Consumatum Est

The Altars are stripped, Christ lays in the tomb, and death, apparently, has won. Now is the judgement of this world, and its redemption.

Consumatum Est.

LSP

Juke Box Sunday

Part of the ethos behind this family blog is firearms, or guns. And I'm in an AR phase right now; I like the little gas-driven heaters. But some people think they lack knock-down stopping power, and they call these deadly assault rifles "poodle guns."

With that in mind, I wouldn't mind something a bit heavier. Like an M14. Some of you might think this rifle passed out of use, services no longer required. Think again and check out LL's post on the M14 and its enhanced SEAL variant.

When we ride on Austin and hook West to take out Burning Man and San Francisco, there'll be a few EBRs in the mix. And Drones. Obviously.

Shoot straight,

LSP

I Love Texas

Presented without comment.

LSP

Rural Ministry #2

Look. It's not all country rust-belt dystopia in the rural ministry. After you say Morning Prayer (Mattins), take Blue Bedford Forest for a walk and drink some coffee, it's only a short drive to the fields.

Sometimes it's misty, which I like, it reminds me of England. 

Then, when you've taken the Sacrament to the sick, you can drive back to HQ, pick up Blue Eschaton and go off and shoot. He's adjusting to gunfire, fortunately for him.

Then, after Evening Prayer (Vespers), you can clean guns and have a glass of the right stuff.

So I'm not complaining. 

I love the country.

LSP

Squirrelly

Keen-eyed readers of this so-called blog will know that my pal's "squirrel rig" is a Ruger 10/22 with a fixed power 4x40 scope. My squirrel rig isn't so fancy, just an old JC Higgins bolt action .22, with open sights. It was old when I got it 5 years ago at the Gold Nugget Pawn & Gun and I'd like an upgrade. Probably another bolt action, a Ruger American? And a 10/22, for semi-auto fun? And a lever, too, just because they're neat. Anyway.

Out in the Field

Monday morning seemed like as good a time as any to test the rigs against the squirrels, so we set up in some woods and waited.

Woods

I like listening to the sound of the woods after getting into position and being still, senses tuned. Before long the trees come alive with birds and, hopefully, squirrels. After about 20 minutes we starting calling, or at least my buddy did; I'm not sure if my strangled sounding chirps qualified. 

Creek

The effort didn't go completely unrewarded. Outlying Squirrel Force scouts made an appearance, 4 of them, but they were fast and we didn't get a shot. Still, location confirmed, and we moved on, deeper into the woods till we got to a mighty oak (not the tree in the picture, obv.) that leaned over a creek.

It was good to be there, in silence, knowing that that tree had been there well before the land and Ralph's Creek was even mapped. I kept an eye out for the arboreal adversary and Indian artifacts, but didn't see either. Vultures swooped down on the tops of the trees, just visible through the canopy.

High Flyers

We made our way back to my truck, via a V of migrating Cranes, and I shot my friend's "rig" off the back of my rig. Proper little blaster. I like the Ruger 10/22; just a lot of fun to shoot.

Message to market? Get out in the woods and hunt more.

LSP

I Went to West and Got a Haircut

Typical West Street Scene

Like the song says, I was born to have adventure, so I climbed in the truck and drove to West for a haircut. They have a barber there.

He was in his 70s and had a dyed blond "fauxhawk." Pretty sharp, and I told him, "I'd like a haircut please." He replied, "Like you're 16 again and all the girls like you! Gets to where they don't even notice you if they're under 35. Yessir. Medium." So out came the clippers and off went the hair, almost all of it.

Where's Your Hair Gone, Buddy?

He wasn't very happy about being in the Korean war and thought it was pretty much "bullshit." He was even less happy about having to clean planes that had been part of the hydrogen bomb tests.

"But you look alright," I said as I paid him his clipper fee.

"I am not, internally," he replied.

Next year, when my hair's long enough to cut again, I'll go back to that barber.

If you get the chance, go to any of the bakeries in West. They're outstanding.

God bless,

LSP

I Drove to Dallas

I drove to Dallas yesterday to visit a sick man in hospital. After that I fell back to to the DFW HQ with a view to meeting up with some friends at one of the local restaurants. Nothing fancy, just a pizza (they call them "flatbreads"...) and convivial company. But no. That was apparently too much for the team, one of whom "had to go hunting" early the next day. Interesting excuse.

DFW HQ

So I stayed in, creating a powerful marketing strategy for a restaurant/food blog called Cheapskates. The byline being, "We Want Great Scoff at a Great Price."  Stay tuned.

Home Again. Note Kyptek

Then, today, it was time to get back on the road for the country. No complaints there and tomorrow's plan is simple. Say the Mass(es), chair a meeting, go for a horse ride, maybe followed by a shoot.

Golden Void

Speaking of which, I suggested that the Diocese screen potential clergy on their ability to ride and shoot. "If you can't ride, and you can't shoot, you can'get in," I told our bishop, disarmingly. He didn't say no.

I take that as a promising sign.

God bless,

LSP

Just Get Out and Hunt Dove!

I finished Evening Prayer,1928 BCP, thank you very much, and glanced over at a shotgun. Nothing special, just a 12 gauge Mossberg pump. That was enough. "I know," I thought to myself, "I'll go out dove hunting." And that's what I did.

