Only 15 days more before I leave for New Zealand to visit my family. I finally had a day off work where I could get up to Oak Harbor to get a couple more gifts to take with me. My Grandsons love tee shirts with funky graphics on them, so I looked around and found some I am sure they are going to like.

I wasn't intending on buying myself anything, but when one comes across a good buy, well who can resist? I saw these cute shoes on clearance for $4:99 and a girl can't have too many pairs of shoes, right? Being just shy of 5' tall I need all the help I can get, so I thought the 2 1/2" heels on these should boost my height a little. *grin*
Sometime in the near future, I need to go through the closet and take all my smaller shoes to the thrift, as I am now wearing a 1/2 size larger than I used to. Jeez, when will it end? I am also a size larger in my clothing. Dang, I know they said getting old is not for sissies, and I have found that to be true.

There is no doubt fall is here

Idaho Steel Challenge 2011

Thursday morning we left in our RV for the long drive to Nampa Idaho, to compete in The Idaho Steel Challenge match. The drive as far as Huntington, where we spent the night, was just the way we like it, that is uneventful.
Even though Friday morning dawned cool, it soon warmed up, and by the time we arrived at the range we were, clothes clinging hot. Dang! I said, if it is this hot now, then it is going to be a miserable, hot day for the match tomorrow.

Gimme, gimme,
My caption for the photo in which I did not know what the guys were about.

Saturday, it was a very pleasant surprise to wake up to a cloud covered sky, and we were hoping it would stay that way all day.

Are you having fun yet?
Yes indeed, I am.

Remember what I said about 'it would be nice to have cloud cover all day' Well I couldn't have been more wrong, because just as we were starting in on the fourth stage, the blistering sun came out from behind the clouds, and we instantly felt as though we were being slow baked in an oven. I do not do well in the heat, and I struggled to shoot the last three stages. Whine, whine whine!

"Are you ready?" asks the Range Officer
"yes" answers Mr C
"stand by" says the RO
Beeeep goes the buzzer of the timer.
Mr C draws his firearm, and commences shooting.

John, very focused on making the steel ring.

I like to sneak up on folk and take their picture.

Rich showing us how it was done, and he sure was having a grand time.

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And how did we do?
A picture, or in this case, two pictures are worth a thousand words

Our squad of seven did rather well.

John, was Overall Match winner, and won Limited, Rich placed first in Production, Mike was High Super Senior, and also won Rimfire, and yours truly, won High lady.

Small town America

There is a certain charm about small rural towns.Recently, during our drive to Idaho we were getting very low on gas, so decided to leave the freeway to find gas in a small town called Huntington. The gas station owner told us he had sold out of gas due to the many hunters who had stopped at his establishment to fill up their gas tanks, but the tanker would be there around 8am in the morning to top up the tanks.
By this time it was about 6:30pm and we had been on the road since 9am so we were ready to rest for the night. The gas station owner said there was a small park just up the road and we could pull around back of it and spend the night there, which we did.
It was a little early to sleep, so we strolled the main street, all of about a hundred yards long, looked through a fence at some old farm machinery, strolled up the street past a cafe, a bar and another restaurant, stopped to pet an old black Labrador who came wagging up to us, looking like he was the official town greeter, then returned to the park to sit on a bench and watch the world go by. I love the way small town people say "howdy" as you pass them in the street, the way they wave at you as they drive by, it all makes you feel welcome in their small town,

We sat on the bench you can see in the photo, which is right across the road from a very old brick hotel. I mentioned to Mr C that one good quake and the whole building would just be a pile of bricks and rubble spilling into the street. The cafe, bar and restaurant, previously mentioned, are on the street level of the hotel, and it looked to me that the rooms on the two top floors were vacant, as the windows were very dirty, lacked any window coverings, and there was just an air of emptiness about the rooms.
As we sat enjoying the balmy evening air, we discussed where we would eat breakfast in the morning, would it be the cafe, or perhaps the restaurant had better food, we would see in the morning where the locals eat breakfast. Our decision was made for us, as the cafe was the only one open, and what a wonderful home cooked kind of breakfast we enjoyed while soaking up the atmosphere in the small town cafe.
They served coffee in real coffee mugs, mine had flowers on it, Mr C's a picture of a revolver, with "make my day" printed underneath. There was a small paperback book on our table telling the 'true' story of a pioneer's life, there were pictures on the walls from the 1800's depicting life in the area, and the locals who came and went, greeting each other as only those who really know each other do. Ah! small town friendliness.

