Get Out And Shoot!

This is the last weekend to shoot the September Mr. Completely e-Postal contest, so CLICK HERE to print the target, and read the rules.   Print plenty, and take family and friends to range.   This contest is designed to be fun, and even a novice can score, and experienced shooters may score high...maybe.

The Automation Is Incredible!

We saw this dandy gadget at Pinckneyville.

Flinders, Smithereens, and Etc.

This is all that's left of a power pole a half mile south of our house.  The surge protector in our battery backup was fried, but the modem and 'puter are good.  Lightning's kinda scary.

A Bad Way To Die

Way back when I was in junior high school, one of my buddies told me about a horrible accident that his grandfather had witnessed while working on a threshing crew. The threshing machine was an old model, covered with wood rather than sheet metal like the newer models, and a fellow was up on top of the machine for some reason; directly above the spinning cylinder that knocks the wheat out of the hulls and off the stalk. The wood that the fellow was standing on failed, and he dropped right into the machine onto the cylinder. If you take even a casual look at the thresher cylinder in the photo, you can see the result wasn't pretty. My friend's grandfather told him that you could literally see the blood drain out of the man's face.

The reason I bring up this unpleasant tale is that lots of people still run these old machines, and the old-timers aren't around anymore to pass on the knowledge they picked up the hard way. When you see someone in a potentially dangerous situation around old machinery, for Heaven's sake, speak up. You might save someone's life. Scroll the slider over to 2:45 on the video below, and note the fellow on top of the thresher. I bet he isn't even thinking about the spinning teeth just inches below his feet.

Ready Or Not

Back To The Old Grind!

Not My Victrola: This Could Have Been One Of My Roommates...

Posted by Victrolaman.

Sig Sauer, Soldiers' Angels Supporter!

 Sig Sauer, one of the many generous supporters of Soldiers' Angels, has donated a very special 1911 to be auctioned on GunBroker.   This two-toned pistol is engraved with the Soldiers' Angels logo and brand, and 100% of the proceeds go to Project Valour-IT.

Click over to this GunBroker link to bid on this beauty.  The auction will end 9 PM Eastern Time, October 23, 2011.  More info here.

Weekend Steam: Firebox Fundamentals

I'll have a nice load of ash, with some hickory sprinkled in for a little oomph, and a garnish of walnut on top, just to let the old girl know she's special.

Crankin' It Up

Ross' Juba, a minstrel show tune by the early Twentieth Century musician, Eddie Ross.  Everyone should be issued a banjo when they are born.


AND A BONUS!  There was a very deep earthquake today in the Fiji Isles, and that reminded me of this gem that we first posted in 2008.

Like Wearing The Cone Of Silence

Charles Ricci and Gary Lemanski of Pro-Ears spent Thursday through Saturday at the Rendezvous, and surprised us by giving every registered attendee a set of Pro-Ears Ultra 33 Passive Ear Muffs.   The noise reduction with these muffs is simply amazing, and the soft leather ear cushions are comfortable to wear all day long.  Pro-Ears products are truly top-of-the-line.

Charles and Gary also brought Pro Tac Gold electronic muffs for the gun bloggers to try. These are the muffs to buy if you are serious about shooting and spend a lot of time at the range.

Zeke tried out both models, and he is thinking seriously about ordering a set of custom fitted electronic muffs to use in his noisy work environment. Check out the Pro-Ears website.   Pro-Ears products are American made, in Traverse City, Michigan.

Just to Cap Things Off

That's a mighty funny hat for a gunslinger!

It Comes Around So Soon

Back To The Old Grind!