Drive about 45 minutes out of Calgary and you get to High River, which is "a vibrant, People-First community and the back door to the Kananaskis." Marketing aside, it was fun to get out of the city and visit family within sight of the mountains; there they were, at the very end of the road, and you can imagine the toughness of the people who pioneered this place, in the winter. Like Texans but Brits and Scots in the snow for months.
War against the Weather aside, I was knocking about in the backyard, watching the grass grow, when all of a sudden I spotted a Daisy lying nonchalantly against a wall. Yes, it was loaded, and there was a tin can.
Put two and two together and what do you get? No, not maths racism, but a backyard shooting range, so I set to, practicing abominably rusty off-hand with the little BB monster. Big fun, watch that can pop around the lawn. It brought me back to my youth and an air gun, a BSA pump, in Oxford. Sorry, birds, I genuinely apologize.
No sooner were hundreds of BBs exhausted than feminine cries echoed from the kitchen, "Please, please get us Poutine! It's just at the end of the street!" Huh. Off I went to the end of the street and there were the mountains, most majestic, but no poutine shop, so I recced around, miraculously found the place, and all was well in High River.
Maybe I need to invest in an air gun when I get back to Texas, just for backyard plinking and keeping the eye in, sort of thing. Shooting is, well, shooting, eh?
Cheers,
LSP
There are a lot of air guns on Amazon and gunbroker. It sounds like you’re having fun!
ReplyDeleteJust taking it as I find it, Anon.
ReplyDelete"As to the species of exercise, I advise the gun. While this gives a moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprize, and independance to the mind. Games played with the ball and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks." Thomas Jefferson to his nephew Peter Carr, with certain spelling irregularities to the modern rules by Mr. Jefferson preserved.
ReplyDeletePractice is practice...enjoy the 'north' before the cold sets in!!!
ReplyDeleteI remember using the little darts you could shoot out of the .177
ReplyDeleteThat was almost 50 years ago and no one gave it notice ... "there'he goes shooting those little darts with the red feathers"
Have fun LSP!
Nice Horse Totem.
ReplyDeleteYou'll shoot your eye out, kid.
ReplyDeleteHow long before you leave the forbidding north and return to the Heart of Texas (with your new Red Rider BB gun)?
ReplyDeleteJust back, LL, mission accomplished.
ReplyDeleteHeh, good call, Swankenstein.
ReplyDeleteIt struck me too, Juliette.
ReplyDeleteI used to love thos little darts, Seamus! Must invest in some air gun tech...
ReplyDeleteGreat weather until last night, NFO, then brrrrrr. Exciting for me though.
ReplyDeleteWhat excellent advice, Wild.
ReplyDelete