Speaking Of New Boomers - Did I Forget...

...to mention that I also picked up a new pistol over the weekend. I had the high bid on it at an auction in August, or maybe it was July (time flies - especially over the summer), and had to pick up the purchase paperwork at my county PD before I could pick up the gun. It would not be within reason for me to drive over 600 miles roundtrip solely to pick it up so, I waited for a more opportune time - the next live auction - to drive up and get it, thus killing two birds with one bullet stone.

What I got was a second Glock 30 in 45 ACP. When I told Brendan what I had bought, his response was the perfectly correct one - now you can carry two of them at the same time. I wonder, did I ever tell him that the best backup pistol is the exact same model as your primary carry pistol? If I didn't, well then, it seems he has learned some good stuff after leaving the nest.

Anyway, that is it up there as it appeared in the auction catalog. The summary said it was unfired in the box. I checked it out pretty well yesterday and can say with nary a doubt that it is indeed unfired except maybe for test firing at the factory. The copper colored lube that Glock places on the slide rails was undisturbed and there in copious amount; everything else also looked pristine. That is a good thing. The price makes it even a better thing, it was about $150 less expensive than the lowest price I could find on a new one elsewhere. It only came with two magazines while another at the same auction had the third mag but went for $25 more. Regardless, at the price I paid, I can afford having to buy a couple or few more mags and still wind up with a great deal on the pistol. All other accessories were in the box as they should have been there. This goes to the range  probably this week along with the other one I already owned.

Now, I am off to the virtual reality of online shopping, at Optics Planet (good price and free shipping if order is $49 and up) to get another couple of mags for it.

Okay, I came back to this post after placing my order for two more mags at Optics Planet. They deserve free plug. They had one of, if not the, best price(s) around. Since I ordered two Glock 30 mags at  $47.78, I decided to also order a needed cleaning rod adapter for a 12 gauge at $2.19 which puts the order total at just under $50 and thus makes it eligible for free shipping. Then I had the thought that I should look to see if I can add a coupon code. I found one at RetailMeNot.com for $5.00 off an order above $49. I applied the coupon code to my order and it was now $44.97 instead of the original $49.97. Then I looked at shipping to see if it was still free or if I would now be charged for it since my order had gone under the required $49 minimum order for free shipping. Nope  - no shipping charge - it was still free even though the order total was now under $49.

With some other companies I have used, if you add a coupon code that brings the total below a minimum total to get free shipping - you lose the free shipping. Optics Planet does not screw you like that and that is just another reason I like to shop with them. Granted, the free shipping is not fast but it is free; in addition: their prices are usually very competitive, they usually have what I want, they also often have items I cannot find elsewhere, and their customer service was excellent when I had to use it once or twice before.

All the best,
Glenn B

Those Were The Days...

...when a decent annual income was about $12,000, give or take a couple of grand, but with prices like these who needed much more than that.

Now really, could you ever get an Enfield for $9.95!!! I remember them at about $79.99 apiece (I went back to the gun store with cash for two or three of them the day after I saw that price but by then the price was $119.99 or so! I literally was a day late and many dollars short.)

All the best,
Glenn B

Keeping Myself Happy - I Got Some New Boomers

Was at the Hessney Early Gun & Military Auction yesterday and picked up a few new boomers.

First off I got a Norinco SKS. It still has cosmoline crammed into the action and I am guessing it is unfired - since it was arsenal refinished, it looks good but the serial number on the receiver does not match the one on the rest of the parts (they have the same number as each other just not the same as the receiver's).  Still, it was the best of three they were auctioning off as far as I am concernd.

Next up a Remington Model 29. It's a 12 gauge pump action shotgun. It is in good condition from what I can see. Not a very valuable shotgun but even then I got it for a song (as they say). They were supposedly manufactured from 1929-1933.

