The Political Blame Game...

...all too often boils down to things being politically motivated and trying to appease certain blocks of voters instead of just telling the outright truth. For example, Islamic Terrorism and an Islamic Terrorist are responsible for the shootings in Orlando. (Note there is a period after that sentence, as if saying that's it folks.)
 
Yet the politically affected blame game, as described in this meme, is well underway before the deceased are even buried:
 

 

Harry Reed is, in my opinion, one of the most worthless douchebags in history - just saying, not blaming.

 

All the best,

GB

 

 

When Politicians Lie To The Citizens...

...of this country in order to push their political agenda, it should be law that they are immediately removed from office. Of course, a law like that will never pass because it is the politicians who would have to legislate it. Imagine though, a world in which politicians were held accountable for the trash that spews out of their mouths and their lies to us. Take for instance the total arsehat who said that an AR-15 (a semi-automatic rifle that is not in reality an assault rifle) can shoot 700 rounds per minute (source). It is absurd to think that, let alone to say so to push a political agenda at a time of grief like now. I guess though, that is what politics has become, a competition to see who can pass the most bullshit onto the public while not letting a tragedy go to waste and then gain that very same grief stricken public's support because they were bullshitted at a time of vulnerability.

Also try to imagine a world in which someone running for office would be removed from office immediately upon showing he lied during his campaign. We might be able to do away with politicians completely if such a law was enacted; I mean which one of them has not been full of crap while making campaign promises they never intended to keep. If only I could find a politician to sponsor such a bill!
All the best,
GB
 

Throwing Your Vote Away For Gary Johnson For President

Many voters are very unhappy about the prospect of having either Clinton or Trump in the White House. Many of them plan to vote third party for Gary Johnson. Except for Johnson's pick for his VP running mate (one of the most terrible VP choices I could imagine), it might be nice to have Johnson in the Oval Office. He probably would be much better than Trump or Clinton; however there is a catch. If you vote for him you assure that Clinton will win the election. I am completely ...convinced that is what will happen if you cast your vote for any third party politician. Voting for him will take many more votes away from Trump than from Clinton based on the issues he supports.

How is it that I can be so convinced? Well, I speak from experience; the worst vote I ever made was for a third party candidate and it (and similar votes from many others) resulted in another Clinton being elected. While not so many years ago, it may have been long enough ago that you may need a reminder or to be made aware of it altogether. It certainly has been long enough ago for some to have forgotten and for younger voters to have never heard of that disaster in American elections.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

Obummer On Gun Control

 

 

All the best,

Glenn B

Happy Flag Day

I admit it, I forgot today was flag day. Did you remember.

Sadly, I guess (at least for me) the Islamic Terrorist attack in Orlando has overshadowed it to some degree.

Thanks to Willy The K for reminding me via his FB page.

All the best,
Glenn B

We Don't Need Modern Freedom Of The Press,...

...in fact, the constitution and Bill of Rights never once even imagined it as it is today.

 

So, let's restrict Freedom of the Press. Heck, let's restrict all of the freedoms listed with the First Amendment; after all - soon there won't be any armed citizens, armed with more than popguns, to stop us from doing it.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 

Thoughts On Orlando And The Current Islamization of America

Many folks are saying we need to pray for the victims of the terrible shooting in Orlando. They are also saying we need to pray for a stop to such 'hate crimes' (no it's not me calling it a hate crime).

While I pray for the victims and for an end to it all, I realize attacks like the one yesterday while driven by maniacal hatred are not 'hate crimes' per se. They are a part of the invasion of the United States by a form of state posing as a religion that wishes only to either destroy or convert and conquer us and I think they would prefer destroying us. They have their operatives already here, or yet to enter, carry out their wishes for our destruction. History speaks to this in every country in which Islam has established itself. Sooner or later, as their population reaches a certain level, and thus as those who are fanatical enough also reach a certain level of the population, they conquer and rule that country in the name of their so called god. That most in that religion do not object and fight against such is proof of their complicity and of it not being just a problem created by a handful of fanatics. 

 

As for praying, it only does so much. Imagine how much good praying will do if you find yourself in a situation that the victims found themselves in in Orlando. If you think the police, the Lone Ranger, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, or even the Flash will arrive in time to help - just keep on dreaming and be ready to become a victim. I believe otherwise. I believe I stand more of a chance fighting than I would cowering in a rest room - and that goes if I am armed or unarmed. I believe we need to be ready and willing fight for our lives and the lives of other innocents and that includes here at home in the face of these acts of ISLAMIC TERRORISM. 

