Ranching

Children of the Sun

This small "kebob stand on the information superhighway" (thx. MCP) is supposed to be about country life in Texas, among other things. Part of that means ranching, or in my case visiting them. I had an invite to one the other day -- just a whole lot of fun driving around on an area about a third of the size of the Isle of Wight. Perhaps because of the red soil and the light it reminded me of Africa. Beautiful. The illusion was made all the better by various "Boks" and assorted exotics.

Where's Karen Blixen?

But did you shoot any hogs, LSP? I hear you ask. Well, I tried. The ranch foreman kindly drove our small shooting party around in a sturdy 4x4 and put us on top of a small herd of swine moving through the brush. Embarrassingly, no one scored. I'll spare you the details. That catastrophe occurred after an evening's walkabout for small game. We went out with shotguns and a 22 in search of rabbits and squirrels, but there weren't any. 

Shoot the Pig

There were, however, around twelve hogs crossing our trail at around 30 yards. There they ambled, just taking it easy on their way to destroy something. And there we were, pathetically undergunned. The porcine menace passed calmly towards whatever mayhem they had planned, unscathed. To cap it off, I went for a stroll with a friend's dog on our last day. Just moving down a fence line with a river and bluffs on my left, dog going ahead; I wasn't expecting anything but took an AR along just in case there was some action. Sure enough, there was!

Ford

About 20 minutes into my armed incursion into hogspace there was some squealing, down by the river, as it were. And there, about 150 yards off, was a big pig. Maybe it caught wind of the dog, or me. Whatever, up went the AR, squeeze went the finger and... nothing! The safety was on. Off it went and my next shot echoed out, but no good. The hog was in full gallop and I missed by a couple of feet. Grrrr. That annoyed me; I know better than that. Safety off, shoot, safety on. 2nd nature, or at least it was... Next time.

Typical LSP Hunt

Then all too soon it was back to the compound, which seemed strangely industrial (which it isn't) after the wilderness.

Remember, kids, release the safety catch on your weapon when you try to shoot something.

Cheers,

LSP

BUG-A-SALT

The BAS

Listen up, hunters. Some people scorn small game hunting, preferring to go after Elk, Bear, Cape Buffalo and the mighty Elephant. Some settle for less, the noble Buck, or the the vicious, marauding Hog. But look, don't look down at the option of going after something smaller; you can have all the thrill of the hunt without having to get a lease, or fly to Africa. Enter the BUG-A-SALT. (BAS)

The Original Salt Gun

The BAS is a compact pump-action salt gun and it comes attractively styled in industrial yellow and black; remember, your firearm is a tool and the BAS looks like one. A tool for shooting small game, flies.

Clear Instructions

It's simple to operate. Put salt into the BAS' top mounted magazine, cock the action and you're good to go, off on your fly hunt. This reviewer didn't waste any time and before long there was my quarry, lined up in the BUG-A-SALT's pop-up sights. SALT BLAST. One fly down.

This Thing Works

What's this weapon's effective range? As advertised, about 3' but I'd recommend getting a bit closer to the quarry, shooting from around 1'. Is it accurate? Accurate enough to hit minute of fly. Does it work? Yes. Is it safe? It is, provided you don't succumb to the heady temptation of deploying the BAS at dinner parties where industrial quantities of cheap red wine have been consumed.

Predator Down

So I recommend the BUG-A-SALT, America's original salt gun. It's made by Skell Inc and you can order yours here.

Good hunting,

LSP

I Like West

Czechoslovakians Settled This Town

The other day I drove to Waco and those of you who know I35 will agree that that's no small thing. On the way back I stopped at West, which was settled by Czechs and badly hurt by its industry, a fertilizer plant, blowing up last year. I heard the explosion from a good 20 miles away; bad business and a miracle that more people weren't killed.

Downtown West

So I pulled off the highway and into West to have a look around. There's the obligatory failing "antique" shops, a couple of Czech bakeries, a feed store, a barber, some bars (well done) and a railway line that still goes through the middle of the town. Freight only.

Better Days, My Friend

West has had better days, no doubt about it. The sidewalks are cracked, you'll see the odd broken window here and there but you know what, I like West, it had a good atmosphere and the people were friendly. I understand they sell ammo at their hardware shop and I'll be back to check that out, maybe the barber too.

God bless West,

LSP

Whassup?

Retreat!

So what's been going on in LSPland? A well-needed diocesan clergy retreat, for a start, led by the new Bishop of San Joaquin, Eric Menees. Menees gave a series of meditations on the duties of clerical life; all good practical stuff, emphasizing the priesthood as a way of life, as opposed to a job that you turn up for and then clock-off from at the end of the day. Sound advice, perhaps especially to those U.S. Anglican clergy who commute from a suburb to their office, stay there till late afternoon and then commute back to their little slice of subdivision heaven. But plastic siding aside, helpful for all of us. Thanks, bishop Menees.

St. Ignatius Loyola

The retreat house, which is run by Jesuits, had a fair amount of Ignatian literature to hand and I read some. Not only was Ignatius a soldier who laid down his arms for the religious life but he also, apparently, believed that everyone has one primary, or foundational "grace", and one correlative sin. Knowing the one can lead to enlightenment and progress in the other. For Loyola, the sin was "vainglory" and triumph at arms, which translated into Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam, For the Greater Glory of God.

I like that. Respect to St. Ignatius Loyola.