The third one is a Schmidt-Rubin Model 1911 as far as I can tell. It was incorrectly labelled at the auction as a Schmidt-Rubin Model 1889 but after doing a bunch of checking, I am confident it is a 1911. I checked all the proof marks and it passed all testing according to those marks. It also bears a "P" stamp which indicates that the soldier to whom it was issued kept it once discharged. Why there is a red band painted on the wood covering the forward end of the barrel is a mystery. Edited to add: For a few moments, I thought it might have been used as a training gun and had the firing pin removed, that was until I took apart the bolt and everything in the bolt looked to be in excellent condition and proper order. I would not have attempted that without instructions and I am lucky enough to have a copy of The Gun Book Digest of Firearms Assembly/Disassembly, 2nd edition; it just happens to have a chapter dedicated to the Schmidt-Rubin 1911!

Why is that red band of mystery painted onto the handguard?
Could it be because there is a hairline crack in the handguard?

 

Finally, I picked up one to toy around with, maybe refinish the stock and such. It is a Hopkins & Allen 12 gauge single. Don't know if this is safe to shoot or not with current 12 gauge ammo.

 

 

Not too bad on the pocket book considering that the Schmidt-Rubin, the Remington and the Norinco are in pretty good shape. As for the Hopkins & Allen, it is in fair to good shape cosmetically but I am unsure as to whether or not it is so mechanically. Heck, I am not sure the chamber size will even fit a 2 3/4" shell as some shotguns back then were chambered for 2 1/2" shells. Will need to do some checking and then if it safely can be fired with current production ammo.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 

 

 

 

The Tides They Are A Turning (Or: What Blue Wave)

The Democrats have been eagerly squawking about the anticipated blue wave, that is supposedly going to wipe out Republican held control of Congress, in the elections of this coming fall. I am happy to inform any leftists, librterds, socialists and Democrats who read my blog that it seems the tides they are a changing - or at least have already done so in a formerly Democrat stronghold in Texas.

"A Republican candidate won a shocking victory Tuesday in Texas, capturing a state Senate seat that has been held by Democrats for 139 years -- and fizzling out Democrats’ “blue wave” aspirations to flip the Lone Star State.

 

Pete Flores, a former leader of the state Parks and Wildlife Department’s law enforcement division, won the reliably blue district against Democrat Pete Gallego." More at the source.

 

Get that, the seat was held by Democrats for 139 consecutive years but was just won by a Republican. Go figure - maybe President Trump is not as bad an influence as those on the left seem to think, at least not a bad influence for other Republicans.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Things Changed When We Lost Jacques Cousteau

Today, folks seemingly look at the oceans differently than we did back when I was a kid. Back then, we were amazed by them and the secrets they held when men like Jacques Cousteau revealed them to us in living color for the first time. I guess though that people today see the oceans differently - even as boring. Maybe it was that all the shows - year after year - rerun after rerun - repeatedly showing what were once thought of marvels of our oceans - has made them boring. I mean, just look at this quote attributed to researcher Jon Akiyama:

“If you’ve ever spent even a couple minutes looking out at the water, you get the idea: it’s dark, it’s wet, and it’s mostly empty except for some lame fucking fish and crustaceans that don’t even do anything cool. Unless you’re some weirdo who gets excited by the idea of kelp, you can basically just skip the whole damn thing.”

Of course, he does hold out some hope that the oceans will once again fascinate us:

"Akiyama acknowledged that the world’s oceans could become significantly more interesting as new technologies allowed scientists to discover additional weird, freaky squids and kickass sharks. "

More at the source.

My guess is he is a fan of Shark Week.

All the best,

Glenn B

If You Want 'A Flame Thrower' Then 'Not A Flame Thrower'...

..is probably not worth a dime of your money. What is the purpose of Elon Musk's 'Not A Flame Thrower' remains a mystery to me after watching this product review video. Then again, as the name says - it is 'Not A Flame Thrower'; although, what exactly it is eludes me.



I guess the company that made them - The Boring Company - lives up to its name. If you'd like to be bored a bit more, by this gadget, get a load of how this woman, who supposedly bought one because she "...loves bad ideas and dangerous things...", used hers:



Man, that was one disgusting looking and apparently pre-frozen poorly cooked steak.

