Old Lang's Sign?

Wait for it at 30m05seconds...

A New Year's Toast!

Mom and Dad were married on this date in 1948.  Everyone that came to the wedding had to chain up to get there and back home.  I have one of their wedding presents, and I fired it up today for you all to enjoy.  Their friend Pete Jeffries gave this to them.  He was born in Tennessee, moved to Iowa with his family when he was a young man, and farmed all of his working days except when he served in the Army during World War II.  He liked orange soda, and once drank a guy under the table who bet him he could drink more beer than Pete could soda. If you're going to be famous for something, that's not a bad record.  Pete encouraged me to go to college and get a degree, and I have been thankful to him for many years because of that.  He was a good guy.  You can see His Obit Here.

Here's his toaster:

Happy Anniversary, Mom!

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Ruger's auction this week is one of the ever-popular .44 Magnum Carbines  This one is the commemorative model marking the end of this carbine model.

This auction is proving the popularity of these little brush guns.  Late Tuesday night it is up to $1500.  Take a look and at least read all about it.  100% of the proceeds will go to benefit the Light Foundation.  This fine little rifle sells mid-day, Wednesday, December 31, 2014.

$1500

A Tale Of Two Tauruses

 Taurus Poly PT-22, and steel-frame PT-22

A couple years ago my Mom bought a Taurus PT-22 Poly pistol at Skunk River Arms near Sigourney, Iowa.  It is a cute little pocket pistol that doesn't weigh twelve ounces.  Dan, the proprietor, warned Mom at the time that she should run a brick through the little gun before she relied on it.  We went back to Washington, she gathered up a pile of .22's, and we found that Dan was right.  The Taurus had regular malfunctions 'till we got to 300, then it started running right.

My brother-in-law wanted a pistol that he could carry in his pocket without interfering in his busy work day, and he settled on a PT-22.  The one he purchased is the steel frame version, and I told him to run rounds through it until it was broken in.  I went with him to the range and stuffed magazines for him.  It ran right from the very beginning.  The only time it failed to work was when we had dud rounds from packs of bulk ammo.  



Encouraged by his success, B-I-L purchased another PT-22, this one is the Poly version.  He brought it down to the farm to break it in over the holidays.  He ran into frustration; I saw deja-vu.  This little gun couldn't go through an entire magazine without stove-piping or mis-feeding.  We persisted.  A little past 300 rounds, it began running right.  The only ammo that causes trouble is Remington Golden Bullets, which don't feed well from a fully stacked magazine.  It runs standard velocity, high speed rounds, and hyper velocity rounds without a hiccup now.

If you are thinking a PT-22, keep our experiences in mind.  The poly version weighs 11.3 ounces; the steel version is about 1/2" longer and weighs an ounce more.  The steel frame version seems to run better out of the box, but of course you should run a brick through either one before you decide to rely on it.  If you get a dud round, you're going to be hurting in an emergency.  The little slide is hard to rack, and this gun does not have an extractor. Duds have to be removed by tipping the barrel up, and coaxing the round out with the tip of a pocket knife or nail file.

Loading the PT-22 is easy.  Insert the loaded mag, drop a .22 LR round into the chamber, and click it shut.

Clean the breech face, feed ramp, and chamber after every shooting session.  A dirty chamber will cause malfs.

Clean the slide face, and the firing pin channel.  Do not use heavy oil on the firing pin. Oil the slide with a good light oil.  B-I-L uses Ballistol on his guns, and they never stutter.  I use PB blaster for cleaning, and Marvel Mystery oil for lube.  Whatever you use, oil the slide on one of these every couple weeks if you plan to carry it.  Oil runs away, and a dry slide is not your friend, especially on a little pocket .22

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Easy, Big Fella!

There have probably been more 1911's hurt by a Dremel than have been helped.  Fight the urge.  When you can see your deburring this easily, you have probably done too much.

Back To The Old Grind? (Clean, Lube, and Shoot a bunch of rounds through your new toy before you start messing around in it. Fight the urge, and talk to a good pistolsmith.)

