She's Gone

Mimi's gone. Had to have vet put our Mimi down last night. The diagnosis was a very large mass in the abdomen believed to be splenic cancer or a benign tumor; either way with a lot of abdominal bleeding and suffering. Regardless of which was the actual type of tumor - it was a very poor prognosis with a lot of suffering already & a lot to come and surgery was not likely to be successful. Tough decision to make but Linda and I decided it best she not suffer any more.

Man this came on fast - a week at most since the first signs we saw that something was wrong. She seemed to be feeling lousy, then better the next day, then lousy a day or two later then bam she was obvioulsy very sick. We did not realize maybe some earlier slowing down a bit now and then was also possibly a symptom - we thought she was just feeling her age as she seemed fine otherwise but even that only started within last month or so.

The love between Mimi & Linda was unfathomable.

Mimi was only 11 years old. That's her getting her last lick of one of her favorite snacks, peanut butter, from Linda at the vet's office. Linda has that big smile because after several failed attempts at getting Mimi to have some, she finally took a lick. Lots of love there. Lots of tears followed a few minutes later. Mimi is and will be missed.

All the best,
Glenn B

Holy Horsefeathers...

...it seems I have not blogged even a single post since Tuesday last until this very moment. Cannot say I have been too busy, well not as far as I recall, but I was somewhat preoccupied with other things. I had planned to go upstate to the Cascade Valley State Forest on early Thursday to get in a partial day of deer scouting on that day and then some more on Friday before heading further north to Geneva, NY. Yes there was another Hessney Rod & Gun auction on Saturday with the preview from 3-6PM on Friday. I was busy all day Wednesday getting ready for my planned departure on Thursday.

Then my boss called me on Thursday morning and asked me to cover for someone who had a family emergency. So, I went to work and lost Thursday. I did get away fairly early, about 620 AM on Friday. Great ride to Geneva - nope I did not stop to do any deer scouting since I was driving the whole 300 plus miles that day. I got there plenty early and went exploring in Auburn, NY a town about 30 miles east of Geneva but where my motel was located. Most of the damn hotels in Geneva were booked and the few with rooms were just was too expensive with their summertime rates. I am a sort of a Motel Six kind of a guy for overnight stays - cheap and clean with hot water is usually fine with me but no chance of that near the Finger Lakes in the summer. Anyway, I had a good time in Auburn and then stopped at Bass Pro Shops, on the outskirts of town, as I headed to the auction preview in Geneva.

I won't bore you with the details and will just say they had a higher ration of new guns than used and older ones at this auction than usual. That was to be expected as a dealer had shut down shop, in anticipation of moving to a new location in about 6 months or so, and was selling off stock by way of the auction. I got a few new acquisitions. A Savage Model 111 Long Range Hunter in 300 WIN MAG (what a steal at about 33% lower than the lowest price I could find on it), a Glock 30 45 ACP pistol (another great bargain price close to the same as above percentage-wise), a Winchester Model 290 semi-auto rifle in 22LR and a Mossberg Model 395T 12 gauge bolt action shotgun; it's similar to my recently purchased Mossberg 395SA but while the 395SA is a slug gun, the 395T has a 28" barrel full choke. I also picked up a pistol case and some ammo. Expensive couple of days for me and once again will need to sell some guns to recoup the cash I used to pay for these.

I think that the Savage Model 111 may become a keeper. I have a fairly limited knowledge of different caliber ammunition, especially when it comes to rifles and pretty much had never really known anything about 300 WIN MAG before looking it up prior to the auction as I was doing my homework on the auction items on which I was planning to bid. I was impressed by the few things I read about it. Funny, I never heard almost anything about it before; yet, all the articles I read said it is one of the, if not the, most popular big game caliber(s) in the USA. If what the author of this article says is true - I have no clue why I never heard more about it before except that I just wasn't listening. I looked up the ammo on some dealer's sites to see how much it goes for and I was happily surprised to see it can be had at fairly inexpensive prices as compared to something like 35 Remington. Shooting it will have to wait a bit though. I am not only going to have to buy ammo for it but also a decent scope and right now I am broke. Having to work all of this week will help with that though.

Back to the weekend - the drive home after the auction was a good one. I made a stop at cascade Valley Forest, not to deer hunt but to fish for a little bit. Then I was off to home and had a fairly good drive.  except for a slowdown on the Tappan Zee bridge, looked like a pick-up tuck's engine had been on fire - foam all over the front end when I passed it. After that clear sailing, amazing for NY - especially the part of the trip through NYC.

As for the new guns, I'll take some photos of them sometime this week or next weekend as my schedule allows and then post them here.