Not bored enough, then watch this and pray that when the revolution starts, this is the weapon of choice among the first (and last) wave of armed libturds:



Can you believe some of the things the guy in the video said, such as this jewel:

"It feels like a gun, it feels like an AR-15 or something..."

Has he ever held an AR-15 in his entire life? It is doubtful to me.

Then he blurted out this wiener: ."..and it looks like right here that's where the clip was, right there, like the magazine if you had actual bullets or BBs, BBs inside..."

He also dropped this bomb: "...you need to be careful with it..." and right after saying that what did he do but place his hand over the business end of it.

Then, after saying it was dangerous he added this fine piece of advice: "So I would definitely echo that and say if you ever have one of these make sure you have adult supervision and that you are careful with it and so today we have adult supervision".

I keep wondering where was the adult who was supervising, I don't think I saw an adult in the video - at least not anyone acting like one.

Even if they were not sold-out, I wouldn't buy one, not even on your dime. 

All the best,
Glenn B

On Firearms & Tactics Training

Someone on a gun forum to which I belong quoted an interview attributed to the book Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshall by Stuart N. Lake. There was a good deal of purported advice on, and knowledge of, coming out the winner in a gunfight contained in that interview. The book has been alleged to be largely fictionalized account of Earp’s life. Whether or not the supposed interview was actually verbatim, or in fact given at all, or whether or not Earp’s insights on gun-fighting were reality or fictionalized fancy for that book may never be known with certainty. I don’t know why the person who posted that interview in the firearms forum posted it there, maybe just to stir up discussion or possibly because it seemed either like good advice or fanciful imaginings but I do know that being well trained & practiced in being proficient with a firearm, shooting & tactics and having the right mindset can do a lot to get you through a violent armed encounter as the winner.

In all of the law enforcement training I have ever received relative to firearms and shooting them in tactical situations, I do not recall an instructor ever once quoting a gunfighter from the old west about anything except maybe when telling a tall tale or joking. Most instructors also tried to avoid fancified tactics and use of grandiose catch phrases as well as legendary stories to teach their trade. While things like that piece that was attributed to Wyatt Earp may be true or not, if it was not documented and confirmed and practical to our lessons - it was not used. Advice that was given was mostly directly to the point with no balderdash or frilly fanciness added. The training was contemporary and very few advices of legendary gunfighters of the old or modern worlds were brought into what we learned. There were a few modern gunfighters whose techniques we learned about such as those of Bill Jordan but mostly we learned from instructors who knew their tactical stuff as taught by other instructors who had been taught by instructors before them. They had all learned and adapted after being taught the lessons – both the successes and the mistakes - of the experiences of those involved in real life shootings and other violent encounters. One such was the FBI versus Miami bank robbers deal (I mention it only because of it being so well known). So much excellent LE firearms training has gone on for decades as such and will go on likewise ad infinitum.

In almost every case, of instruction I received or gave (I was also an instructor), both the students and the instructors had little to no practical prior experience in actual armed encounters with armed violent conflicts (other than in the military) and most of what was taught was second hand information that in essence had been gifted to us by those who had the actual experience and lived to tell about it.

 Of course, there were also the lessons we were taught first hand by folks, such as Jim Cirillo (and a handful of others), with actual & fairly frequent first hand practical experience with armed encounters; although, that was much rarer than the former type of training we received. Still though, I think the training I received over the years was for the most part excellent and it certainly helped me prepare for the unarmed and armed violent encounters I experienced in my career and which, thankfully, were relatively few and mostly handled successfully with diplomacy and or minimal force. It also helped me prepare others for likewise when I was doing the instructing. One thing I learned throughout all the years of firearms & tactical training I received was from instructors who had some actual experience with armed encounters. It was probably the best advice I was ever given regarding winding up in a gunfight and was in essence this:

 

