A Couple of 2A Items

Woodstock Fair

Yesterday my wife, her Dad, and I went to the 162nd Annual Woodstock agricultural fair which always occurs for the four days over Labor Day weekend. $10 to park and $15 for my wife and I and only $10 for The Old Man. The only discount is for Seniors over 65 and active duty military with ID. This is a pretty large fair with loads of vendors, tons of food, free stage shows, all kinds of exhibits to include animals, an antique car/truck show, antique tractor and engine show. There is also a midway full of games and rides that we don't bother going into. We watched a comedy/magic show and spent a good hour plus watching the tractor pulls later in the afternoon. To me it is the epitome of the New England agricultural fair.

That said, the traditional part (pre-dating the Civil War) of Yankee New England culture that is not embraced, is the right to keep and bear arms and personal self-defense. They updated their website from the other day and somehow dropped the publication of the "zero tolerance for any weapons" statement. At the gates though, is their 2' x 2' sign stating that and other prohibitions. Once again, the *GFDZ designation is meaningless to me as I was fully armed as usual. There are no metal detectors or bag searches upon entry. I was wearing my Duluth Trading cargo shorts that have generous Velcro secured thigh flap pockets. In my right pocket was my S & W 45 Shield with the extended 7-round mag tucked in a DeSantis pocket holster. In my left outer pocket was a spare 7 round mag. All ammo was Hornady 185 gr Critical Defense in .45 ACP. On my belt in a sheath was my S & W Border Guard blade. Now, the Woodstock Fair inside the fairgrounds is actually pretty secure and safe. There are lots of uniformed (but unarmed) security personnel in pairs patrolling the grounds, as well as plenty of fully uniformed and armed state troopers. They have a Command Post set up with the CSP mobile command unit monitoring the grounds with the telescopic pole mounted cameras. The need for my firearm inside the grounds in practically nil. Also, the majority of attendees are from the agricultural community and surrounding rural areas. The indigenous populations of the blue controlled shithole cities or unruly mobs just stay away. However, the walk to and from and in the parking areas is not secure, other than being located in the little rural town of Woodstock which has a very low possibility of stupid clown world troubles. Just like when on vacation, my being armed is not openly discussed with family members, but I am sure they simply assume I am armed.

Pistol Permit Renewal Delay - Lawsuit?

At the end of June I received my Kommiecticut pistol permit renewal form. I immediately went to AAA to get a set of new passport photos. They give you two 2" x 2" passport photos for $9.50 which I needed for both my pistol permit and U.S. passport renewal. The passport expired in December 2023 and the pistol permit expires on September 15th. I took care of both at the same time since news reports out of the U.S. State Department were huge backlogs for passports; 13 weeks for renewals and up to 4 months for an initial issue. I mailed the pistol permit renewal "Certified" and the passport Priority Mail on Thursday July 6th. Both the pistol permit and passport paperwork was received on Saturday July 8th. The state department cashed my $130 check by Tuesday July 11th, and by the end of July or early August I received my new passport that expires in 2033. As of a few moments ago, I checked my online banking portal, and the $70 check to the state of Kommiecticut has still not been cashed with 13 days left on my permit. You mean to tell me the federal government has their shit more together than the state of Kommiecticut? No, Kommiecticut just likes to fuck with peaceable citizens exercising their 2A rights. It is well known that we are considered political enemies of state government.

This is my 9th permit renewal. Permits in Kommiecticut are good for 5 years, so you do the math. Back in 2013 when they passed the post Sandy Hook infringements, they made a requirement that you must have a permit in order to buy firearms or ammo. There is a 90 day grace period after your permit expires that it is still valid, EXCEPT TO PURCHASE FIREARMS OR AMMO! If I do not receive my newly renewed and valid permit by September 15th, I will begin searching for a 2A attorney (hopefully one that will work pro bono) and contacting The Second Amendment Foundation to file suit. They have created rules for firearms and ammo purchases and then fucking drag their feet processing permit renewals causing a burden on my Second Amendment rights. Attempts to contact ANYONE at the state DESPP firearms unit have resulted in recorded announcements that then dump the call. They absolutely WILL NOT process renewals in person, only by mail. I have been in contact with Jonathan Hardy of the CCDL (CT Citizens Defense League), and his advice is to simply wait. He alluded to the 90 day grace period and state police using that to delay processing. Yeah? You assholes wanna play that game? The gun hating Gov. "Jolly" Ned Lamont and that fucking arrogant puke AG William "Sum Ting Wong" Tong will be on television wailing about another lawsuit against their precious intolerable/unconstitutional infringements. As those of us that are informed found out with the Lois Lerner IRS scandal trying to crush conservative 501(c)3 non-profits, there is no need for written directives to do this kind of shit. The hive-mind of the LIBTURDS all automatically work in unison to adversely affect those that don't bend to their will.

 

*GFDZ = Gun Free Death Zone

Oh Yeah!

H/T to Odysseus at the By Other Means blog.

Daddy like. A lot!

Play Stupid Games - Win Stupid Prizes

Like the eternal dirt nap.