 

Let's face it, the Islamists who perpetrate these terroristic acts are monsters who need to be put down, there is no other solution and never has been another solution throughout history. Since the police usually are not there when these things commence because the cowards so often choose soft targets, who can defend you and yours but you! Try to remember all those others I mentioned are comic book heroes, so there is no chance of them showing in time and even the real ones, the police, take time (too much time through no fault of their own) to get there. So, I advocate that you prepare yourself, legally arm yourself and be ready to legally defend yourself and other innocents from this barbarism known as Islamic Terrorism.

 

If you live in a state or locality that makes it hard for you to do so, take a moment and think about whether or not you voted for an elected official who made it that way. Then if you did vote for an anti-gun politician take some responsibility during the next election by voting for someone who will advocate for your right to keep and bear arms and to defend yourself. If you think that is going to be Hillary Clinton, take your head out of your ass. She would not even let the military defend our personnel in Benghazi and is already talking more gun control before the victims are buried.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

 

From Work To Driving To The Auction To Driving...

...and I was very busy the last half of the week and then spent most of the day yesterday inside of an auction house. I spent almost 6 hours driving to upstate NY after work on Friday night and was exhausted when I got to the motel I was staying at in Seneca Falls, NY (thank Hilton Honors for Hilton Honors points and my essentially free hotel stay but damn them for increasing by 1/3 to 1/2 the amount of points needed for a stay). I figured I would be out like a light within a half hour of my arrival there but as luck would have it, I had no luck in that regard. I wound up staying awake until at least 1:30 AM then tossing and turning and waking up about every hour, I just couldn't sleep a plugged wooden nickel's worth. My mistake was not passing out as soon as I got into my room. Instead, I hopped in the shower, then sat down at the desk with my laptop and looked over the auction inventory. I don't know what it is about using my computer before trying to go to bed but being online for awhile often seems to have the effect of making it harder to sleep for me.

Anyway, on Saturday, I crawled out of the sack, ate a quick free breakfast at the hotel and drove over to Hessney Auctions in Geneva about 10 mils from the motel. I would have stayed in Geneva but the only available rooms were at dumps. When I got to the auction hose, I was probably the second or third customer to have arrived. The parking lot attendants were all in a huddle over coffee and donuts and I just pulled into one of the first spots inside the lot. Every last one of the 7 or 8 parking lot crew gave me a look when I parked there having noticed me after I had already turned into the spot. Then they all lost their smiles and apparently had a serious discussion about what to do about me having parked there and I am guessing they selected the one guy who then came over to me. As I got out of my car he walked over looking all serious and officious and said good morning. I said good morning back but I supposed it sounded a bit gruff (not because I was being so but because my throat was very dry) and he just turned around and walked away without saying another word. Every other car that entered the lot was directed to an area near the back end working forward until the lot was filled. As I was walking toward the front door, another of the lot attendants started to make her way toward me looking all puffed up and important and was about to say something to me and we exchanged 'good mornings' when another car came in and she directed its driver to the back of the lot. I just sort of gimped along, since my hip was acting up, toward the front door and I guess someone realized I was sort of an old geezer with a limp and they left me alone after that. Funny none of that ever happened before and I have been going there for years. Probably because I usually get there before most of the lot attendants show up. Of course, I could have read them all wrong, maybe they just came over to say good morning but they both sure looked determined when they had approached me.

I was first on line for the auction registration, also like several times before, and it made me realize how much I enjoy being there. It is not only the prospect of getting a new gun or some ammo that I really like but the whole auction atmosphere with the chance of getting a good bargain. As for bargains I got some yesterday, some decent to excellent ones at that. As usual though, I also screwed up on one of my bids and bid on the wrong item (a framed turkey print and turkey stamps). The one I wanted was very similar and was the next numbered item. They were moving along so fast by then I sort of lost track and the one I bid on looked so similar to the one I wanted I just started bidding and had he high bid for it. I did not win the one I had wanted anyway and am kind of happy I got the one I did get. The print and stamps are nice and it is a limited and signed edition. The frame is a bit scratched but it an easily be reframed in a frame at little additional cost. Anyway, it is probably going to wind up as a gift for my brother-in-law for his new house.