'Most times the best advice an individual armed with a firearm can follow is to be ready-able-willing to use it and have the mindset to come out the winner but yet to avoid getting into a gunfight as best you possibly can do so when you have the opportunity to do so without shirking your responsibilities. That avoidance thing does not always pan out though and sometimes you find yourself in the middle of an unavoidable armed encounter, maybe because you are duty bound or by way of defending self or loved ones or because of ethics and morality demanding you to defend an unknown to you innocent third party from an attacker. If you wind up there you had best hope you followed that other advice about being ready-able-willing to use your firearm and that you have the mindset to come out the winner when doing so.' It may not always mean you come out of it the winner but it is what will give you a great advantage to help you get there.

If you are seeking training in firearms use for self-defense or other similar reasons, seek training along those lines and avoid the fanciful stuff of legend that is nothing more than legend itself.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Ending Your Day With Good News - It Could Have Been Worse

 

All the best,

GB

Starting The Day With Good News!

All the best,
Glenn B

Wow!

All the best,
Glenn B

My New Attempt At Facebook

All the best,
Glenn B

Selling A Voere Semi-Auto At GunBroker.com (not selling it here on Blogger)

I have decided to sell my Voere semi-auto rifle in 22LR. It was made in Germany and imported by KDF of Seguin, TX back in the 1980s. It fires from an open bolt and evidently some people find that to be an extremely alluring feature of this rifle along with the fact that further importation of them was banned by ATF in the early or mid 1980s (but existing ones in this country were not outlawed). Many if not most of these rifles were reportedly converted to fire in full auto mode but one has to wonder why since the only magazines available for them held only 10 rounds. Mine was never converted and that makes it rarer and to some a more desirable one to find.

Mine in in excellent condition, I figure at least 95% to 98% of metal finish remains. The wood has been refinished but I do not think that should detract from the value as the feature that sells these guns seems to be that they fire from an open bolt. Regardless, the new finish is nicer than the original which was pretty badly marred on one side when I purchased it. In addition, I am selling it with two magazines. Extra magazines are fairly hard to come by and relatively very expensive compared to other mags for rifles in 22LR; that is when you find one.

Everything works as it should and I have test fired it to make sure of that. Had I not fired test fired it, my guess would be that it was unfired before then except maybe for test firing at the factory. That is how little wear is apparent on the gun and on the one magazine that came with it. The other mag was purchased separately.

What drove me to put this up for auction on GunBroker was that I am tapped for cash after unexpected veterinary bills over the past month or so. I would like to recoup as much as I can to replenish my savings account. I have other guns to sell and have one or two up for sale right now but there was one other thing that convinced me to try to sell this one. Someone else just sold one on GunBroker, one in nowhere as nearly good a condition as mine from what I could tell, for $899.00. It was essentially the same exact model except its stock was checkered. Then again that one's stock also had pretty bad finish damage and its metal looked not nearly as nice as that on mine and it only came with a single magazine. You can see it here until GunBroker pulls the ad for it. I am hopeful I am not a day late and many dollars short due to poor timing. Maybe I should have listed mine last month.

I am being optimistic and I figure, since there was one person out there who would pay that much, maybe there is another who would be willing to start the bidding at about $50 less for essentially the same exact rifle but one that has a better metal and wood finish and the added enticement of an extra magazine. Maybe it will achieve my starting bid and maybe not but if it does - then maybe the bidding might go up from there because of the condition of the gun and the extra mag. Time will tell.

If you want to see the one I have up for bids, you can view it at GunBroker.com, item 785816457. Please note, it is not being offered for sale anywhere other than via GunBroker.com, in other words this Blogpost post absolutely is not an offer to sell it and is merely for informational purposes only.

All the best,
Glenn B

A New Enemy On The Left

According to an article in the Washington Post, Levi Strauss & Co. has pledged one million dollars to combat gun violence and is throwing their support to Michael Bloomberg and his anti-RKBA campaign. According to the Post:

"The San Francisco-based retailer said last week it is pledging more than $1 million to support nonprofits and youth activists who are working to end gun violence. The company is also partnering with Michael Bloomberg to help create a coalition of business leaders who support gun control measures and encouraging employees to get involved in political causes."