What Was It Linus Said?

I think it was "Everybody should be issued a banjo when they are born."  I'll second that!

Not My Victrola

Let's wind up the year with one of my Dad's favorite bands; Ben Bernie's Orchestra, playing a well known Roaring Twenties song, Sweet Georgia Brown.  All the way from 1925.

Ralfy's Whisky Of The Year

Visits with Ralfy are always educational and entertaining.  His website is near the bottom of our blog list under Whisky Reviews by Ralfy. 

Weekend Steam

A Brand-New Advance Engine!  This is pretty neat, and it is producing about twice its rated horsepower on the flywheel.  This is a repro of a 6 HP engine, so it would have been rated around 18 HP on the flywheel.  It is putting out around 40 HP on the Prony brake.

There and Back Again

We went to St. Louis today to spend Christmas with Susan's sister and her kids (Adults now.)  We listened to Christmas songs on the radio all the way up and back, and it made the trip easy.  This is one of our favorites from our little journey, and of course we watched the Grinch when we got home.

Sneaky...

. 

Susan asked for an A.M.Leonard Garden Scoot, and that is what's in the package; it says so right on the box.

She sure was excited as she started slicing it open.

But, What's This?  This isn't part of a Garden Scoot!

It's a Redcoat!  Note that a 25 yard steel AQT is sitting on the dining room table.  That is Pattie's.  I gotta tell you; that box was hard to carry in with the Garden Scoot and more than 30 pounds of steel added to it!  Susan will be shooting 1/4 mile before you know it.  Many thanks to Brian of Rifleman Training Targets for the quick service getting this great target to us!

Merry Christmas!

100 Years Ago...

...Governments have never let it happen again.

Crankin' It Up Rerun

Brat gets the week off for the holidays.   Merry Christmas!

Taking A Few Days Off...

...and working for the Man at home.  The end of the year always has a pile of cases that must be sent off before New Years, and today I gave an entire day to the Boss.  Many cases went out the door, and the relief is great at our house tonight.  Now we have some time to collect firewood!  It's actually fun, what with the log splitter and our Kubota RTV.

And This One, Too!

Too much fun!  Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas To All Of Our Blog Family!

We are going to stay off the 'puter on Christmas, so here are a few songs for our friends that drop in Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas, and thanks for stopping by!

Ruger' Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Ruger has posted a 10 1/2" Super Blackhawk this week, from 1983.  The generous folks bidding on this one have run it up too high for me (as usual), but go have a look, and maybe you will want to bid.  100% of the proceeds of this sale will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance. The hammer falls on this sale mid-day, Christmas Eve, 2014.

$1775

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Any Month Of The Year

Oyster mushrooms are always a pleasant surprise when we find them.  They will pop after a rain any time when it is above freezing, so we literally pick them in every month of the year.  We have had them at Thanksgiving, and this beautiful bunch appeared in in December this year.  In warm weather months you have to find them before the little black beetles consume them, and squirrels love them, too.  They keep well on the wood where they grow this time of year, and with the leaves down they are easier to spot.  This bunch is growing on a downed black oak limb, but they will grow on a variety of woods.  We have found them on hickory, ash, willow and cottonwood.  Carry a sharp knife, and string to lash your knife to a long stick, just in case the mushrooms are out of reach.

UPDATE!!

 They were Heavenly.

Must Have Been A Monday

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Weekend Steam: Treat Yourself!

I haven't had one of these for many many moons, but I remember it is pretty good stuff.  There is a picture of a locomotive in here somewhere, just to make this post legal.

Crankin' It Up With Brat The Cat

 Maud Powell is a fascinating artist, and was a pioneer in in recorded music who began recording classical violin for Victor in 1904. You can read all about her HERE, and you can purchase copies of her recordings HERE. 

Always Putt-Putt-Puttering Around

Our friend Gary keeps finding fascinating old iron.  This is his latest; a Lockwood-Ash marine engine.  These were popular in the days before outboard motors came along, and they are still popular in Louisiana.