All the best,
Glenn B

Decisions, Decisions - Which Internet Browser To Use

I have been using Internet Explorer as my default Internet browser. I've been apprehensive of changing to another just because I was happy with IE and am quite familiar with it by now and don't need any problems in switching to a new one. However, it seems that changes in browsers have caught up with me as I have noticed that certain web pages no longer load properly with IE. So, out of necessity, I will be changing my default browser. Now the question is to which one do I switch. The choices of which I am aware are: Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox. 

I already have Firefox on my laptop and use it now and then. It's okay but my fingerprint reader application for logging onto websites does not work with it. Then again, I am not sure if it will work with anything other than IE. I have tried it with MS Edge and when I swipe my finger to select a site to open it goes right to IE to open what site I am seeking. Maybe if I reset my default browser it will work with one of the other browsers and then again maybe not. If I lose that function, I will miss it sorely, hell I may have to start trying to actually remember passwords and logon IDs.

Anyway, I am hoping some of my readers can be helpful in guiding me toward my selection of a new Internet browser. What are you folks using and why do you prefer it over the others?

Thanks,
Glenn B

I'm Smoking Again

I quit smoking on August 18, 1989 - right around 6 months before my son was born. Being a stage 4 throat cancer survivor - you would think I would not go back to it. Well, I started smoking again today.

This time though it's not cigarettes but a pork shoulder (actually half of a boned one) on Brendan's smoker. When he moved to AR, his smoker stayed here. Since he left, I think I used it once, maybe twice at most, other than today. Anyway, I have had a 3.5 pound or so chunk of pork on the damned thing at about 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit since 530 this evening. That makes it 5 1/2 hours as I type. Its internal temp is supposed to hit 180 to be done, or 190 to be fall apart done. It was just under 160 last time I looked.

Darned thing is taking forever but I am enjoying my burning eyes, my toasted knuckles, the hacking as if I was smoking cigarettes again and smelling like I just crawled out of the cellar of burned down log cabin after surviving the fire there. I am praying it will be done by the witching hour. Whenever it is done though, I know what I am having with my eggs tomorrow morning.

All the best,
Glenn B

False Advertising?

All the best,

GB

Is The Phone Still In His Left Hand

 

I had to enlarge the screen size to see it and yes it still is in his hand. I guess that woman is pretty lucky he hit the post and not her.

 

All the best,

GB

Have You Had One Of Those...

…days lives?

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Walk In My Shoes - Nope I Have A Better Idea

 

All the best,

GB

 

No Animals Harmed In The Production Of This Meat

All the best,
Glenn B

Ladies - Men Don't Have X-Ray Vision

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Have Gestapo Tactics Been Unleashed in California???

I have not confirmed the veracity of this video but it is the second time today that I have learned about these alleged Gestapo like actions by the police within the state of California. Note, the Gestapo and the rest of Nazi Germany did not start off as vicious thugs but once they got rolling it sure morphed into such very quickly. The government of California is really out of bounds if the claims in these videos are true:





All the best,
Glenn B

Mossberg 395SA Facelift

Every now and then I get the urge to do a little dabbling with one of my guns. Last month, at the Hessney Rod & Gun Auction, I picked up a Mossberg 395SA, a 12 gauge bolt action shotgun with 3" chamber and a 2 round box magazine. I had bid on it virtually sight unseen, saw a picture of it up on the viewing screen but never looked it over while in my hands during the auction preview. Figured if it was a clunker, I could test my skill at fixing it up and chances were, due to its place in the progression of items up for bids, it would not be in very good condition.

The truth be told it certainly was not in perfect condition, in fact it was missing one part. Still though, I was okay with that since it was in pretty darned nice condition for an old shooter. The metal has a bit of freckling here and there but retains, in my estimation, 92-95% of its finish. The wood was not at all cracked and looked fairly decent with several minor scratches and dings to the finish. Everything worked even though a part was missing and that was a plus. The part that was missing was the safety switch. All of the other parts of the safety were intact and worked properly as far as I could tell then and have since tested over and over again and the safety has worked properly each time. Buying a new replacement safety switch from Numrich Gun Parts Corp. set me back  about $8.95 for the part with shipping bringing it to a total of $15.00. Considering I paid relatively little for the shotgun that was not a bad additional amount to pay to make it complete.

After putting the safety together properly by adding the safety switch, I decided I would refinish the stock. As I said, it was scratched and dinged in several places - not that bad really but I wanted to play with it to get it looking nicer. I was not and remain not all that concerned about the possibility of it losing any value due to refinishing it since this is not, in the true essence of the word, a collectible.