The fenced lot housing some wonderful old farm machinery, a wagon, and a log building which had been a depot of some kind. There was a note attached to the fence saying, one could get the key from the cafe, to unlock the gate so you could wander around.

Looking through the hedge from where our RV was parked, towards the main street.

I would have liked to see inside the old caboose, but it was locked up for the night. Speaking of cabooses, or rather trains, just about 50 feet from our overnight parking place, ran a main trunk railway line, and all though the night we heard diesel engines pulling their loads by. I must admit, after the first few trains had rumbled by keeping me awake, I finally fell asleep, and would hear in my sleep a train coming, kinda' come out of my unconscious state, told myself it is only a train, and fell asleep again. Odd, but it was almost a soothing sound, perhaps because it was a familiar sound from my childhood.

We enjoyed our overnight stay in this charming little town which makes strangers feel welcome.

Gunblogger Rendezvous 2011...The Best Ever!

Thursday morning we enjoyed a hearty breakfast before carpooling to Cabela's for a guided tour, shopping and browsing this very interesting store. If you were not interested in shooting camping or other outdoor kinds of activities, well then, there was plenty more of interest to see.

The taxidermy is incredible.

This photo of the 'Gun library' taken during our 2008 visit.

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Friday morning, as we enjoyed our NRA sponsored breakfast, California firearms attorney, Chuck Michel talked to us.

We all received from Pro Ears, a very nice set of hearing protectors.

Aaron modeling his set of Pro Ears hearing protectors for me.

Molly is thinking of going into law and wanted to ask Alan Gura some questions. Later in the evening, Alan spoke to us of legal matters concerning gun rights, law etc.

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After our nice breakfast on Saturday morning, sponsored by Otis Technologies, we all went out to the Pyramid range for an introduction to Steel Challenge Action Pistol shooting.

A quick meeting to outline safety, and how the match is run, then off we all went to have some fun.

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Sunday morning after breakfast, we went out for some fun to try our hand at Cowboy Fast Draw.

Quick Cal Eilrich telling us some history about Cowboy Fast Draw, and filling us in on how the match is run.

Milisecond Molly and GG waitng for their revolvers to be loaded.
As you see, we shoot indoors, but the revolvers are loaded with wax bullets, even so, care must be exercised as they are still dangerous and the firearms must be handled accordingly.

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Video taken during our Saturday night's 'all you can eat pizza' dinner, and of all the goodies donated


Video of the wonderful prizes donated for our door and raffle prizes to raise money for Valour IT



Pizza, yummmm! and there was more than enough for everyone.

Gun Blogger Rendezvous 2011

I have been somewhat overwhelmed by lack of rest, getting back into my work schedule, planning this weekends match to Puyallup and the following weeks trip to Boise Idaho for another match, to do a whole lot of reporting on "The Best Ever" Gun Blogger Rendezvous. However, I will make an attempt to get on with the job of posting ASAP.

A great breakfast sponsored by Otis Technologies enjoyed by all, before leaving the Silver Legacy hospitality room, to car pool out to the Pyramid range at Washoe County Shooting Facility for an introduction to Steel Action Pistol shooting.
What a fun time it was too. There were ear to ear grins as ammo connected with the steel targets as shooters learned the sport of Steel Challenge competition shooting.

Stay tuned, more to come in the days ahead.

Mount Rainier at sunset

Friday evening found us taking a break at a rest area just outside of Yakima. We pulled in just as the sun was setting right behind Mount Rainier. What a fantastic view as the mountain was shadowed against the clouds.