I doubt that Gary will be taking this down the Mississippi, but the Kaskaskia would be smooth sailing, without any barge traffic. A neat feature of these old 2-stroke engines is that they are reversible. The timer sits up front, and has a lever for the operator to use in adjusting the timing, and for changing the direction the engine runs.

OK, OK, But How Much Did He Steal?

This is a self-writing joke: Bazillion admitted he burglarized a building in Dahlgren.

Engine Crank-Ups

Engine show season may be over until Spring, but engine collectors are a hardy bunch and they have their own private little shows during the off season.  This video (by Rob Gill) is from Rob and Bob Gill's Crank-Up last week.  They had a lot of wheels turning, good food, and good times for their engine friends.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Take a DEEP breath before you check out this auction; and you will have to put on your big-boy pants before you up the bid.  This Ruger No. 1 Varminter is attracting collectors with deep pockets, leaving us little people in the dust.  But, it's still worth a look.  100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance, and the hammer falls mid-day, Wednesday, December 17, 2014.

$4530.00

A Little Visit With The Mailbox Engine

We all piled in the family car today and visited our friend Gary Bahre at his engine shed so we could see first-hand his progress on the 8 HP Bessemer.  We shot several pics, and just a little video.  The cylinder  is out for surgery, and it now has a sleeve installed.  The intake and exhaust ports have to be cut, and the rings have to be fitted, then it will come back to Gary.  He has his parts assembled to build a new rod, and that will be happening soon.  Stay Tuned!  It will run again!

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Heavy Duty!

 Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Third Sunday of Advent

Weekend Steam: Let's Hop Across To The Isle Of Man!

November e-Postal Scores Are Up At Danno's Blog!

Danno, the November  host for the Mr. Completely e-Postal contest has posted the scores, and my Mrs. is one of the big winners!  Danno and his son still need to shoot their targets, so he is extending the contest until we restart the Postals next spring.  Click Here to see the scores, and if you haven't entered, Click Here to print your target and read the rules. 

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat

Hoodoo Man is a great dance record from May, 1924.  Brat has been in the doldrums of late, and hasn't danced for us in many weeks.  This record got his attention and he marched back and forth half a dozen times.  The record ended, and I discovered that I hadn't pushed the Record button.  Oh Well.  I changed the needle and cranked up again, and the second time I played this record he acted like the Looney Tunes Singing Frog.  Trust me, he liked this one, and you will, too.

The Skies Of 1914

We grew up with images and stories of Great War dogfights and fighter pilots, but in 1914 the airplane was still in its infancy. The Germans flew the Taube until 1916, mostly for reconnaissance missions.  It used wing warping rather than hinged control surfaces, but it had a 6 cylinder, 120 HP Mercedes up front.  Its maximum speed was only 62.5 mph, and of course it did not have an electric starter like this reproduction airplane has.

I was first exposed to the Taube in an old Geographic magazine from the Great War era, and it is a picture that sticks in your mind with its bird-like wings. Robert Service even mentioned it in the afterword to his book Rhymes Of A Red Cross Man.

Once more within the sky's deep sapphire hollow
I sight a swimming Taube, a fairy thing;
I watch the angry shell flame flash and follow
In feather puffs that flick a tilted wing;
And then it fades, with shrapnel mirror's flashing;
The flashes bloom to blossoms lily gold;
The batteries are rancorously crashing,
And life is just as full as it can hold.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

This week's Ruger is a spiffy Stainless SP101® in.38 Special that would go great in your waistband, or in someone's Christmas stocking.  The price isn't going too wild, so CLICK OVER to Ruger's Gunbroker page and have a look.

100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance.  The hammer falls mid-day, Wednesday, December 10, 2014.

$855!!! This gun is still in Ruger's catalog, and the suggested retail price is $659, so you could probably buy one of these new for under $600, plus sales tax.  The purchaser of this auction item also has to pay the Pittman-Robertson tax, which is based on the distributor price when the gun was built. Well, People's Good. 

Tuesday Turbo Boost

Rough And Tough Mondays

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Second Sunday of Advent

.22 LR IN STOCK!...