Here is what it looked like when I got it:

The dings & scratches are barely visible in this pic of the right side of the gun.
Most of the dings and scratches were on the left side. Funny, in the auction
catalog photo of this gun it is almost impossible to see any scratches or dings.

I know, its a terrible photograph of it but that is all I have of what it looked like when I purchased it. It was not that bad but yet refinishing it was something I wanted to do nonetheless. I guess just for the sake of giving it a facelift to look more pleasing to me and to give me something to do. Here is what it looks like now:

 

As I suppose you can tell, if you saw the Voere rifle that I also refinished,
I like a more natural look for the wood than the original dark finish.

I just think it looks so much better like this than it did before.

I have a lot of other photos of it the way it looks now, just in case I decide to sell it. Not soo sure if I want to keep it or get rid of it. I had fun refinishing it. Besides refinishing the wood I also cleaned up the recoil pad spacer and replaced the swivel stud spacers. Of course, I had just as much fun shooting it to test fire it. Everything works as it should including the original magazine and a second one I picked up via of GunBroker.com.

 

By the way, I have to give a free plug to Joe R. Lowe Clips And Mags somewhere down in Texas. They had the mags up on GunBroker and their service was excellent and courteous and the used mag they sold to me was in fine condition. They have been in the business many years and by what they told me they have quite the inventory of magazines . The price on the one I bought was quite reasonable. There website address is www.JLoweClipsandMags.com, phone: (972) 986-8158.

 

Back to the Mossberg: I had been thinking I might take this gun hunting with me but have decided against it since I plan to do some bear hunting or may run into a hungry bear during deer season and have to defend myself with it. I cannot see being out in the woods with only three rounds in the gun - one in the chamber and two in the magazine. Five rounds or more is so much more comforting. Yes, I do have that extra magazine but I must say that trying to reload this gun quickly is not all that easy. Then again, being a bolt action, the trigger finger hand has to come off of the grip to reload - not good if a bear is charging or just advancing on you. I've seen enough bears in the woods to know they are there when I am there and three times now have been within 20 yards or less of them - one maybe as close as 25 or 30 feet. I'd much rather have my Marlin 336 in 35 REM or my Remington 870 12 gauge with me should I ever run into one that is fearless either because it is protecting cubs or because it is hungry and I look like the biggest easy to run down meal it has seen in years. Anyway, it was fun to shoot and now I have to decide keep it for a fun gun or sell it and try to make a small profit to use toward the purchase of some other gun at an upcoming auction. Decisions, decisions!

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Maybe He Could Shoot The Balls Off Of A Gnat At 100 Yards...

...and not kill the gnat. Even if Mike Wilson could not do that, he sure is one heck of a  excellent shot. He just set the world record with a 1.068" group and no it was not at 100 yards - it was at 1,000 yards! Very impressive to say the least! Congratulations to him. More at the source.

All the best,
Glenn B

Just In Case - Allow Me To Say It Now...

...it's been a blast blogging for y'all. I should also say, it seems as if my mother may have been right way back in the mid or late sixties (as in 1960s) when she said that tornadoes were becoming ever more common and the range they occurred in seemed to be spreading. She said then, and said I over and over again throughout least the mid 1980s that she believed tornadoes would happen in the NY City area within 25 or 30 so years. She may have been off a little timewise but there have been some in recent years in this neck of the concrete jungle and the National Weather Service has put out a tornado warning for Queens (eastern NYC) and Nassau County (the county just east of Queens). The storm is supposed to be here about now although I just looked outside and the skies are kind of clear to the south but cloudy to the north and to the east. It's getting windy too.

Right now, I am in the basement. Woke the wife, told her to come down to the basement, but she stayed upstairs. I'll take the advice of the NWS and stay down here awhile. After all, the booze is down here with me.

Here is what the NWS put out, I hope it is nothing more than a false alarm:

Tornado Warning for Nassau Co, NY

Active for next 2 minutes ·

National Weather Service

This alert has been updated.

Posted 11 minutes ago

...A TORNADO WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1045 PM EDT FOR NORTHERN
NASSAU COUNTY...
At 1032 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado
was located over Sands Point, or near Great Neck, moving east at 20
mph.
HAZARD...Tornado.
SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.
IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without
shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage
to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is
likely.
This dangerous storm will be near...
Manhasset and Sands Point around 1035 PM EDT.
Port Washington around 1040 PM EDT.
Glen Cove and Oyster Bay around 1045 PM EDT.
TORNADO...RADAR INDICATED
HAIL...0.00IN

Recommended actions

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest
floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors or in
a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect
yourself from flying debris.

