FIRST TIME SHOOTER -- SELCO --FLANK STEAK

A 20's something shooting at 30'. First time ever. Nervous. Asked us for help, one on one. 

We look for any reason, not that we need one, to go to the range and plink. Practice. Visit with others. Maybe clean a few cobwebs to boot. 

The reason behind many of the youngsters we see like this varies. Some are in physical danger, some are curious. Some are conflicted with shooting guns and  gun ownership that goes against some of the grains of their lives. They all have a common gut feeling that having this skill set is the right thing to do for themselves. Individual thinkers. 

We enjoy time with them in a no-threat, non-judgmental environment and concentrate our training on gun safety and basics. Some of the gun baggage they bring with them is cleaned out and they leave with the wanting of more for the right reasons. Sport, improving skill sets, self protection and a better understanding of their individual right to bear arms. It is all good!!  

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FROM OL' REMUS AND THE ORGANIC PREPPER 

The author of the article excerpt is written by SELCO, a survivor the Balkan War. Just maybe, good food for thought!

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THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN

Family hand-me-down butcher knife. Holds an excellent edge and perfect for long pulls through a slab 'O' meat. 

Last slab of 5 cryo packed beef flaps. I do not know that we save any money any more cutting our own steaks, flank steaks and steak tips. But we do get a choice and I enjoy some butchering practice. The freezer better feeds the grill as good weather is now upon us.

Try this. Probably shared before. Marinate your flank steak in a large flat dish in soy sauce, W sauce and A1 steak sauce. Lots of garlic and lots of chopped green onions. Turn once during the day. 

Hot up your grill. Toss the wet marinated flank fteak on, drop the cover for 3 minutes. Do not check on the flair-ups. Turn and repeat. Flank steak usually varies in thickness. The thinner parts will be well done, then medium and then rare as you work your way into the middle. Adjust cook times as wanted. Let rest a few minutes before slicing. But serve when sliced. 

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GAME OF THRONES is over.

We enjoyed it. Good entertainment every episode. We were not the type of fans that found fault in every turn of events. Took it a face value. 

I read where there are over a million folks signing a petition to have the producers re-do this whole last season. Yes, they are serious. No concept that they have an off button and freedom of choice not to partake.

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MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND

Weather in middle New Hampshire is most cooperative this holiday weekend. Rain holds off till late night time and sun and warmth prevails during the day. 

Attended a house warming an hour north of here yesterday. Laid back, relaxing and good conversations with many friends. Jello shots were available and I could not tell you the last decade in which I had Jello shots. Serious dieting now stopped me from enjoying a few tastes of the past, but watching others sufficed. I did though step out with a few shots of the non-alcoholic fruit punch. 

Last Rolling Thunder Ride in DC today. We did a half dozen of those trips and rides in years past and a part of us is sad that something this wonderful for all veterans, and one of the largest motorcycle rides each year is passing.

PLINKING

Trip with son to the 100 yard range last week.

Re-visiting MOA adjustments, bullet drop and adjusting the scope as needed for varying distances. 

Test will be next time to the 200 yard range with a bullet drop of 22" at that distance. Will I be able to do the math and adjust the scope to at least get on paper first shot?

Surprisingly accurate, bullet drop from 50 yards to 100 yards was within two clicks of doing the math. 

A little shaky on holding the perfect center, trigger pull and correct breathing also played their parts.

Plinking with family and friends always a great outing too.

Thanks for the visit this week. 

ONE RULE OF FAILURE - - MARVEL -- STEM CELL INJECTION UP-DATE

One of life's rules is that nothing ever breaks or fails until late at night, or on a weekend or holiday. And the failure is always something that has to be lived with until a repair man can come. So, the home well-water pump failure early last week was in keeping with all of this.

First problem out of the box is the inability to flush the toilet. Yes, one flush left in the tank, but then what? In our case, there was enough pressure left to fill each toilet once. Good for 24 hours max.

A trip to the store to purchase 6 gallons of water for toilets, making coffee and some hand-washing. I could have tapped some of our emergency storage but it was quicker and easier to go to the market. Four dollars!! Those 6 gallons can disappear in a heartbeat and they did.

We have always counted on being able to run the water pump in a long emergency with a generator. But when the pump or low pressure switch fails, that plan fails.

A call to the pump guy brought him the next morning, prepared to replace the pressure switch, the pump and or the holding tank. Replacing a well water pump with a 400' vertical run is not a quick fix but this kid had pre-planned having to do any or all of this project.