Then there were the other bids, the ones I did not screw up. I bid on at least 5 guns. I had the high bids on two, most definitely not the ones I wanted the most though but good deals nonetheless. My primary objectives were having the high bids on a new Remington Model 700 Varmint Stainless Fluted (VSF) in 308 WIN. I had already bid as an absentee bidder online (I registered online in the event I would not be able to make it there) and had the high bid there. Disappointingly, my $625 high bid was nowhere nearly enough and it sold for $750. I also made unsuccessful bids on: a used Browning Lightning BLR in 243 caliber, excellent condition, I bid $450m the high bid was $550; a new Winchester Model 70 Ultimate Shadow in 308 WIN, I bid $650 and it went for at least $750; a new Remington 750 Woodmaster with 6 magazines (it was a 750 not a 750 Woodmaster, it had a synthetic stock) excellent condition, I bid $500 and it went for $525 (and I flubbed there too because I had originally planned to bid $550 but got cold feet; a Savage Model 25 Lightweight Varminter in 22 Hornet with bipod, excellent condition, I bid $400 and it went for $500; a Browning Citori Superlight 16 gauge in excellent condition, I bid $750 hoping for a steal but it sold for $1350; a Ruger Redhawk with 5.5" barrel in 44 magnum in excellent condition, I bid $500 and it went for $550 - I would have bid more if not for the fact I would have had to have gotten paperwork at my local police department and then return to the auction house or have it shipped through an FFL, another $40 for the transfer fee and about $30 to ship) so it was not worth it; a new Marlin 1895G Guide Gun in 45-70 Government, I bid $450 and it went for $475; a new Ruger 10/22 with scope, my bid $175 and it sold for a whopping $275 (plus either a 10 or 13 percent buyer's premium depending on payment type) and tax (making it cheaper to buy at a local store); a Ruger 10/22 SS with Mossy Oak camo stock, I bid $200 and it sold for $300; a Ruger 10/22 black synthetic stock, I bid $175 and it sold for $225, a Ruger 10/22 with hardwood stock on which I bid $175 and it went for $200; a new Ruger Mini 14 Ranch rifle  that I bid $600 on and it sold for the next higher increment at $625 (I was tempted to bid $650 but when I bid I try to figure if the total cost including the 13% buyer's premium
 and sales tax rate of 7.5% against would save me money against what I would  likely pay a my local gun shop, so I stopped at $600); a excellent Remington Model 870 Express magnum 12 gauge, my bid $225 and it sold for $250; a Marlin Model 782 in 22 WMR with scope and leather sling for which I bid $150 but that went for $250; a Remington Speedmaster Model 522 in very good condition, I bid $150 and it went for $225; an excellent Thompson Center Contender in 35 REM with 14" Super barrel, my bid $175 (all costs considered that is all I could bid on this pistol), it sold for $425; an excellent condition H&R Topper in 12 gauge, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation commemorative, on which I bid $125 that went for $150; a NEF Model 581 Pardner in VG condition that sold for $120 on which I had bid $100; and finally a H&R Topper in EXC condition, my bid $100 and it sold for $110. I also missed out on a bid for a Ithaca Model 100 20 gauge SXS shotgun, that looked new but did not come with the box, I must have fallen asleep or had a brain fart or something, it sold for $125 and I had been willing to bid $150.

As I said, way up above, I had two high bids. The first was a high bid of $200 on a Ruger 10/22 with Reaper Camo on virtually the entire rifle except things like the sights, trigger, barrel band screw, mag release and magazine. I bid $25 more on this than all the other 10/22's because I guessed it would cost a bit more that them with the camo pattern. The total worked out to just a few cents under $243; a regular 10/22 with wood or black synthetic goes for a total of a few cents over $265 at my local gun store, so I did okay if not great on it. The least expensive one, with this same Reaper camo pattern, is selling for $229 on GunBroker but you have to add $25 shipping to that plus a $25 FFL transfer fee for a total of $279. That is probably about the same as what I would have had to pay at my local dealer if he had one of these in stock.  Yep, I did okay on that one, not for resale but for a new toy ;>).