A Kommiecticut college student, Nicholas Anthony Donofrio age 20 was fatally shot in Columbia South Carolina where he was a student at USC. He was apparently shot trying to enter a house that turned out not to be the address he thought it was.

CT college student shot in South Carolina

The local news stories all inferred the same thing... a poor innocent college student got blasted to Kingdom Come by some gun-totin' toothless hillbilly down south. Those backwards hicks will just shoot anyone. And they shot him THROUGH THE DOOR! OMG the horror! And perhaps this will spark a national debate to repeal those horrid "stand your ground laws."

It turns out.... not so much

 

So today the story has been updated.

South Carolina Shooting Deemed Justified 

It seems that rather than say... politely knock or ring the door bell because he couldn't get in, he decided to kick and beat on the door until he smashed his way in and reached in through the broken window to access the doorknob. THAT is when he was shot once in the torso by the male resident while the female was already on the phone with 911. Having been in a similar situation, I am sure they were both absolutely terrified. I'd be willing to bet young Mr. Donofrio was also totally shit-faced, hence the lack of knowledge of his location and prudent judgement given his actions in surroundings where Second Amendment Rights are respected.

I am armed on my property at all times, and 99% of the time off site. If an individual(s) attempt to breach my perimeter, they may only have about a second to see the error of their ways and retreat before they won't have to, because they won't be able to.

Notes & Observations From Vacation

I typed these off-line into my phone when I had down time and while the thoughts were fresh in my mind. The raw notes have been refined for posting.

 

FIRST... Road Travel and AirBNB
 

1. My bedside Glock 21 with Streamlight TLR-4 laser/light combo came with me. It was unloaded and locked in a hard steel case that was tethered to the seat mounting and hidden way up under the back seat. The ammo was locked in a separate hard steel case and inside my luggage, following the rules of "no quick access" set forth by F.O.P.A. Travel across the 71 miles of Hochul's Hellhole (NY state) on I-84 to PA and back was uneventful. Traveling through PA was not a worry. Although more direct, I chose to completely avoid NJ for the obvious reasons. Those fuckers will arrest and jail anyone that dare cross their imaginary line at the state border with a firearm, regardless of how it is stored and secured. The weapon was loaded with Hornady Critical Defense 185gr .45ACP with a spare mag and placed by my bedside every night. For the entire vacation no one knew including wife, and they still don't. It keeps the subject off the table for possible future vacations. In the morning it was unloaded and secured. The only place to keep it secure when not at the house was in my vehicle, locked in the lock box and secured the same way I traveled. The ammo container stayed at the AirBNB house locked and hidden in my suitcase. AirBNB does not forbid weapons on either side; rental or renter. If you are renting out your property, all weapons must be secured and out of sight of renters. Renters are supposed to get prior permission to bring weapons onto a rental property. FUCK THAT! I don't beg for permission to exercise my right to self defense. I think AirBNB's would be the perfect target for home invaders, especially if criminals were to just use the app to locate them and then prey upon unsuspecting folks on vacation when occupied. If no one breaches my perimeter, no one gets hurt and no one will ever know I was armed. Since PA dos not honor my pistol permit, I carried an assortment of blades while out and about. Better than nothing.

2. AirBNB house: I live on a quiet rural back road. This rental house was on a very busy road that had traffic (including trucks) 7/24. The first night was tough but we quickly got used to it. Our first house was in a busy neighborhood. The next door neighbor has what looked like an old classic bike in his garage. I only saw it at night in low light inside his garage while the door was open. I waited until I saw him outside and went over to say hello and talk bikes. The guy and his wife are nice friendly people. It wasn't a 40+ year old bike but a nice 2005 Kawasaki Concours with really low miles. In low light the twin exhaust and shaft drive had me thinking something like a 1980 Suzuki GS850. Plus he had the removable saddle bags off so that also gave it a retro look. I showed him photos of "The Beast." Turns out his wife doesn't ride much either.

 

SECOND... Hershey Park

1. No weapons allowed. PFFFFT! I carried my Gerber GDC money clip with discreet blade and my Blackie Collins "CIA Letter opener." On Wednesday I accidentally also carried in S&W Border Guard in a belt sheath. I only got stopped on the way in Tuesday because of my metal eyeglass case. The guard wanted a looksee at my glasses. He said people use eyeglass cases to sneak stuff in. They never knew about any of my blades.

2. OMG! Talk about the oversexualization of children, particularly young girls. Most girls were wearing the same basic outfit from about age 8 to early 20's; high tight shorts with crop tops or baby tees. I spotted girls as young as 12 sporting cameltoes while walking around with their parents. I saw one girl of about 12 or 13 repeatedly in a ride line so I know what I saw. Too many mentally ill tranny weirdos as well wandering around instead of being committed to a facility. Day 2 at the park was a combination of roller coasters and several hours in the water park. It wasn't as warm on the second day and we froze getting off water rides. But the rides were just too much fun to care.