...at Natchez Shooters Supply(CLICK).  It is Standard Velocity, $3.91/50.  With shipping it will be around $57.00 per brick. Don't delay.  We bought a couple of bricks last month, and it is tight shooting ammo.

Weekend Steam: North Pole Express!

The Midwest Central sold out five weekends in less than three days, but you can still go and watch the trains run.  This weekend and two more.  Click over to Midwest Central to check the schedule.



One thing this world could use a few more of is tripods....

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat

LiveryStable Blues is a lot of fun with the horse laughs thrown in, and the wear on this disc shows that the original owners really liked it. 


Livery Stable Blues by TrueBlueSam

Christmas Presents For The Rifleman In Your Life!

These steel targets will look familiar to anyone who has attended an Appleseed Clinic.

They are an all steel version of the AQT (Army Qualification Target) that you shoot to qualify for a Rifleman Patch.  The silhouettes are slightly smaller than the black portion of the paper targets, and if you can hit them at 25 meters (82 feet), using your sling from prone, sitting, and standing, you should be able to score 210 or higher at your next Appleseed.

The target has simulated 400, 300, 200, and 100 meter silhouettes, plus the 1" square.

You can call the number, or e-mail to order.  You can also click over to the Facebook Page to see more photos, including the full-size target, which can be shot at 100 to 400 yards with .308.  Check it out if you have a place where you can shoot a quarter mile.

A Nice Fairbanks...

I was looking back through photos, and found some raw video from Pinckneyville that hadn't been used.  This video was shot in 2011, and it's a pretty good engine, with lots of parts exposed.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

This week Ruger is donating one of their classic Stainless Single Six Convertibles.  The Single Six always feels good riding on your hip when you are out and about on the farm or ranch, and the .22 Magnum cylinder can handle just about any varmint you run into, short of a bear.  This one was built in 1988, and was returned to the factory for unknown reasons.  Click Over to Ruger's GunBroker page to read all about it and place a bid.  100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance, and the gun will sell mid-day, Wednesday, December 3, 2014.

$705

Tuesday Turbo Boost

A little something to help you shake off all that overeating you probably did; and I'm not quite ready for Christmas music yet. Barnum and Bailey's 'Favorite.'

Gotta Make Wood?

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: First Sunday of Advent

Weekend Steam: Sounding Off!

If you are close to Youngstown, Ohio, that is where you need to be on Saturday.  Click Here for the information.


Denver and Rio Grande 5 Chime Whistle

Baldwin 3 Chime Whistle

Hooter Whistle

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat

 Both sides of Columbia disc A3539 are formula songs with all the proper buzzwords for a good old Mammy song. This side even mentions banjos. Trouble is, this is 1921, not 1901, and any feeling of authenticity is lost, even for my little cat. The lack of wear on either side of this record demonstrates that it was not given much play after it was purchased.

Now, quit fooling around on the internet and get back to family!

Seventy Years Ago In Europe

We always hear about D-Day and The Bulge, but all of the fighting through Europe was brutal from start to finish.  I recently re-read George Wilson's book, If You Survive, and it is an important book for all who have an interest in World War II.  Seventy years ago American soldiers were in one of their toughest fights, in the Hurtgen Forest.  Mr. Wilson briefly mentioned Thanksgiving 1944 in his book: "Our Thanksgiving dinner was hand-carried up to us by men from the service company.  Our cooks had put together giant turkey sandwiches, and they were a treat compared to K-ration Spam, even though we, of course, received none of the usual fancy trimmings.  It wasn't all celebration, however, for we learned that some of the food carrying party had been hit on the way up.  Though this happened all the time, we never quite learned to accept it.  We had been fighting in the Hurtgen Forest for twelve days, the worst combat I had yet encountered."  If You Survive, George Wilson, Ballintine Books, 1987.  American forces suffered 33,000 casualties in the Hurtgen Forest; the Germans had 28,000 casualties.

You can see a photo of Mr. Wilson at the bottom of THIS PAGE, and read his obituary HERE.  His book is easy to find on the internet, and you should be able to buy a copy for under $10.