The other one on which I had the high bid is a Remington 870 Express 12 gauge. It has some very slight wear in spots but is in excellent condition. It has a black synthetic stock and supposedly had a a rifled barrel. In fact it has a smoothbore slug barrel. They had it listed with a rifled barrel and maybe at one point it had one and someone changed it by mistake (or on purpose) when inspecting it or maybe they called it that because it came with rifle sights and they got confused or maybe they just screwed up the description because of an attack of brain farts - who knows; but they tell you to carefully inspect before bidding. Now, the thing is that I recently bought an as new Remington 870 Express combo, 12 gauge, with laminated stock, about a month ago. I also have a well used Remington 870 Express combo 12 gauge that I bought in the late 1980's that has served me well. So go figure as to why I would want another! The thing is that, during the auction preview, I saw this new one had a smoothbore and not the rifled barrel they said it had. Since the barrels are the same finish, and since the one I bought last month has a rifled barrel, I am going to switch the barrels as I much prefer the smoothbore; it just because it better suits my purposes. I'll probably then sell the one I picked up at the auction, most likely make a small profit off of it, and will have saved the $165 or so plus tax and shipping that Remington would have charged me to buy a smoothbore barrel. It is a plan and hopefully I will sell the one I just bought and the plan will come to fulfillment. Thinking about it though, I may ask my son if he wants it and then we can sell his Mossberg 500. In my opinion the Mossberg is a POS.

I also picked up a number of other things at the auction and missed out on some other items on which I had hoped to bid. The thing is they start the auction in a side room off of the main room. What they do is start around 9 or 30 by selling off things like archery stuff, reloading equipment and supplies, fishing gear and tackle and other miscellaneous items. Then they go outside for a bit and auction off whatever vehicles and boats they may have yup for bids. Then then come inside an Joe Hessney starts the gun auction while his wife Carrie goes back to the side room and continues the action of the other stuff. I went back to the side room when there was going to be a decent break between guns on which I wanted to bid and was quite disappointed to find that the reloading equipment (not the reloading supplies like powder or primes but the presses, case trimmers (I had hopes for one of these) were all gone. Luckily I got there just before the dies went up for bids and I got a new Lyman 2 die set in 35 REM for $17.50. Not a bad price at all.

Then I went back into the main room for the remainder of the gun auction. After all of the firearms were auctioned off it switched to some miscellaneous items like deer mounts, a bison hide, duck decoys, prints (mostly hunting related scenes), some collectible fishing lures and knives. I had the high bid on a set of three Schrade Old Timer knives in a 2014 collectible tin, my bid was $10. Amazingly folks bid amounts up to $35 (plus either the 10% or 13% buyer's premiums and tax) on similar Schrade knife sets.The thing making it amazing is that they retail for about $24 and all someone had to do was a quick check on the Internet with their smart phone to find that out before bidding. I also bought a framed and signed Turkey print with four 2002 Turkey stamps and a limited edition signed framed print of Canada Geese in flight. When that stuff was gone, some reloading supplies like powder and primers went up for bids and so did the ammo. I bid on several lots of ammo and on one lot of gunpowder. I had looked up loads for the 35 REM round as powder up for bids was one of the ones recommended for 35 REM. This particular powder, Hodgdon H322 (damned if I can pronounce it), is good for various other calibers,  like 223 REM. I picked up two 1 pound jars of it for $20 each. Not bad at all considering the average price I found for it online is about $32.00 per pound.

I got some decent deals on ammo too but wish I had bid on and had the high bids on more of it. By the time the ammo goes up for auction, most of the bidder have departed the auction. The folks who remain are either looking for specific calibers or are dealers (professional or Internet amateurs who sell on sites like GunBroker) looking to score some ammo for resale. I am a combination of both. I had the high bids on a small variety of ammo I needed. I picked up 4 boxes of Remington Core-Lokt 200 grain 35 REM with a bid of $20 per box. That is very good, even with the buyer's premium and tax added since the price I can find on that specific ammo, when available online which is rarely nowadays, is anywhere from abut $32 to $40 per box. I may sell it for a decent profit but only bcause I have about 1K rounds of 35 REM already. While it is not recent manufacture (the price tag on it was $13.95, so I know it has to be at least 8 to 10 years old) it is in good condition and should sell quickly at a profit (a profit that would be used to buy more guns and ammo).

I also got a box of Remington 240 grain Lead (gas check) 44 magnum rounds for $17.50. They don't make it anymore but it is probably not all that old. The bullet is a semi-wadcutter or long flat-nose type. I bought it to shoot through my Redhawk. It was a good price compared to what 44 magnum rounds of a similar nature have been going for lately. I also picked up five boxes of Remington Premiere Copper Solid Sabot Slugs at $7.00 each. Even with the buyer's premium and tax added, that was an excellent price considering they go for about $16 to $20 per box retail. I may have to put those rounds through one of the Remington 870s using the rifled barrel that came with my Rem 870 express combo that I bought last month. Then I can put that barrel on the Rem 870 I picked up yesterday and sell it. Fun before profit is the way to go. Who knows, I may like the way the rifled barrel shoots sabots so much that I will keep the new one from the auction too.