Show more

ready.gov

Ways to prepare and stay safe now

• Before
  Watch out for dark, rotating clouds.
  If you see one, take shelter immediately!
  Listen for a tornado siren.
  If you hear it, seek shelter immediately!
  Turn on your TV/radio.
  You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
  Avoid unnecessary car trips.
  You don’t want to be caught outside if a tornado comes.
  Bring in outdoor furniture and other items that could blow away.
  These may become a safety hazard.
• During
  Take shelter immediately!
  Flying debris from high winds causes most injuries.
  Keep windows closed and stay away from them.
  Glass from broken windows can injure you.
  If you’re in a building, go to the basement or lowest floor.
  That’s the safest location.
  If you’re in a mobile home, go to the nearest building or storm shelter.
  Even if tied down, your home can’t protect you.
  If you’re driving, fasten your seatbelt and go to the nearest building for cover.
  You’re safer indoors.
  If your car gets hit by debris, stop, cover your head, and stay below the windows.
  You’re safer inside the car than outside.
  If you’re outside, lie down in a low, flat area and cover your head with your hands.
  You’re safer lying down than standing up.
• After
  Avoid entering damaged buildings.
  Broken glass and exposed nails can injure you.
  Keep away from downed power lines and objects touching them.
  You can be electrocuted.
  Wear sturdy shoes, long sleeves, and gloves when walking through debris.
  Stepping on nails and glass can injure you.

Hope to still be here tomorrow but if not, it's been grand.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Happy Hunting I Will Go

For the first time in several, maybe even many, years - I have applied for and been selected for a Deer Management Permit in my preferred public land hunting area. That put a big grin on my face and I gave a hearty out loud "YEAH" of satisfaction; I literally almost jumped out of my seat. I also applied for and received a second DMP in another area several miles north of there (that was my 2nd choice, a back up in case I did not get my first choice). Now while neither of those DMPs (aka: antlerless deer permits) guarantees I will get a deer but my chances of scoring one should increase if I do everything else right.

I've already been up there scouting out the area. I found a good deal of deer droppings where I expected to find deer sign I am guessing that later this month the bucks will start to make rubs to rid themselves of the velvet on their antlers. Those rubs will be another very helpful sign when hunting and of course by the time of the rut there should be scrapes in evidence too. I am hoping to go on several more scouting trips before the crossbow and regular deer seasons begin. I will likely get in some bear hunting during the early bear season and some small game hunting as well. While I hope to make at least overnight tips to the hunting grounds; this year, I have made up my mid that if need be I will make day trips too. As for the regular hunting season, I've already made a motel reservation for five nights, two days before opening day through three days after. I was thinking of maybe renting a small cargo van or RV until I saw the prices of a van far exceeded the cost of a motel stay - so a cheapo motel it will be for me.

This coming weekend, I may drive up there to do some scouting and camp out since it is state land and camping is free (oh my aching back).

All the best,
Glenn B

Police Fatally Shoot Man Who Just Shot Home Intruder - No Mass Protests Anticipated

Aurora, Colorado police, responding to a 911 call reference to a home invasion, encountered an armed man in the home. At least one of the officers shot and killed him; the victim was a Vietnam vet. The officer is on paid administrative leave because the victim seemingly was also either a resident or the homeowner himself. More at the source. 

There is almost zero doubt, in my mind, that the officer will be found to have been justified to shoot the man. Now, I am not saying I will agree if such a finding is made - I am just saying that is what I believe will happen because of certain aspects of this case such as: an armed homeowner (egad can you imagine how that makes leftists' skin crawl), the man was not a minority and therefor there will be little public and politically motivated pressure for the conviction of the officer, the "chaos" at the scene when police arrived (they are supposed to control chaos not cause more but shit happens), that the officer heard a shot just as he arrived - apparently the one by which the homeowner/resident dispatched (as in shot & killed) the REAL bad guy. The officer may or may not have been justified. I am eagerly awaiting the statements from the other residents in the home who were present during the altercation.

This was a tragedy and not knowing the facts, I cannot lay any blame on the officer nor on the homeowner. There is a lesson to be learned from this though - if you call 191 and you give a description of the bad guy - make sure you also give a description of the god guy(s) and that they understand the difference between both. It may or may not have prevented this tragic shooting and death.


On another note: I also believe that there will not be any marches by black or white activists or by black or white lives matters types nor even by all lives matters types if only because the victim was white. If he had been another particular race, I think you could safely bet there would have been allegations of racism against the police; calls for the officer to be arrested, tried and convicted; protest marches and maybe even violent rioting. I base that surmise on past events just like this one but wherein the victim was not white.