Well I, for one, used to love Levi's dungarees (note I did not say jeans because jeans are for leftist wussies). They were my go to brand and I also used to purchase Dockers products (produced by Levi Strauss & Co.). I never knowingly will buy another pair of Levis or any other of their products; although, this latest move by Levi Strauss is not the only reason. I stopped buying Levi's dungarees years ago when they moved production to Mexico. This latest anti-American, pro-globalization, move by them has only helped to assure that, when I say I never will buy any of their products, the word NEVER is chiseled in granite. If there is any doubt that their move is pro-globalization and anti-Amerrican here is the way others are viewing this:

"... retailers are realizing they can afford to alienate some U.S. consumers as they look abroad for a bigger chunk of their growth." (Quote attributed to Peter Horst, founder of marketing consultancy CMO.) Well, Levi Strauss & Co. apparently has been doing just that as the article points out that:

"Levi Strauss, which also manufactures the brands Dockers and Denizen, made the bulk of its sales — 52 percent — outside the United States last year. Sales grew 13 percent in France, Germany, Mexico and the U.K., compared to 2 percent growth in the United States."

More at the source.

Note they made the bulk of their sales outside of the USA last year and apparently are evidently very willing to lose more US of their U.S. customer base and sales so long as those sales in other parts of the world increase and their profit is maintained. They seemingly do not give a damn about this country or her people.

If you own a gun, support our rights, liberties and Constitution, want to see 'Made in the USA' on our goods again r just hope to see our economy keep getting better - please consider ceasing to purchase any and all products produced by Levi Strauss & Co.. The way I look at it is that if you buy from them you are stabbing us and yourself in the back and doing a great disservice to the USA.

All the best,
Glenn B 

REMEMBER

 

 

 

 

Does it still bring tears to your eyes and make you choke up? It does to me.

 

With everlasting sadness,

Glenn B

The Local Gin Mill Is A Good Influence...

...on me or at least one of the guys who works there was such. My daughter, grandson and I had dinner there a week or two ago and our waiter asked me if I had been keeping up on going to the gym. I told him no. He told me likewise about himself but added he had just started again. I thought about it and said I should do so too. Then, as usual, kind of, sort of, just about forgot all about it.
That was until today when I told myself I was determined to start going again. So I went this evening. I hit the treadmill, which is about all I do there besides sometimes a bit of weights. I walked 3.85 miles and jogged .25 of a mile for a total of 4.1 miles in 70 minutes, most of it at an incline, probably an average of at least 2.5 to 3 degrees down to zero and up to 5.5.

Certainly nothing earth shattering as my speed or incline went but considering I have not been o the gym since last November  - I am happy with what I did this evening. Hell, I'd be happy never going faster but just walking up more of an incline even if slower. You burn lots of calories going up hill.

Damn, I have been paying for it for 10 months without using it! Oh well, maybe I will actually start getting my money's worth for at least a few months before I quit again for awhile. Over the years I have usually worked out a couple to few months, stopped for a month or two, then resumed for a few months to maybe as many a six, then laid off again for awhile and on and on. Ten months though, well that was an awfully long a time without going back to the gym and meant I was way overdue for the resumption segment.

Not a bad time for me to resume though what with big game hunting seasons upon me and me probably going to be traipsing around the woods.

All the best,
Glenn B 

l'shanah tovah tikateiv v'tichateimu!

To all my Jewish friends and readers: l'shanah tovah tikateiv v'tichateimu!

In my way of saying it: Happy Rosh Hashanah - may the upcoming year be assured to be a good one for you and yours.