As I was typing the last paragraph above, Brendan just came down and looked at the new Ruger 10/22 and the new Remington 870 and liked them both a lot. I asked him if he wanted to sell his Mossberg 500 and keep the Remington and he answered with a an eager and resounding yes, so I guess as it stands right now - we will be a three Remington 870 house and minus one Mossberg POS (if you don't know what POS means, you can look it up on an Internet slang site). We may also wind up being a three Ruger 10/22 family. The first rifle I ever bought was a Ruger 10/22 with hardwood stock (probably birch). I bought it when I was in the Border Patrol way back when in the early 1980's. I still have I and all that is wrong with it is that I broke off the brass (or is it gold) bead on the front sight many years ago. I have never replaced it as it in no way affects sighting or accuracy in my estimation. We also have a Ruger 10/22 All Weather (black synthetic stock and stainless steel metal). That one is Brendan's, it's the second rifle and first semi-auto that I bought for him. He likes the new one so much, I may see if he wants to keep it and sell the other one. He already said yes to doing it with the shotgun and I expect he will be amenable to doing it with the Ruger 10/22 All Weather. There we go back to being a two 870 and two 10/22 family again. Anyway, with both the new 870 and the 10/22, if I give them to him and he sells his Mossberg and 10/22 All Weather, I get whatever they sell for and he will have to make up any difference; if he does not sell those two guns then he will have to pay me for the new ones. These are not presents, this is more like gun trading 101; he is 26 years old and it is long overdue for him to start learning about seller's remorse!

After spending all that money, $829.07, on my credit card, and paying the 13% buyer's premium instead of the 10%premium when paying with cash, I remembered I had brought along some gold and silver to sell or to use to pay for the guns. Joe Hessney bought 25 silver Canadian Maple Leaf coins and two 1/10 ounce Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins from me and that made up for $675 of the total I spent. I decided not to get a refund on my credit card in that amount and apply the cash to the purchases, even though it would have saved me about $20, since the guns and ammo are protected by the credit card's buyer protection plan and because it would have been a pain in the butt. Besides that, the gold/silver transaction made me the last person there who needed to do the transfer paperwork, go through the NICS check and pick up guns and I knew they wanted to close shop so I decided to eat the loss and get going. Next time I have gold and silver to offload though, I will have to remember to do that before I pay thus reducing the buyer's premium on the amount I pay with cash.

Once all done at the auction house, I said my goodbyes and headed home. It took me about 6 hours for the ride home including a brief stop for food and gas and another stop in PA for about half an hour.

All the best,
Glenn B




 

The NIC Still Can't Call It For What It Is - Islamic Terrorism

Obama, the Nincompoop in Charge, still cannot call an act of Islamic terrorism just that. Instead, he has said the following about the mass shooting (truly a mass shooting with 50 dead and over 50 others wounded) in an Orlando gay bar:

"We know enough to say this was an act of terror and an act of hate," (source). Yes he said it was an act of terror but that is not necessarily the same as terrorism. Also note he did not attribute it to Islam and even though it is painfully obvious that this was a pure and unadulterated act of  ISLAMIC TERRORISM. Let's face it folks, the guy is an apologist for Islam and Muslims, even for those who are terrorists. Sure, he will have to admit what it was sooner or later but the fact is with him it has always been later.

The guy was a registered security guard in CA. He legally bought a couple of firearms recently. It is not yet known if he used those weapons in this attack. Think tougher guns laws would have helped? Gun laws do nothing to stop gun violence as evidenced by the fact that another man was arrested in CA, who traveled there from IL, both states that have lots of gun control, and he was armed with firearms and a binary explosive and on his way to attend a gay pride parade (source).

Executing scum like this guy (the killer in Orlando), if captured alive and thank the officer(s) whose shot killed him, is what, in my personal opinion, needs to be done along with a complete temporary ban of entry into the USA of Muslims. If you do not get it by now that Islam is a major problem that is looking to destroy us you are out of your mind. Is there a solution? Yes, revise our immigration laws and require every applicant who passes all other immigration criteria to take a polygraph test before being admitted into our country. You could cut out 90% of the other bullshit the government does relative to admitting immigrants if they had to take and fully pass a polygraph and could get the funding from the budget cuts allowed by cutting out the BS. You would also see a dramatic drop in the number of people who hate America being allowed to cross our borders. Yes, I know, this guy reportedly was a U.S. born Citizen but remember he was descended from Islamists who immigrated here. While this may not have stopped him it would stop many others. We could also use a new amendment to the Constitution allowing for nullification of U.S. citizenship when one has conspired, to any degree, to commit such acts.