All the best,
Glenn B

Sucking It Up California Style

All the best,
GB

More American Ingenuity

Gotta love it.

All the best,
Glenn B

American Ingenuity At Its Best...

...or at least at its tastiest!

Click it to enlarge.

Hat tip to Mike G. for this one.


All the best,
Glenn B

Yeah That Chant Will Do It

What it will do, if that is how you plan to protest President Trump and VP Pence, is show you as you are - a totally wussified POS leftist that is beyond hope of ever becoming a contributor to the benefit of society.

Now seriously folks, that guy had to be joking - didn't he I mean that cannot be for real can it! What I am trying to say is that even useless uber leftists pieces of trash could not have become that stupid could they?

All the best,
Glenn B

It Was The Biggest Darned Minnow...

...that I have ever caught. Sure, I know - you are a minnow fisherman and catch bigger ones all the time. For me though, this one was purdy darned impressive for a freshwater minnow!

Anyway, I went deer scouting yesterday in the Cascade Valley State Forest and besides the things I usually pack along, I decided to take along a fishing pole and packable tackle box. I also had a small cup with 24 meal worms in it. I brought the fishing gear with the intent of fishing a specific small pool in the creek that runs through that tract. There are fish in that pool that I long suspected were either trout or huge minnows and I wanted to catch one or three to see wat was in there. I never got there but after my scouting hike, when walking back to my car, I stopped at a culvert and saw several small minnows and a couple or few larger ones in a pool on the downstream side of the road. I threw in a few meal worms and the fish all went berserk, the smaller fish usually grabbed the meal worms and the larger ones chased them down trying to steal a morsel; although, sometimes the larger fish got to them first. After throwing in several of the creepy crawlers, I decided to wet a line.

About 10 or 12 of these would make a decent appetizer.

After two of three casts which resulted in stolen bait, I finally hooked a couple of these. There were bigger fish in there too, the  bigger ones could be these or maybe they are trout but I suspect just bigger ones of these.  So what are these? As far as I can tell they are Creek Chubs. The NY State DEC has a pretty informative website when it comes to fish & game and I found information about NYS minnows here.  Since the creek chub is the only NY state minnow with a black spot at the base of the dorsal fin and since other characteristics matched, I am pretty certain it's one of them. They grow up to 6 to 12 inches in length and this one was about 6 inches long. After catching and releasing two of them, or maybe it was three, and letting all of them go to live get bigger, I decided to toss all of the remaining meal worms into the pool. It was a regular feeding frenzy unmatched by anything on shark week - just on a smaller scale.
I would have liked to have caught more of them but my left eye was getting itchy & puffed up pretty badly, I must have rubbed it with a finger after handling the meal worms. I've been allergic to either meal worms, the stuff the keep them in or their crap in the stuff they keep them in since I've been in my teens. My eye still has been bit red and itchy on and off today. I've got to think about that before I again buy them as bait. I'd be better off going to a pet shop and buying super worms, no allergy to them even though they look alike.


Next time I am up that way, I may take a little more time and catch a few to several of the Creek Chubs (using a different bait), then find a suitable place for a fire, and cook me some small but hopefully good eats.

All the best,
Glenn B

Famous Last Words...

...just before someone, maybe a child, is injured or killed could be:

"She is not harmful to people for sure..." (source). As per the woman in the video, she is describing her missing/escaped 14' long Reticulated Python. The last time I heard, a reticulated python of that length could possibly constrict and kill an adult human. Even if this snake could not accomplish that, it almost certainly could constrict and kill a small to medium sized child. To say that that snake is harmless is absurd at best and maybe negligent depending on the outcome of her having said so and whatever the snake might do if it encounters a young child.

 

A mentality like that is why you read about a snake owner or a family member of one, every now and then, who has been constricted and maybe even killed by a large pet python. As for having a taste for only chickens, wait until it has been out of a couple to few weeks without being fed. A Chihuahua may become another thing that tastes just like chicken.

 

A hat tip and my thanks to Mike G for the link.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

---

Hillary 2020 - I Kind Of Doubt It

A hat tip to a pal of mine for the pic and the sentiment. 

All the best,


Glenn B

Not Sour Grapes - There Was A Point To Be Made

 

All the best,

GB

I Want To Be In Venezuela - Everything Free In Venezuela

Err, just wait a minute - wasn't that supposed to say "I want to be in America"! Seems it's not the same tune any more.

All the best,
Glenn B