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Sportsmans Club Field/Range Day Event

Lots of work, but lots of fun. As noted in the previous post, its a new event for the club so the bugs need to be worked out before taking it public. I started the day working in the kitchen at 09:00 and we started serving food at 11:30. I had a bowl of venison chili and a bowl of pheasant noodle soup. About 12:15 I drove out to the rifle/pistol range for the bullseye event. There was a little delay in getting the contest official out to the range. In the meantime, we just started taking turns shooting at the permanent steel plates until he came out. Shooting a .22 with open sights was the first event, and because I was ready to go I was up first. I paid for 5 targets. You got two shots at each one. Targets were an "X" on a 4x6 index card at 10 yards. I shot off-hand as was told. I didn't do as bad as I thought I would and only shot two of my five targets to let others shoot alternatively. The next two shooters (one was the contest official) used a two hand grip. I asked the official about it. Turns out, he didn't actually mean off-hand, he meant no rest or other brace could be used. Well... that changes everything! When my turn came up again, I used a Modified Weaver Stance and plunked my rounds on the center of the "X" of my 3 remaining targets. When the entire group was finished, I was declared the clear winner. That put a $15 prize in my pocket. Had I not been working in the kitchen, I might have used the prize money to buy additional rounds. Some of those people were both terrible shots, and/or using an inappropriate firearm for this type of competition. A sub-compact 9mm EDC might be OK for a practical shooting meet, but not for bullseye. Some shooters didn't even hit the 4x6 card. Instead, I pocketed $10 and bought raffle tickets with the rest. I NEVER win raffles, and this was no different. So a $5 donation to the club.

After shooting I returned to the clubhouse. Since the food was out buffet style and there was plenty put out, I made a venison sausage and peppers grinder and took over running the raffles. I stayed until the very end putting away the leftovers and washing pots and pans. Plenty of members (myself included) took food home. My wife who doesn't normally like game, had a plate of venison sausage and peppers for supper. I was still full from earlier so I just stowed my guns, ammo, and shooting supplies. I'll maybe clean my pistols some night this week after work.

My club is sometimes jokingly referred to as the town militia. As you can imagine, such a group has no love at all for politicians of any stripe (not that there's much of a difference* anyway). The conversations I overheard today make me realize I am in good company.

 

*IMHO... Demon-Craps want to take the country over a cliff to total destruction at 100 MPH. Repubicans want to do it at 75.

Yesterdays Goings On

My sportsmans club is having a range field day today. It is a trial run of a new type of event to take the place of the old Turkey Shoots that all got cancelled last year because of Wuhan/Chi-Com Flu. Since this is the first run of a new event, it was not publicized so it is mostly club members and those who know by word of mouth. I will be working in the kitchen as what's known in the club as a "kitchen bitch" but I don't care what its called. Pheasant stew/soup, venison chili, and venison brats with pasta. Because I plan to participate and shoot as well, I wanted to make sure the two .22 pistols I plan on using have proper zero. I use a zero hold and set them both to 25 yards while on a rest. I then checked them again to see where they hit at the 10 yard competition mark. Boy do I need new glasses, but I knew that. On the rest I chewed up the target center real good. My real problem came trying to shoot off-hand which I haven't done in I don't know how many years. I severely injured my right shoulder in a fall on ice in 2014 and never got it fixed. The discomfort and tremors put my shots all over the target. Oh well, at least I know it ain't the gun.

The weather has been warmer than normal, and broke when a strong cold front swept the state late yesterday afternoon with heavy thunderstorms. As the front crossed my area, they intensified. The pea-sized hail that furiously came down was like salt from a giant salt shaker. It piled up on my deck and stayed there for a while after the storms passed because it got so cold. As the front marched east, my weather radio went off for tornado warnings for eastern Kommiecticut and Rhode Island. The National Weather Service will be in the state today to investigate reports of tornadoes and damage. We thankfully suffered no damage and never lost electricity.

Yesterday was the 40th Anniversary of our first date. I asked my wife out on a date last night to commemorate the anniversary. She was surprised and thought it was sweet of me to ask. We went to Bidwell's Tavern in Coventry, which is one of the places we would go when we were dating that is still around. It would be a shame if they were gone, since they opened in 1822. Anyway, instead of the wings they are known for, we opted for nice dinners. The wife had prime rib and I had their meatloaf. Delicious. We washed it down with beers, and topped it off with a shared piece of turtle cheescake. When we got home, we watched the "Jungle Cruise" movie on my daughter's Disney+ account. 

Hmmm... Would It Work?

(E)mployer: You have until [date] to get a jab.

Me: No. I claim Roe vs Wade rights.

E: What?

Me: According to the Supreme Court ruling, Roe vs Wade guarantees a right to an abortion by finding a right to privacy. I claim access to that same right to not submit to an experimental medical procedure.

E: That right only applies to women.

Me: Where is that written? Are you discriminating against me? The abortion rights people always say "my body my choice!" The right is to privacy that SCOTUS said "includes" abortion.

E: You must get a jab or be terminated.

Me: You will have to terminate me. I now identify as a woman without a uterus and will see you in court.

Actually I am optimistic that the 26 or 27 states suing fed dot gov will shut down all of this unconstitutional bullshit. It is on hold at the moment.

Sometimes I Forget

Just how much trust is placed in me as an EMT by the people I am taking care of. With so many routine calls with sick people it is easy to forget. I was reminded of that trust with a recent car accident. The victim was a very attractive 20 year old female college student. There she was, alone in the back of the ambulance with two male complete strangers, my partner and myself, while we cut her clothes off and stripped her naked for examination and treatment. We were completely professional and told her everything we did and were going to do. We covered her for modesty and warmth and only pulled back covering when necessary. She was cooperative and as relaxed as could be expected for the situation. In the most vulnerable position a person could possibly be in, she placed her absloute trust in us to do nothing but take proper care of her. At one point I noticed her shivering and asked if she was warm enough. She said she was, it was just the stress and magnitude of the situation catching up with her. After assisting, I exited the ambulance and they headed for  the paramedic intercept. I was on the rescue truck and got back to getting it back in service and in quarters.

It was later in quarters I was reflecting on the call I realized that trust. Of course, I always treat such vulnerable patients the way I would want my wife, daughter, parents, or grandparents treated. Oh, we may groan about getting toned out for a call at inopportune times, but as soon as we arrive on scene, the grumpiness gets switched off and the charming helpful EMT persona gets turned on. Yes, even for those frequent flyers, or someone being forcibly transported for a mental health issue that are, shall we say, less than cooperative or are just plain angry.