I can tell you this, while I have been a Trump supporter I also had recently been thinking of voting for Gary Johnson for the presidency but this act of Islamic Terrorism has solidified my support for Trump. He is the only one talking about taking the actions we need to get this problem solved. Johnson would be happy to open our borders from what I have heard.
 
As for me, I will not go unarmed and if somehow I am found to be in the middle of such an attack, I probably would be inclined to fight to my last breath to kill the vile Islamic invaders involved; and that stands whether I am armed or not. I would rather die fighting than die while tweeting that I am hiding in the men's (ladies or transgender) rest room and that the guy is coming and that he has got us and maybe even that I think I am about to die. I pity the victims, and grieve for them, who thought hiding and not fighting was the right ting to do. You ought to think about that for yourself, which would you rather do. As for me, I would not be able to live with myself if I did not at least try to fight back and anyway, I think you probably stand a better chance of surviving by fighting.

As far as the family of this Islamic pig sucking piece of shit goes, I am happy he is dead and I hope they are all deported tomorrow and if citizens are somehow legally stripped of citizenship and deported.

Now that I have gotten that off of my chest allow me to say that my heart felt condolences and my prayers go out to those who were killed and wounded and to their grieving families.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

Gunna Be Light Blogging This Week

I am working rather unexpectedly, covering for someone for the rest of the week, so blogging will be light. Will post some photos of Alaska if time permits but I have to arrange em all first.

Right now, I am pooped and am going to watch American Pickers as I slowly but surely doze off while watching.

All the best,
GB

Today In History - The Largest Amphibious Invasion In History

Today, June 6, 2016 marks the largest amphibious invasion in history. It also marks a day on which the United States of America and its allies had over 10,000 casualties including over 4,000 airmen, troops and sailors killed during the Normandy Landings in WWII. France lost at least 3,000 civilians (the French civilian losses took place both on D-Day and D+1). The invasion of Normandy by Allied forces led the way for the Allies to defeat the Axis powers and thus to free the world of the tyranny of Nazi Germany.

Take a moment to remember them today and to thank them for their sacrifices. If you actually know of a surviving soldier, airman or sailor who participated in that battle and who lives near you, I suggest you go out of your way to shake his hand, give him a hug and thank him in person and that you do it today (they don't have much time left). It would have been a very different world had it not been for the brave men who fought on that day to liberate Europe and to prevent the rest of the world from being conquered by the Axis powers - a very different and terrible world indeed.

To learn more about D-Day, go to these links:

https://www.army.mil/e2/rv5_downloads/d-day/the-meaning-of-dday-fact.pdf
 
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day
 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normandy_landings

All the best,
Glenn B
 

Home Again

Safe and sound at home again after a pretty long return set of flights. Walked in the door at home at about 1130 Sunday morning. Shortly after that I passed out for a nap. I will be posting more pics of the trip later this week.

All the best,
GB

We May Hike To A Glacier Today...

...instead of taking a boat tour of them. I had my sights set on one of the boat tours but this sad story put a damper on that. A father and son were killed in Glacier National Park when their tour boat capsized, four other folks survived. 

Chances are we will take a boat tour anyway but that story sure gave us something to think about - like only going out on one of the larger and hopefully safer tour boats.

All the best,
Glenn B

They Want Only What They Want...

...and truly don't give a damn about the country. Why else would 71% of Democrats in this poll want to vote for the Wicked Witch of Benghazi even if she winds up being indicted (source)! Granted, an indictment is not a conviction but it most certainly would be an indication of the existence of overwhelming evidence (in this particular case) of criminal wrong doing by the accused. Democrsts are, in my view, little more than spoiled brats who need to get it their way no matter what.

All the best,
Glenn B

Somebody Got A Bit Sloshed Ladt Night...

...drinking 5 or 6 ciders. He also went fishing at about 2300 (11PM) and why not since it was still light outside. (Yes the pic below was taken after 11PM.) Then he got lucky too. I figure most of his luck was that he did not fall off the dock or shore and drown but there also was some luck with substance to it. That second bit of luck came on his third cast when he hooked a Rainbow Trout (at least that is what he said it was). He had several other strikes but did not hook another one.



Brendan took this self portrait pretty much
intending to stick it in my face, which he did.