All the best,
Glenn B

Free At Last

Free of Facebook am I. I am well beyond the 14 day grace period they allow for folks who delete their accounts to come back to their site and have all your posts and info intact. I miss it somewhat. After all, it is a decent way to stay in touch with folks who are remote to you and while I miss easily keeping in touch with them - I do not miss the politicization of that social media website nor the hatred espoused by many who use the site. That includes some folks who were indeed my friends, at least up until the point they spewed their overly abundant hateful rhetoric and based almost everything in their daily posting on political divisiveness.

God bless America, or if there is no god, someone else do it please; but there is absolutely no need to hate this country or your once upon a time friends because of political differences.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

Best Handgun Caliber - I Prefer A Shotgun Or Rifle Please...

...but I admit I carry a handgun because of the practicality factor. While it's nice to know my choice of caliber(s) is a decent one, it's probably better that I am a proficient shot with every firearm I own  in whatever caliber for which any particular one is chambered. Still though, there is some very interesting info in this video about caliber effectiveness.



My thanks and a hat tip to Peter Q for sending me the link to the video.

All the best,
Glenn B

New Boomer - Mossberg 395T - Test Fire

This is my new Mossberg 395T shotgun:

This is a video of the test fire:

Yeah, okay - I know the shell casing should have been called high and low brass shell casings - not high and low wall shell casings. That was a brain fart that I will chalk up as being due to me being overheated at the time - it was 86 degrees and about 85% humidity and I had just hiked about a mile and a half with that gun & a 25 pound or so backpack (in addition to my belly)! So, give me a break please.

Anyway, that Mossberg 395T is a nice gun and is now partnered with my Mossberg 395SA Slugster. Besides each coming at an excellent price, an extra bonus is that they use the same magazines.

All the best,
Glenn B

Run Eft Run...And Other Creatures Of The Woods

I have seen plenty of red efts while traipsing about the woods in upstate NY. On fairly cool and damp days, like shorty after a early fall rain, I have seen up to a couple or maybe even a few hundred of them all within about 1/2 an acre of forest floor - that though was one time event on my uncle's farm when he owned it years ago. Yes, I have seen fairly large numbers of them in a small area, at one time or another, on other occasions, but mostly though, I have come across them one here and one there or often enough a couple or few not too far apart where conditions were right.

This Tuesday and Wednesday I was up in the area of the farm on state land and I was scouting for deer. I ran across a few red efts each of those days which was a bit surprising because it was about 86 degrees Fahrenheit and probably around 75 to 90% humidity. You, or at least I, don't usually see these little critters out and about on really hot days like that.

Yet, I did see them and one was of particular interest. These guys are usually easy and slow going creatures. They are afraid of very little, I think because they taste terrible and maybe even are poisonous. I have seen garter snakes grab hold of them only to spit them out and then writhe wildly and contort their jaws as if they had the worst irritating taste in their mouths ever. So, the one I am about to show you in the accompanying video was a bit of a freak. First of all, as I said he was out and about on a really hot day (for the NY forests); second, when I approached him it did not just sit there as they often do or at least did not calmly walk along minding its own business - instead this one took off running at high eft speed.; third - it as surprisingly swift. I have never seen one move that fast in all the years I have found them in the woods. Maybe the high temps had his metabolism running at super-high speed and maybe he just ate a couple hundred springtails and had an extra energy boost. Whatever - it was the Speedy Gonzalez or Roadrunner of the amphibian world.



As I said though, they usually do not scoot away like that. What is more likely to happen is what this other one did that I found about 2.5 - 3 feet or so above ground level atop a boulder in a damp spot.

 

 

Joe Cool - sunning himself in an eft sized puddle.

No matter how much I looked at it from this angle or that, it just stayed put. I even prodded it a couple of times and it moved all of a half an inch. I think it was just too damned comfortable where it was and that was on a nice damp spot on that boulder. Evidently it was enjoying sunning itself while yet getting the cooling effect from the evaporating moisture. I have never seen them sit in sunny spots before but am thinking it might be a way to rid themselves of skin parasites and the damp spot a way to keep itself from getting overheated and too dried out. That is just guesswork on my part, I have no clue what was going on in its mind in picking that spot. As you can see though, they are pretty fearful with it sitting out in the open like that and I doubt any bird, scaly or furry critter would try to eat it.

