Just Shooting The Breeze

One of the best things about shooting is how awesome it is and the other day's outing with my brother was no exception. Just a lot of fun, shooting the breeze with an AR and a Glock. 

A Typical Aberystwyth Pub

Rumour has it that the Dallas Light Cavalry (DLC irreg) is open to overseas recruits, as long as they have a solid Texan connection and can shoot. 

That might knock Prince Cider (Charles) into touch, but perhaps Aberystwyth is in the running?

One Flyer But Good Work

100 yard head shots with a red dot and pretty much totally fresh to the weapon. Not shabby at all, I'd say.

Well done, bro. Big fun to get out in the field and welcome to the Mess, irregular as it is.

Gun Rights,

LSP

Shoot!

In Aberystwyth you're not allowed to shoot Glocks or AR15s because they're far too dangerous. So when my brother drove over from Dallas, where he's taking a vacation from "Aber", I loaded up the rig with some deadly assault rifles and a couple of .45s. And off we went to the range.

First off, we tackled a green silhouette at 30 and 50 yards with a banned-in-the-UK carbine, topped with a Primary Arms red dot. It's a fun gun to shoot and my brother did well, handily putting down the green terrorist. Take that, paper aggressor, you lose.

Note Cooking Glock

Then it was time for some banned-because-Brits-can't be-trusted-with-pistols Glock action. Mostly against steel plates at 10, 18, 24 and 30 yards. Big excitement as the workmanlike bit of Austrian engineering roared in the hand with explosive fury. Great enjoyment.

The best shots of the day went to my brother, who scored a series of headshots at 100 yards against the green enemy. Not bad, given no magnification and a dot.

Moral of the story? Shoot more.

Gun rights,

LSP

Pier Pressure

"I want to go to the Pier."

"Er, why?"

"Because it's awesome."

So that's what we did, climbed into the Mercedes and drove, fast and furious, through the winding streets of downtown Aberystwyth until we reached the wave racked seafront and its famous Pier. Gulls shrieked overhead as we skidded to a stop, loose Welsh grit flying like shrapnel.

Team on Target

"Do it!" No time for hesitation, this is D Day, and the Team was out of the vehicle and making for the Pier. Open the door, walk right through the casino glow of the slots, they mean nothing, and hit the objective. That's right, our target, Aber's notorious Inn on the Pier bar.

Windowpanes

It was empty. "I'd like a pint of San Miguel, please. Make that two, and a glass of red wine," I asked the lonely barman. "Right you are, sir," he replied, and there we were, on the Pier. "It's like being on the Channel Ferry," I observed, looking at the sea through the windows of the deserted bar. "I feel seasick," replied my brother. "Don't be ridiculous," said JS with characteristic common sense, "It's nothing like being on the Channel Ferry." 

Dizzy

We sipped our drinks, watching the seafront through windows that might have seen better days, or not. "But it is awesome," I replied at last, "It's the Pier."

We wanted to go outside, to the end of the Pier, and look out to sea and Ireland and the barman told us it was closed, but he did show us how to go through the snooker hall to an outside smoking area. We walked through the snooker tables, past young Welshmen sticking darts in their hands, and made it outside.

The Seafront

The sun shone through the clouds, illuminating the seafront with a golden glow. It was a good moment and I imagined the same coast, with its now ruined castle, standing guard against Irish raiders. 

The Aberystwyth Angel

Then the moment passed and we left, mission accomplished. "I feel dizzy," said my brother, "I know," I replied, "It's like being on the Channel Ferry." JS wasn't playing, "It's not like a ship at all. But look at that angel!" And sure enough, off to our right was an angel, wings outspread towards the sea.

Perhaps it's the spirit of the place.

LSP

Welsh Church Plummets, Where's Barry?

The stats are in and they're not looking good for the Anglican Church of Wales. Figures show that the already small church has gotten even smaller, with worshiping attendance dropping by a whopping 50% since 1990, leaving a mere 29,019 people attending church on any given Sunday. 

Archbishop Barry Morgan 

To put the decline into perspective, the shrinking Anglican Church of Wales has an average Sunday attendance smaller than the population of greater Aberystwyth.

Another Sunny Day in Aber

This discouraging trend prompted the Rev. Stephen Bunting to warn the church’s governing body that unless something changes, the church’s centenary celebrations in 2020 will be “just a few cucumber sandwiches at a wake.” 

The Welsh Church's leader, Archbishop Barry Morgan, believes that gay marriage is biblical. Barry was last seen over the Bristol Channel, at an altitude of 1000'. 

Unconfirmed Report of Barry Morgan Drifting Above Borth

Reports that the high-flying Archbishop was seen drifting over Borth golf club are unconfirmed.

Gorau Moes Gwasanaeth,

LSP

Texas Country

Unlike Chicago, no one's trying to manufacture a riot here in Texas, but we are mostly underwater. Smart people are investing in watercraft to navigate our newfound inland seas. 

It's Like Aberystwyth But Everyone Has A Deadly Assault Rifle

I have a good mind to go fishing after visiting the flock. I might even break with tradition and catch something. In the rain.

God bless,

LSP

Borth

Borth

You may not know it but there's this small town in Wales called Borth. It's a short drive from Aberystwyth and seems to be pretty much controlled by older hippies who run all these overpriced junk antique shops, "galleries, and novelty cafes. Hippies are known for their thieving.

relaxing after a hard days thieving 

Borth also has sand dunes, which puts me in mind of Sting. Some people think that Sting's greatest cinematic performance was in Dune, others feel that he was even better in Brimstone and Treacle. But I won't judge, decide for yourself!

the genius of Sting

So go and visit Borth; it's just this little strip of hippie go-downs and a couple of pubs in a line facing the sea, right there on the Western edge of the Island.

edge of the world

Cheers,

LSP