It looks quite a bit smaller than those we caught in Lake Lucille two days ago but at least it was a fish and one was better than none. Better than none, for him but not me since that one meant he was not skunked yesterday as was I. We went fishing earlier in the day at Byer's Lake and did not catch squat but then again we did not known then, that after the highway was built in that area in 1972, the lake trout population was decimated. Salmon come into the lake but fishing for them is prohibited. The lake trout were never restocked.

Screw you to the bastard who rented us the canoe and told us there were fish there worth catching even though I am pretty certain we mentioned trout fishing as our plans. He said no one ever catches them but he added others only rented canoes for an hour but we were sure to catch some great fish worth fishing for because we had rented it for at least 3 hours. So we fished for trout thinking they were in there. So far as Brendan could determine later, the only game fish in there are Burbot and we have no clue how to fish for them and as I said were hoping and fishing for trout. Still, it was a fun three hours of canoeing and we got to see a pair of swans, some ducks and a gull of some sort.

But I digress - once again Brendan has proved himself the better and more ardently dedicated fisherman than me. Maybe I can counter come this Thursday, the day we plan to do some halibut fishing out of Seward (which is where were are now).

No fishing today, we spent a few to several hours driving to Seward (road construction delays) but finally got here. It was a very scenic drive and we saw four (4) Moose feeding in a marsh along the way. So far, during the entirety of the trip to date, we have seen about 7 Moose, a few hawks, a couple of suspected eagles, an American Magpie, two swans, several ducks of different species, likewise for gulls and a single coyote. We have not seen any bear yet and as much as I would like to see one or three I am none to anxious for a close encounter.

All the best,
Glenn B

We Got Lucky Today

Yes we got lucky today but it had nothing to do with hooking up with a couple of hot babes and not even a thing to do with hooking a fish. As a matter of fact, we struck out when fishing at Byer's Lake today in or near to Denali State Park.

Neither were we lucky when we stopped at the Denali South Viewpoint in Denali State Park because we saw this:

Our luck came later, after seeing the cloud covered view toward Denali and after going out on Byer's Lake in a rental canoe for three hours of fishless fishing (even though that sure beat working). Our luck came when we headed back south and decided to stop once again at the viewpoint and we saw this:

I will post more pics of it once home and I have my laptop. It's just too much of a pain to do it on my phone. Let me just say this, that mountain was just over 40 miles from us but seeing it was like catching your first big fish or getting that first kiss from your first date or getting to third base. It was that amazing and grandly spectacular and it was Denali and we got to see it on the only day we had our only opportunity ever to be there together. That folks was lucky.

All the best,
Glenn B

Remember Them Today

Take some time today to remember and honor those who have fallen while honorably serving in our military during times of military conflict. They deserve at least that from us.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Old Man & The Fisherman

Seems it was the old timer's turn to be taught a lesson by his son the fisherman yesterday. We rented a canoe and fished Lake Lucille. The skies were clear when we hauled off the shore and paddled across calm waters to the far side of the lake.

This is no Robert Ruark novel so I will get right to the fish catching. Brendan had the first strike, maybe half an hour to 45 minutes or so after we wet our lines. Shortly after that he hooked his first fish. It was a decent sized Rainbow Trout. About 10 to 15 minutes later, he had another. He was using a small yellow spinner as was I. Two for him none for me.

He got yet another reeled in, a third trout, and I still had none. Then, after another break bin the action I finally hooked one. It gave quite the fight for what was maybe a 2 to 2.5 pound fish. Got it in and back in the water it went, as did Brendan's too. We forgot some way to keep em fresh. Oh well.

Then things slacked off for an hour or so. We had a few strikes by small trout in that time. We watched one at boat side repeatedly striking my lure but the hook was too big for it (I had switched my lure ttrying to catch a much larger fish).

We paddled here and there and fished more as rain clouds accompanied by a single echoing blast of thunder closed in on us. We decided to head back to our starting point but stopped within a short paddle to shore and tried our luck one last time. After a few casts Brendan hooked and brought in his fourth trout of the day. Moments later the rain started go fall. Within about 20-30 minutes it was a downpour with lots of booming thunder but no lightning that we could see. By then, we had already dragged out the canoe, called in for pick-up, had it hauled away, paid for the rental and headed to Walmart to get some things for our next canoe/fishing trip.

More fishing to come today.

All the best,
Glenn B

The View...

...from the balcony of our hotel room is spectacular. Now, if we can start off right, by catching a few fish in that lake (after we get our fishing license), Lake Lucille, and meeting Sarah Palin while here at least our first full day here will have been excellent.