3. There was plenty of black and brown people but the parks were not overrun and everyone behaved themselves.



Trip to Amish country 8-24-23
 

Amish Marketplace: I'd never been to one before and it was a feast for the eyes. The meat cases were incredible. A young Amish man asked if I needed anything, but I said no, I was just enjoying the sights and how delicious everything looked. He said "We are blessed!" and I heartily agreed. Then there was the breads, pies, candy, and canned goods. Everyone was so nice and lots of samples. I bought stuff I liked; fruit preserves, some bacon jam, and some pineapple salsa. Both of my Grandmothers had these wall mount folding wooden drying racks in their houses. When I saw these for sale I had to get one for my own laundry room. $37 and NOT MADE IN CHY-NAH!

Fully extended and ready to use. No need for paint or poly

 

 

 

 

 

 

Folds down flat against the wall for storage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fisher Farm: We stopped there because of the homemade root beer. I met what I assume was the family patriarch Elim Fisher and had a nice conversation with him. He was curious where I was from and what I did for work. He told me Amish are being pushed out because of high land prices. I have never interacted with The Amish, only viewed from afar. I really like and respect them and am just a bit envious of their way of life. While I could never convert myself, I would enjoy living among them as their neighbors.
 

Kettle Village: outdoor market place with more good eats. My wife picked up a couple of jars of spicy pickles, and a pot holder for the handle of a frying pan. She makes delicious frittatas using a large oven safe non-stick frying pan, so that will make it easier handling the hot pans.

Shady Maple Smorgasbord: I am not normally a fan of all you can eat because I never feel I get my money's worth. We went on a Thursday which is their Wing/Rib Night and was reasonable at $21.99 per person with senior discount for three of us. So I just ate what I liked in normal portions. I started with a good salad loaded with my favorite veggies, toppings, and super chunky bleu cheese dressing. For my entree I got the "burnt" end of a juicy, tender brisket. A helping of smooth mashed potatoes and gravy, a heap of string beans, and a hunk of cornbread, all washed down with some ice cold chocolate milk. For dessert a serving of cherry cobbler and a cup of coffee. I was definitely satisfied without feeling stuffed and bloated. After dinner we all returned to the house to play Marbles. Guys against the girls, and the XY chromosome team dominated.

The other side is for four players. Two decks of cards for moves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8-25-23

Most of family left this morning, but we stay until 26th. We took a ride to Bird In Hand for a horse and buggy ride at Abe's Buggy Rides and took the longest ride they offer at 6 1/2 miles. Our driver was a delightful Amish girl in her late teens/early twenties named Naomi. She had been driving horses since she was very young and made it look easy. She is getting married at the end of November and we wished her well. She clarified what Elim Fisher told me about the Amish being pushed out. She said because of land prices, it is very hard for young couples just starting out to get a place of their own. Midway through the ride is a stop at an Amish bakery. I got a pecan sticky and an ice cold chocolate milk. So good! I took some great photos of the countryside with my Nikon D5600. After that we went to a place called "The Amish House and Farm" for their on-site tour of an authentic house and farm. It is surrounded by shopping plazas but once inside you don't see them. A stop for ice cream at the Strasburg Creamery in Strasburg and then over to the Tanger Outlets and the New Balance store for new sneakers. We headed back to our AirBNB for a dinner of leftover pasta that my wife turned into a cheese covered pasta bake. After supper we started making preparations for the trip home tomorrow.

 

8-26-23

Check out time is 10:00 AM, so we got up early to pack and clear out on time. We pulled out at 09:30 and headed to Gus's Keystone Family Restaurant in Mount Joy for a big breakfast. Holy shit they serve a full plate of food. I got one of the day's specials.... a Mexican Omelet. Charizo sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and melted shredded cheese. It comes with salsa and sour cream and a side of fried sliced potatoes and toast (I opted for raisin toast). Everybody's breakfast was absolutely delicious and filling so we would not have to stop for lunch on the way home. The only traffic we hit was in Kommiecticut at the NY border that went almost to Waterbury due to the shitty highways we have that are a total choke point when coming into New England. A stop for gas at BJ's and we were home by 4:30 PM. Vacation is great, but returning home to my own bed and the peace and quiet where I live feels real good after being away.

I am not very active at work because we are stuck at the station on standby most of the time, and then most of our calls are for EMS. My activity level goes way up when I have days off catching up on yard work. For all the eating I did on vacation, I also did a lot of walking and amazingly dropped a couple of pounds. All the walking did my knee good too.

Turning Meme's Into Reality

H/T to Midwest Chick over at Non Original Rants (one of my favorite daily reads) for the Sunday Meme Drop this morning and this little gem.

So of course, I just had to change the name on my 06:00 alarm on my Android phone.

It helps to be reminded to oppress others when you are not actually an oppressor

 

At home I use my Midland Clock radio that also provides my severe weather warning. But at the firehouse when I go in at midnight, I'll set an alarm on my phone for the 06:00 shift change so I am up when the next person comes on. If we get hammered with calls over night or both of us are doing an 18 hour shift, I will sleep in for a couple of extra hours and get up if there is a call or whenever.

FYI... I will have no computer access until August 27th, so no new posts until then.