George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation, Because Everyone Should Read It!

"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789." G. Washington

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Ruger's auction this week is one of their classic P85 Decocker Pistols, made in 1990, and residing in the Ruger safe all these years.

This fine pistol will sell mid-day Wednesday, November 26, 2014, so click over to Ruger's GunBroker page to place your bid.  The price may be reasonable on this one; it is only up to $460 as I assemble this post. 100% of the proceeds of this auction will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance.

$580!  Someone made a decent deal!

Thanksgiving Tuesday Turbo

Pick 'em, Clean 'em, Smash 'em!

Hmmm...They don't actually grind cranberries.  Well, it's close enough for me.


Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Across The Pond

Paul Harrison is a regular YouTuber with an historic record collection.  It's not just 1920's popular music; he has a very large collection of music hall songs from the early Twentieth Century.  Think Broadway and Vaudeville on the Thames.  These are songs you would hear if you went out for a night of entertainment back then.  This song by Billy Williams is a cute one with several amusing scenarios.  The money shot begins at 2:40, for the folks who have a hard time sitting through these old recordings. Yes, folks had impure thoughts back in 1910.

Weekend Steam

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat

We are going back a little more than a century with this Columbia disc for a couple of amusing songs performed by Bert Williams.  Turn up the volume and listen close.  These are good ones.

Here's An Easy Snag, and A Brief Saw Lesson

This is one is a really easy drop that I did last summer.  It's punky, and the dust really flies.

Take A Look At The Insides Of An Ignitor!

Gary Bahre pops the ignitor out of the Falk to clean the points.

We Love This Buggy!

 We bought the RTV two years ago and it has really improved our firewood gathering ability.  We can all ride to the woods, instead of only the guy driving the tractor and wagon.  I cut, Susan and her mother load, drive back to the house, dump the firewood, and return to the woods. In years past, I would cut, take the tractor and wagon back to the house and unload while everyone waited for me in the woods, then I would go back to cutting while they loaded.  I was always beat at the end of the day, and the loaders were cold from waiting for me to unload and return.

Now I cut, Susan and Pattie load. Unloading is done by pulling a little lever and letting the RTV dump the load, while I am still in the woods cutting the next load. We're handling the wood less, and we feel good at the end of the day.  Wood that has to be split is separated by load, so it comes off the RTV to the splitter, and then into the stack at the house. 

National Ammo Day!

Go out and buy at least 100 rounds today.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

Ruger's Auction this week is a stainless GP100® from back in 1987.  There is plenty of interest in this auction, with 21 bids and a current bid of $905 as I post this.  100 % of the proceeds will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance, and this beautiful handful will sell mid-day, Wednesday, November 19, 2014.  Click Here, or on Ruger's photo to go place your bid.

$905

On The Cover Of The...

...Gas Engine Magazine!  I collected this 5 HP Falk Engine while I was in high school, and we have kept it under cover all these years, though we haven't run it in forty five years.  Gary Bahre has it in his engine shed now, and he has done a beautiful restoration.  You can Click This Link to read the article in GEM, and see the photos that accompany the article.

I've been taking Gas Engine Magazine since it came out in January 1966.  Seeing the Falk engine on the front brings this Golden Oldie to mind.

Tuesday Turbo Boost For Classical Music Aficianados!

This video is over on Facebook, and it's a winner.  If I could hook up my dancing cat with this little gray pounder we could all be rich. I really like the way he rolls his face on the keys.

Post by Suara.

Comment Moderation...

We get regular spam comments from the other side of the world; mostly from folks who want posting rights on this blog. Anyhow, comment moderation is a necessity, but we are going to drop word verification and see how that works. Reading and re-typing the combinations is discouraging many would-be commenters, so the settings have changed, and we will see how it goes.

Nothing To Do?

Head out to Azerbaijan and....

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola:Let's Go Cake-Walking!