A little humour to brighten your day

Things To Do In An Elevator

1) When there's only one other person in the elevator, tap them on the shoulder and then pretend it wasn't you.
2) Push the buttons and pretend they give you a shock. Smile, and go back for more.
3) Call the Psychic Hotline from your cell phone and ask if they know what floor your on.
4) Bring a camera and take pictures of everyone in the elevator.
5) Move your desk into the elevator and whenever anyone gets on, ask if they have an appointment.
6) Lay down the twister mat and ask people if they would like to play.
7) Leave a box in the corner, and when someone gets on, ask them if they can hear ticking.
8) Pretend you are a flight attendant and review emergency procedures and exits with the passengers.
9) When the doors close, announce to the others, "It's okay, don't panic, they open again!"
10) Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering, "Shut up, all of you, just shut up!"
11) Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside, ask, "Got enough air in there?"
12) Stand silently and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
13) Wear a puppet on your hand and use it to talk to the other passengers. 14) Listen to the elevator walls with your stethoscope.
15) Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers, "This is MY personal space!"

Steel Challenge........part two

A few photos taken on the first day of competition.
As usual, it was hot and dusty, but that is all worth it when we get to see our friends we have made over the years, and for Mr C to compete once again in this event.
Our friend Jim O sums it all up with these words. Over the last 25 years, for myself and many other Steel Challenge competitors, this barren, hot & dusty land has always been "The happiest place on earth".

Mr C wondering why I called his name from the top seat of the bleachers. Just wanted to take his photo, that's all!

Some of our squad watching another member shooting.

Alexis and parents.

Mark, our Aussie friend.

Alexis is a sweet young lady and also a very fine shooter.

Brooke has a very strong stance, and a good shooter to boot.

Awww gee! Jonathon is a real little cutie, and was so good all day long. Both his parents were competing.

Ken wears the coolest shirts, and he is a very strong competitor.

A hot dusty adventure .....Part one

I am taking you along on a drive out to the range near Piru California, where we were last week for the World Steel Challenge Tournament.

As we drove past Magic Mountain, I (jokingly) asked Mr C if he would like to skip competing in the match and go for a few rides at Magic Mountain. "hmmmm not today he replied" Later on in the day, as we returned from the match, I asked again if he would like to go have fun on the rides, nope, he still did not want to go, although he said if I wanted to, he would go along. I said " it would be a shame to waste the ice cream I had just eaten by throwing up. *chuckle*

Beside the highway there are acres and acres of the small sweet red and yellow peppers growing, and I could not help but think about the $4:99 for a two pound bag of these delicious peppers I buy to snack on.

Orchards are slowly spreading up and over the low hills, and if it wasn't for irrigation, this would be a dry, dusty almost bare landscape, except for the hardiest of plants which can survive the scorching heat and dry conditions..

Last year when we came though here, we stopped at a roadside fruit stand and I bought oranges thinking, as are grown here, and freshly picked, they would be the sweetest oranges I would ever taste. Not so, they were almost 'pucker up' sour, what a disappointment.

It is so pretty as the fog drifts in over the hills and down into the valley.

Every year, for the past five years, when we arrived in Piru, this beautiful deep pink Bougainvillea in someone's front garden,has been in full bloom.

Besides all the other tropical plants growing in the front garden of people's homes, there are many palm trees. It is quite an interesting little town with both old and new buildings, some homes are obviously well maintained and others not so much, typical of many small country towns.

It was interesting to see a rather large apartment complex being constructed in Piru, it won't seem to be such a small community when we next pass through.

Irrigated crops abound along the valley floor as we drove towards the range.

Behind the fence is a nursery, and I would have loved to have some of the tropical plants I could see, in my own garden, but of course they would not do well in our cooler climate, here in Western Washington.

We leave the paved road to drive out to the range over a very bumpy dusty one.

Our rented vehicle was slowly changing from pristine white to beige, as dust settled over it as we followed the vehicle in front of us.

Cattle shelter from the baking sun in the shade of the trees, and the blades of the windmill remain still from lack of any breeze.

We drove slowly past the practice range, where many shooters were getting in some last minute practice before competing.

After, it seemed, a very long dusty drive, we arrived at the parking area.

Looking up to the topmost bay where a stage called 'outer limits" is located. This stage can make or break you. Many shooters do not like this stage.

Looking back down the hill you have to climb to reach "outer limits"
It does not look all that steep, but try walking up this incline carrying a heavy bag containing your firearm, ammunition for eight stages, plus cold water, snacks and anything else you may need during the day, in temperatures which can be in the low 90's to low 100F