He thinks that the motor is starting to fail and that the motor stopped on a dead spot in the turnings where the electrical current would not turn it on. This is not a hundreds of dollars of repair, but thousands!!

He got the pump started and working with some fiddling. We ruled out a leak in the system and now are running the system until further notice. We are fortunate to have a repair man that is reliable for repair in a short turn around. The other positive is that this repair man has been with us since we built the house and knows the system well.

The lack of water in the after will be a killer: quickly. But it can be pre-planned for. With fresh portable water storage and a rain water collection system, this problem can be managed.

The storage of fresh water and a rain collection system is short money. How much water do you and your family need on a daily basis. Figure that out and increase the gallonage by 25%. How many days will that give you? Think Venezuela!!

Lesson for me this time, was how much water 2 people use through the day and night in everyday living.

Here is an excellent project, again, short money. Make one, set it aside for back up along with dry sawdust. I have mentioned this option before.

https://humanurehandbook.com/store/Lovable_Loo_Compost_Toilet.html

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MARVELS AGENTS OF SHIELD...

...aired last week and I need to dredge up the bottom of a crap vocabulary to adequately cover my disappointment in how low this series has sunk. The entertainments industry agenda is alive and well this season, but there is no story line. None. Nada, Kaput! An excellent series to turn on and then go outside to do chores.

Many new actors now that need to be developed and old favorites completely destroyed in a desperate attempt to keep the series moving ahead with meaning and interest. The lack of talent of the writers and producers is the best story line of all. I can go on, but only deeper in disappointment and a fans contempt for the literal destruction of a television series.

Maybe Marvel is taking notes from the last of Raymond Reddington and Elizabeth Keene's fall from a series crew utter failure to keep a good story line alive.

We were loyal fans, but then again what do we know?

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THANK YOU JOHN WICK 3

Don't ya just love the dogs?

https://youtu.be/CbI3VBLxOno

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PLANTING SOME HERBS

No more gardens for us. All taken down last year and now just some dabbling in a few fresh herbs and flowers for color yard happiness.

Cool temperatures and rain holding on to the beginning of continuous warm dry spring/summer days. Yes, we middle New England folks are complaining about this too.

As the growing season progresses, my wife and I are again going to sell our act as older folks and just happen to stop by more often at our younger neighbors and friends homes. They always seem to have some extra home grown garden veggies.

“Oh, you don't have to do that, but if you have extra and need to get rid of some of these fresh tomatoes, zucchini, string beans and green onions, we will be happy to help out.” “You don't have chicken yet, huh?”

We do not have them fooled at all. Our acting is not that good.

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STEM CELL INJECTION UP-DATE

Been 4 weeks now and I can confidently say that the injection is working. Little things I could not do a month ago without noticeable pain I can do now. Lifting a cup of coffee off of the table next to my arm chair all the way to taking sips to returning it to the table. The downward motion of buckling a safety belt in the passengers seat. Lifting a half gallon of milk out of the fridge using my left arm. Others!

There are still places I cannot go with my arm. I do not know how well all of that will improve. But I think that when all is said and done, my every day comfort and basic close in arm movements will be worth the endeavor. Anything beyond that will be lagniappe.

A 15-20 pound loss of weight has also helped. The diet is working and I have not cheated once. I have wanted to: a gin and tonic, the warm bread and butter, the chocolate cake and ice cream at a social gathering this past weekend. Hard and all of me wanted just a sneak taste. But that would have meant starting all over and 28 days of good behavior lost. So, on with the program.

Now the 4-8 week of healing and additional activities begin. Some lifting of weights. A little testing of what is working until the shoulder reports it has had enough.

Maintain the diet, no alcohol, no stress and practice cautious optimism. A check up visit with the nurse recently reinforced that this is a 6 months healing process. He explained it does take time, but from our discussions he noted that my progress is positive. I will continue to exercise good sense and work the time table.

Canceling two shoulder replacement surgery appointments over the past 3 years have been two of the best decisions of my life.

FOILING THE ROBINS

For some unknown reasons, the robins have found that sitting on my tuck mirrors to poop is their only option here. Over and over and over. Every time I walk out to the truck, a robin is sitting on a mirror. I moved the parking spot and the robins followed.

"Not Today"

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Living in a crazy world continues on high. Coast to coast and around the globe. No one I visit with has any good news about our tomorrows. The divisions amongst us seems to be getting more pronounced. Regardless: work the days, the family, the happy and prepare one more thing this week. Check it off your list.

Thanks for the visit.