I also got to see a few other small critters - one Wood frog and several toads - either American or Fowler's Toads, not sure which. This is one of the toads, a bigger one than most I saw - the others were obviously from this year's spawn and were less than an inch long.

 

Speaking of toads, I also stumbled across a lot of toadstools. An awful lot of them, I suppose they loved the humidity this summer and they were all over the place. Some of them looked delicious enough to eat but I chose prudence over reckless abandon much preferring not to get a fatal bellyache!

 

The Cascade valley State Forest - beautiful as ever but
you need to look closer than the trees to get the full picture.

Mushrooms of at least a couple of varieties feasting on a decaying tree trunk.

 

These orange ones looked nice but not nice enough to eat.

 

The taller of these two was about 10" high. They
looked delicious but again were not tempting enough.

 

These were tiny and I had only seen the
larger orange one until I stooped down
to get this shot. Then I saw the others in
the shadow of the log ad also noticed the
off white one in the center foreground.

I am pretty sure I already mentioned, I was out in the woods scouting for deer hunting season which is not too far off. While I did not see any deer while in these woods, I saw lots of deer sign in the form of droppings. Needn't show you any pics of deer scat, just let me say one spot I plan to hunt was loaded with it at about every 5 - 10 or so paces. Another place I had planned to hunt was near an apple tree I found last season. Last year, it was loaded with apples. This year, I did not see even a single apple on it and none around it on the ground. I would say half of its branches were leafless and it looks as if this aged tree (it must have been there for decades) is on its last legs so to speak. I hope not and am wishing to find it loaded with apples again next year.

 

I did see one deer in that particular state forest, or should I say jumping out of it. I was driving down the road at about 30 mph when it jumped out in front of me as I was leaving the area. It was a buck, either a fork horn or six pointer in the making with velvet covered antlers apparently still with a lot of growing to go. It well could have been the same six pointer I saw and got trail cam photos of last year. Had I been driving even 5mph faster, I would have had a new hood ornament it was that close to me when it crossed the road.

 

I checked out two other state forests that I have not hunted yet but that an old codger told me about last year (get a load of me calling someone my age an old codger). I met him as I was leaving the area after my hunt was over. So, I took a brief detour from my trip home this time and drove by both of them (quite close to one another). At the second one, while I was driving down a dirt road, I spotted this doe that just stood there for over a minute mocking me. Almost looks like a muley with those big ears. I figured it to be an older fawn from this year or maybe a yearling. It was tall but had a pretty big body.

 

She had best be wary, I have a doe permit this year.

 

All in all, I had an excellent time. I plan to hit the woods again this coming week if I can get away. I want to increase my odds at bagging one after having gone way too long without one and am hoping to do a scouting trip every week from now until the season opener.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

No Swimming

To think, Brendan and I were there a little over two years ago and we did not strip down to our skivvies and dive in. Why we did not baffles my mind! Thus, I think we ought to start saving now so we can visit there again and jump right in next time we are there.

 

 

 

What say you my son?

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Man Arrested Giving A Beaver Wood???

Nope, I don't mean some guy got arrested for giving a beaver a tree. Some dude in Washington State reportedly was arrested for nailing a beaver as it lay dying on or near a roadway where it had been hit by a vehicle. He was spotted by a woman, who saw the beaver get run over and the went to get a container to place it in to try to help it. As she returned to the scene she allegedly saw the guy laying wood to the beaver and called police. The dude reportedly was arrested for animal cruelty and for meth possession (why does that second charge not surprise me). The beaver did not bite the wood but bit the dust instead - too bad he did not get in some gnaw marks on the wood first. More at the source.

I'd end this by saying: "Now I have heard/read it all" but I know if I do that I am certain I'll read something even weirder than this in the not too distant future.