All the best,
GB

How Comforting......

While still in minneapolis, itwas not so much to hear the announcement that our crew had been notified by the previous crew of our plane that the plane's weather radar had been repaired after failing during the previous flight. Rather (as we taxied toward the rain soaked runway) hearing that it just failed (again) built my confidence. If you are wondering "is he being facetious"- no I am not. I am quite comforted by the timing of the discovery - better realized while on the ground instead of in the air and in a storm. What's a delay of 45 minutes or so compared to finding out too late. We were on our way again soon enough, right after they fixed it again.

Right now we are in Anchorage, on a line, waiting game to get a pick-up truck. All has gone well here at the airport especially but we were a bit concerned when all the luggage was on the carousel except for my gun case. I checked around and found an airline rep waiting for me with it on a trolley. Special delivery I guess but I wish they would have told me, ahead of time, that was going to be the case.

All the best,
GB

Change of Planes In Minneapolis

A change of beverages too

Later 4 U,
GB

A Delicious Irish Breakfast...

...to start our trip right. We sat down at a bar in Terminal 4 at JFK Airport for breakfast and that hit me up for $65.00 including the tip. I think that was crazy but as my son said we are on vacation so let's act like it. Of course the $18.00 Bloody Mary he got was a large chunk of that but he said it was strong and excellent. At least we won't be tempted to eat airline food on the flight.

We should be boarding soon a d on our way.

All the best,
Glenn B

One Day, A Wake Up...

...and about half a day's flying (and waiting in airports) and we will be in Alaska. I cannot not f'ing wait.

I had best get some sleep, I have a lot to do later today.

Later for you,
GB

This Getting Ready For Vacation...

...has me deserving a vacation due to it alone. Its not the packing or the little bit of planning I have done because I am done with that; well except for rearranging some stuff to different bags maybe. What is getting to be a real pain in the neck is all the chores that I started today and have to get finished by tomorrow. As I typed that last sentence, my alarm just started going off with a recording of my voice reminding me to move the sprinkler on my lawn. I am watering now because I figured it would have been a waste earlier today when it was much hotter. I have the alarm set every 20 minutes for the next hour and twenty or so.

Then there was calling American Express and getting traveler's insurance for our hotel stays (and that took over half an hour of tedium), mowing the front and back lawns, going to the post office, shopping at the pharmacy for toothbrushes and toothpaste for the trip and at the supermarket for some diner and beers, cleaning my fish tanks, setting aside individual days' worth of fish food so my wife does not overfeed the fishes, cleaning up the backyard some, cleaning the basement some, looking for fishing gear that I cannot find (but hope my son has hidden somewhere and so on. Tomorrow I still have to change all the filter media in my fish tanks, clean the tortoise enclosure, clean the bearded dragon tank, try to get a problem with an FFL worked out so I can ship a gun to him that someone bought from me on GunBroker (I really want to ship before I leave for the north country), sharpen knives, clean guns (the only two things I have not packed besides fishing gear and those toothbrushes and toothpaste are my two pistols for the trip), find that fishing gear, print out our tickets, vacuum the basement, cleaning my car (my wife wants to drive us to the airport in that rat trap instead of her sports nicer car), writing up the details of my critter care so my wife can take care of them and they are still alive when I get home, making sure all of my guns are locked up (actually I think all of them are secure already but I will double and triple check) and whatever else is on my to do list and then some. Of course, I will also wake my son from his drunken slumbers to make sure he packs.

The vacation should be two weeks instead of one.

Crap, I had better move the sprinkler before there is a flood.

All he best,
Glenn B

Little Blogging Because...

...I have been busy with a lot of stuff this week being that our Alaska trip is now less than 48 hours away. Luckily for me, another guy on my job forgot to renew a necessary license. That was not lucky for him because he is now not working, at least not until he gets it renewed and since it is a state license that could take weeks. It was lucky for me because I got to work a day last week and three this week and that way at least I will have some money coming to me after our trip that can be used to help pay for it. I could have also worked today and tomorrow but I have an appointment that I need to keep today and have lots to do today and tomorrow in preparation for the trip.

Anyway, those are the reasons there has been not much from me this week in the blog - work and trip preparation. Along the lines of preparation, I am packed already except for my firearms. I have to clean the 45 and the Redhawk before securing them in the case along with my Remington 870. Once we are in AK, I will try to do at least one daily post with pictures from that northern paradise and bastion of firearm rights and freedom.

All the best,
Glenn B