Pious, church-going people were catered to by the major record labels, but other brands could be more effective at showing folks a good time.  My record cabinets have had OKEH records for more than fifty years, and they can make you get up and dance.  KSPM shares a good one from 1925, and includes a great picture show of music covers from bygone days.


E. Taylor w/ C. Williams' Blue 5 - Cake Walking... by kspm0220s

Dropping A Snag With Fire In It

I had the pleasure of participating in a prescribed burn way down south in Union County this week, and I got to drop several trees.  This snag had fire in it and had to be dropped, bucked, and the burning pieces rolled down the hill on the black side of the line.  It was definitely weakened by rot, so sizing up included assessing where it would go if the hinge failed; which it did.  You can see the tree drop down when the hinge collapses, trapping the saw.  The backstrap let go and the tree fell where its weight carried it.  It's not a problem if you have it all sized up ahead of time, and you know where you need to be if it happens. I stayed out of the way when the tree dropped off the tall stump, and the photographer was safe behind a large tree that provided cover if things went bad.



Note the firefighter digging out the fire in the stump as the tree is bucked up. Everyone on a fire is good about taking care of problems.

Weekend Steam; World War I Vintage Road Locomotives

Merle, the most prolific e-Postal shooter, sent the link to this great video.  Great Britain did things a bit different than we did in the states with steam traction engines, and you will see some action you won't see in American steam shows.  I think the life expectancy of these engines would be pretty short if they came within range of German artillery spotters.

Crankin' It Up With Our Old Buddy Brat: He Went In Like A Lion

Billy Murray recorded this comedy classic 95 years ago.  I have had this copy for fifty years, and I always use a new needle when I play it. 

This One's Retired

We have five miles of wide open space behind the barn, but we still like to stop bullets on the range.  We use the shooting lane for travel with the utility vehicle, so we don't want permanent berms, but we do have plenty of wood to work with.  We keep some tall sections at 25 and 100 yards, and in spite of the .22 LR shortage, we made daylight in this one.  In one summer!  We have also split a 12" diameter section of white oak into halves, also with .22's.

Fall Prep Brings May Flowers (We Hope!)

We did our annual prep on the wild flowers at the end of the driveway.  If they pop up next year, feel free to stop and pick a few.

Ruger's Auction To Benefit The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance

This week's auction has a seldom used adjective in the description: "unique."  Yes, this is really one-of-a-kind!  Ruger is offering a Standard Model Pistol from 1980 with a receiver in the white, and there is not another like it.

100% of the proceeds will go to benefit the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance, and this unusual pistol will sell mid-day, Wednesday, November 12, 2014.  There are only 7 bids as I post this, with a current bid of $605. You could own this pistol if you go place a bid!

$1380.67  Holy Cow!

Armistice Day/Remembrance Day/Veterans' Day

Be sure to thank a vet today, and never forget our debt to the ones who serve.

Aftermath
Siegfried Sassoon (1919)

Have you forgotten yet?...
For the world’s events have rumbled on since those gagged days,
Like traffic checked while at the crossing of city-ways:
And the haunted gap in your mind has filled with thoughts that flow
Like clouds in the lit heaven of life; and you’re a man reprieved to go,
Taking your peaceful share of Time, with joy to spare.

But the past is just the same-and War’s a bloody game...
Have you forgotten yet?...
Look down, and swear by the slain of the War that you’ll never forget.

Do you remember the dark months you held the sector at Mametz-
The nights you watched and wired and dug and piled sandbags on parapets?
Do you remember the rats; and the stench
Of corpses rotting in front of the front-line trench-
And dawn coming, dirty-white, and chill with a hopeless rain?
Do you ever stop and ask, ‘Is it all going to happen again?’

Do you remember that hour of din before the attack-
And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then
As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men?
Do you remember the stretcher-cases lurching back
With dying eyes and lolling heads-those ashen-grey
Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay?
Have you forgotten yet?...
Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you’ll never forget.

Tuesday Turbo Boost: Take Your Pick!

U.S. Marines Birthday plus 239 Years

Tell A MarineThat He Can't Do Something...