All the best,
Glenn B

Here Is To This Stuff...

...it is what makes life worth living.

All the best,
Glenn B

All Feely

 

 

That's the ticket!

 

All the best (and go fuck off now ;>),

Glenn B

NY State Fair + Rap Music =

VIOLENCE or so it seems to me.

Maybe there have been instances of fights and other violent activities breaking out at the NYS fair but I do not recall ever hearing or reading about them. This year seems quite different though in that while and after a rap music group played, violence reportedly broke out among fair goers; more at the source. Go figure with Rap being the music of peace and all that. (I mean isn't it all about love and peace!)

All the best,
Glenn B

Why We Give Pakistan Any Money At All...

...boggles my mind. I know all the excuses, such as: humanitarian aid, to help them fight terrorism (what a joke), to keep Pakistan aligned with us instead of Russia or China, because some Congresscritters are probably getting kickbacks from it and on and on and on.

Still though, in light of their state sponsored support of terrorist groups - I just don't get it. The US of A must be taken for the biggest sucker among all of the nations on earth the way it gives out money to countries who would like to see us destroyed. Reportedly, the U.S. has given Pakistan monetary aid in the average amount of $788 million per year over a 15 year period (source). So, it made me smile a bit today when I found out that President Trump has withheld an additional $300 million dollars of aide to Pakistan. Add that to to the $500 million he has already withheld from them this year and it all adds up to a considerable swig of swag that they are not getting. More at the source.

All the best,
Glenn B

Been A Gun Thing Kind Of A Day

Have not done all that much today except for taking it fairly easy for most of it. About the only thing I did that was even close to work but was more of a fun thing for me was to look for some of my son's books, that he left here when he moved out, and that he wants me to send to him in AR. I also cleaned some guns but I don't think I ca call that work.

I did not disassemble any of them all the way, just a field strip as that was enough to clean them from what I could tell. The first I got to was my Marlin 1895 GBL in 45-70 GOV'T. I used a shotgun patch holder and a 12 gauge shotgun bore brush to clean its bore. It was pretty clean but brought it to the range recently and had a potential buyer shoot a couple or few rounds through it. He liked it and said he'd take it but the preferred local dealer being closed this weekend did not help in that regard. Anyway, got that one cleaned up pretty quickly and am awaiting selling it.

After the 1895, I moved onto my Marlin 1936/36 in 30-30 WIN. It's been a safe queen so to speak. Shot it some when I got it but it's just been locked up since I cleaned it back then. Gave it a once over and it was almost clean as a whistle, then oiled it up some to prevent any rust. Nice gun and I'd like to keep it that way.  After that one was done, I moved on to my Marlin 336. in 35 REM. It was pretty clean too - cleaned it good and locked it away since last hunting season. While at the range when letting the possible buyer test fire my 1895, I was shooting the 336 to assure it was still zeroed and ready for the soon to be hunting seasons. It was hitting right where I was aiming and that is a good thing. Thus, it needed a cleaning since I did not do it last week.

Once those three Marlins were cleaned and lubed, I changed over to some photography and took about 15 or so photos of a New England Firearms Pardner SB1 12 gauge single shot shotgun I had been thinking of selling. Well, first I cleaned it too. Put an add up, after it was sparkling, on a local gun forum and got a bite already. That one probably will be gone next weekend if the dealer is open on Saturday.

Now, I did not get them all done at once. I did the first one, then hemmed and hawed and did a little of this or that and plenty of nothing except some stuff on the Internet and when I was bored again was when I started on the others. Those I kind of, sort of, almost got done one right after the other with only minor interruptions. Been  a nice weekend so far - gun cleaning agrees with me.


All the best,
Glenn B

Happy End Of Artificial Summer...

...and I say it that way because I am sick and tired of government and businesses butting their noses into where they do not belong such as saying the summer season runs from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Summer has ben here since late June and will remain here until late August; enjoy the rest of it.

All the best,
Glenn B