Where's the Dove?

But I didn't go to the usual spot because I didn't want to shoot out the field, so I checked out another place and went  in search of birds.

Spirit of the Moon

An hour or so later I'd flushed a few from the brush, taken a couple of shots, and missed. So I hunkered down in a treeline and waited for the dove to fly. Nothing doing. Buzzards? Yes. If I'd been on a buzzard hunt I'd have reached my bag limit in minutes, which would doubtless be a fine thing, but no dove.

Texas is Alright

Still, it was simply good to be out in the field, senses heightened by the hunt and alive to the sounds, sight and smell of the Texan country. And that's alright.

Dove, listen up. This isn't over.

LSP

Get on the Case! Knife Review

Don't get me wrong, I like my my Spyderco folder, I like my Buck and my Kershaw too and I wouldn't mind a Benchmade, but I wanted something that wasn't "tactical", a knife that'd be handy in the field for cleaning small game and in the home, for slicing up food and opening bottles of wine.

I settled on the Case Trapper, with chrome vanadium steel Clip and Spey blades. Why? For a start, it's good to own something that doesn't have "made in China" written on it; I also liked its traditional styling, its yellow handle (you can see it against the Kryptek), and overall excellent fit and finish.

The knife's razor sharp too, as well as compact enough, at 4 1/8" closed, to fit snugly in the hand or pocket. Open, the knife measures 7 3/8", so it's reasonably substantial and at 4 oz it weighs just right for a jack-knife of its size.

So, does it work? Sure it does, it sliced through some pork chops and onions as if they were butter. Does it look good? If you like the looks of a traditional American classic jack-knife, yes it does. Is it Tactical? No, thank God. Would you recommend it to a friend? Most definitely. Are you going to take up whittling? I highly doubt it but you'll be the first to know if I do. Will you use the Spey blade for its intended purpose? Excuse me?

Case have been making the Trapper since the 1920s and you can see why it's still popular, it's a great little knife. It's inexpensive too, at around $37; I'd say that was value for money.

Get one, if you like Trappers.

LSP

Alright There, Ye Guns

In a big effort to cheat the stereotype, I went for a shoot; nothing fancy, just an AR, a sporter Lee and a .45. I was curious to see if I was still able to use a gun and hit anything smaller than a barn door, like the silhouette of a green terrorist.

Typical Texas Range

Sure enough, the green "terr" took a beating, mostly with the AR, and I was pleased to see decent off-hand groups at 30, 50 and 75 yards. Not so good at 100, annoyingly, and I had to compensate a bit for an ironic tendency to shoot left. Some sort of trigger issue, probably -- don't pull left, LSP! The Lee shot well for an ancient rifle that I'd porch project 'smithed; it was especially good to note that the $50 2nd hand Burris Fullfield scope hadn't drifted. Well done Burris, well done Lee.

Shoot straight,

LSP

Hunt Safari Style, in Texas

It was the final full day of The Dream and we had a several objectives, Viz. Shoot large hogs, a friend to shoot his first Auodad, and for everyone to catch fish. We were partly successful.

Just Where Are The Pigs?

Our shooting party drove out at first light(ish) to find the ancient enemy, Tuskers. Sure enough, we did. There they were! On a far away hill, maybe 800 yards off. Everyone dismounted and moved forward, chambering rounds and glassing the distant hogs. A long shot for sure, and we were hoping for closer contact, so we moved on, guns at the ready and adrenaline flowing. Nothing. 

Maybe The Pigs Are Here

Philisophically inclined GWB decided to take a shot... missed, and the pigs ran. Never to be seen again. Still, fair play to the shooter, off-hand 600-800 yard shots aren't the easiest of things, even if your target is a massive, predatory porcuswine.

Fish

Fresh from the pigs, the team got down to fishing and did alright, 5 Bass (I think) and some Sunfish. Lots of fun and a fried chicken lunch came in tasty too. Then, after a refreshing cold one by the pool, remember, this is the Dream, it was time to hunt North African mountain goats.

Oryx

We set off in search of one or more of the several herds. Spotted! Dismount, chamber a round, safety on, stalk. We got close, but they ran; time to drive on. After several false starts we found a couple of stragglers, mixed in with a small gang of Oryx. Now, it was near dusk and probably the last opportunity for our friend, CB, to get his kill. If he wanted the goat he had to take this shot, but it was a challenge because the animal was mixed in with the exotic Oryx and we weren't able to shot them. A challenge shot, for sure. CB decided to take it.

Good Shot, CB

We got into position, moving stealthily with the wind through the brush and as close to the animals as possible, to within about 80 yards. CB hunkered down, rested my Lee Enfield sporter on some sticks and scoped out the goat. Minutes passed. Then the Oryx parted, and the shot was clear. Cross hairs on, breathe, squeeze the trigger, shoot! The goat went down, shot by CB (well done) and the mighty .303 Brit.

Random Truck Gun

We finished off with war stories around the lodge's outdoor fire. The larger logs, and they were large, were named after ships, HMS Nelson for example, or politics, Old Tory etc. GWB shot a bobcat across the river with the .303. Project gun? Vindicated.

Old Tory

But I won't bang on. A more than good time was had by all. Huge thanks to MM for the party and congrats to CB and DV on their shots. Excellent result.

God bless,

LSP