...and he'll figure out a way.  Take a good look at the Marine showing off the .45 and think about that for a minute.  Marines had to hide a .45 when they weren't fighting, or it would be taken away.  My father-in-law buried his under his bed in an ammo box so he would have it when he needed it. 

The pistol is shown prominently, and the flap is tucked into the fellow's trousers.  These fellows obviously wanted folks back home to take a good look when the film was developed.

And here's why.  The wooden grips have been replaced with plexiglass, probably from a wrecked airplane, and it tells anyone with a magnifying glass where they have been, and where they are.  Pretty slick, and that roll of film went right past the censors.

Eyes and Ears! (Lungs, Too!)

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: Madelon

Madelon was a popular song with French Poilus in 1914. 


It's a charming song, and was revived during World War II by Marlene Dietrich. Shared on YouTube by Tim Graycyk.

The November Mr. Completely e-Postal Match Is Up!

Head over to Sand Castle Scrolls to read the rules and print this target...

Dial your eyes in and steady your nerves; you will be shooting at 30' this month, and I recommend making a range trip right away, just in case winter weather shows up before the end of November. 

This will be the final Mr. Completely e-Postal match of the year, so don't miss out; you know you need the practice!  Many thanks to Danno, and all the other e-Postal hosts who have helped out in 2014.

Olney FFA Does Itself Proud!

The FFA students at Olney, Illinois have been making a good showing in the local and the annual state contest for more than a decade, and last year they went down at the state contest by one point in a real nail-biter.  Their instructor, Jamie VanDyke pushed them hard this year and they won the state contest by 167 points.  They just came back from the national contest in Kentucky, and they made a great showing, taking Fourth Place nationwide. 

National FFA Forestry CDE Results

LOUISVILLE- Winners of the National FFA Forestry Career Development Event (CDE) were

announced Friday at the annual awards banquet. The event was held in conjunction with the 87th National FFA Convention & Expo in Louisville, Ky. Mr. John Allen Bailey of Georgia served as superintendent of this year's event. The top ten individuals and the national winning team members received cash awards to recognize their success in the event. The cash awards and the forestry event are sponsored by Husqvarna and John Deere as a special project of the National FFA Foundation. The National FFA Forestry CDE is a competitive event that tests students' skills and knowledge in the area of forest management. Event components include a general forest knowledge exam, tree identification, timber cruising, tree/forest disorders identification, a chainsaw practicum, forestry issues interview, and a team activity. Each team competed at local and state levels for the privilege of representing their state at the National FFA Convention & Expo. This event, held at Bernheim Forest in Clermont, Ky., is one of many educational activities at the national convention in which FFA members apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations.

*** Olney FFA placed 4^th in the nation***

Top Placing teams:	Top Placing Individuals:
1st. Kathleen FFA – Florida	1st Tyler Dupree – Kathleen FFA- Florida
2. Pocahontas FFA – West Virginia	2nd Brevyn Foreman - Kathleen FFA - Florida
3. Calvin FFA- Louisiana	3rd Emmett Lee – Kathleen - Florida
4th. Olney FFA – Illinois	4th Kyle Trott – Alvirne FFA- New Hampshire
5th.Alvirne FFA – New Hampshire	5th Matt Rao – Pocahontas FFA – West Virginia
6th. Cossatot River FFA – Arkansas
7th Carroll County FFA – Virginia	6th Matthew Runyon – Olney FFA - Illinois
8th Grand Canyon FFA – Pennsylvania	7th Rich Saddler – Cossatot River FFA - Arkansas
9th Grand Rapids FFA- Minnesota	8th Tom Powers – Smith Agricultural FFA - Maine
10th Vallivue FFA – Idaho	9th Joshua Goins – Calvin FFA - Louisiana
	10th Emily Schilling – Olney FFA – Illinois
	15th Tanner Scherer – Olney FFA - Illinois
	43rd George Boehl – Olney FFA – Illinios

Personal Thanks to Forester Wade Bloemer for jumping in and running the contest at Sam Dale lake this year, while I was out of state.  You made this win possible, Wade!

Photo Credit: Jamie VanDyke