God bless,

LSP

March of the Lees

Just Some Lees

One of the first things I did when I moved to the countryside was go to the local pawn shop, the Gold Nugget. Why? Well, there wasn't much else to do here and it seemed like most of the town were there, so I figured it was a pastoral duty to visit. Fly the flag, kind of thing. Also they had guns and that was a big draw. Especially the Lee Enfield No. 4 Mk. I that stood on the rack, beckoning. Matching serials, bright bore, good rifling and a whole lot of nostalgia. So I bought it and before long the Lees were multiplying, partly because SBW was saying, "Go on! Sort out a Lee Sporter!"

That's How It's Really Done (not by me)

$100 later I was into an SMLE Mk.III porch project, stripping paint, sanding (and sanding and sanding and sanding and...) and generally fixing up an old 1917 battle rifle. I wanted to get something like a Lee Speed, which I didn't because I don't have the skills but still, I was pleased with the result. I've put an ATI rail on it and mounted a used Burris Fullfield. The scope's died, so I figure I'll get something cost-effective, maybe a Nikon.

Willie Nelson Loves Lee Enfields

That leaves a spare No. 4. Speak to a smith and get a Scout Rifle, that's what I'm thinking.

If you don't like Stardust by Mr. Nelson you're a fool.

LSP

Coyote Hunt

Scouting done, it was time to move in on the coyotes. My philisophical friend and all-round sportsman, GWB, drove down from Dallas to join in and off we went. The moon was high and so was the adrenaline as we got to my parishioner's farm; you could hear multiple packs howling in the distance. An eerie sound but exciting, maybe we'd get a dog. So we made our way to the first setup, got downwind, waited for 10 minutes and listened, senses alive.

GWB

Then GWB called, using a cell phone and a remote Bluetooth speaker, while I scanned with a red light. We were definitely in the presence of coyotes and GWB's certain one padded around our position to check out the interesting Jackrabbit distress call. Could be, something was was out there in the sage with us but we didn't see it, so no shot.

Obviously

The next setup was a better position; slightly higher ground in a small copse, with a good field of vision and the calling began again, but the coyotes had moved on and so did we after about 30 minutes. Then it was back to the truck through swarms of rabbits, you could've caught them with a net, and dinner at the Compound. GWB had bought several varieties of duck he'd shot and that made for fine scoff.

No kills but a good night was had by all.

LSP

Scouting Coyotes

Scout the Farm

A parishioner's farm has been terrorized by coyotes lately, (they killed a cow) so I went to scout out the problem and see where the dogs were running.

Coyote Crossing

It was a beautiful day to walk the fencelines and sure enough, the coyotes had worn a path through the bank of a creek. A kind of coyote highway to rabbits, mice, chickens, goats and cows.

Tracks

I figured that might be a good area to setup and call; a safe place to take a shot and obviously visited by the offenders. If that didn't work, I could fall back 100 or so yards to a copse on high ground and try from there. 

Then it was back to the truck via a turtle shell, Polled Herefords and some chickens.

Polled Herefords

Great to get out in the field and remember, 2014 is the Year of the Gun. 

Cheers,

LSP

Get a New Gun?

What Gun?

I'm thinking of getting a new gun, probably a bolt .308 or .30-06 but it's confusing because there's a lot of rifles out there in the right price range and they all seem good. Like the Ruger American or the new offering by Savage; very affordable. That said, I'd prefer something that wasn't black plastic. Maybe I should look for a used rifle, one with a wood stock?

Mighty Ballistics

Then there's pistols. I fired a friend's XD .45 the other day and really liked it, so now I want a new pistol. But it's like rifles -- which one? Something chambered for 9mm, perhaps a 4th Gen Glock, or the CZ SP-01 (steel frame)? Then there's SIGs and XDs. Tricky.

I think they're all good, and they are, but feel free to advise. I want to get several. 2014 will be the Year of the Gun.

Shoot straight,

LSP

Skunk

SBW's Crossbow

There's a skunk in my house. It must have crept in through the basement and made its way to the downstairs bathroom, where it's made itself a kind of den. Animal Control has put a trap enclosed in a black plastic bag at the entrance of its den. 

Skunk Den

So far the skunk has resisted this ploy. It has also resisted the temptation to spray, for which I thank God. Church people have urged me to shoot the skunk with a crossbow. But I won't; I am a man of peace.

The Egg

In other exciting news, I was sitting on the front porch with some of the team, when a chicken ran into an adjacent hedge, squawked loudly, laid an egg, then strutted off quickly from whence it came.

The egg is now in my fridge.

That is all.

LSP

And So The Fun Begins

er....

TransNativities. Just another step in the new normal, or, as our legal team reminds us, quoting Lord Justice Scruton in Crowley v. Constable (1934):

" I thought I had seen it all. I thought everything that was wicked and depraved had at one time been presented before me...." 

Apparently not,

LSP

Sharky's At It Again

Sharky Gets Dorky With The Pope

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Old Etonian oil executive, Justin Welby, who is popularly known as "Sharky", is backing a new Baptism service which doesn't mention sin or the devil. 

Satan?

In the existing rite, candidates are asked to "reject the devil" and "repent" of "sins." However, the Church of England's Liturgy Commission decided to remove these words in favor of more "culturally appropriate and accessible language." Now that Satan and sin have been removed, candidates will be asked to "reject evil, and all its many forms." This, presumably, will be so culturally accessible and appropriate that British atheists will be drawn to the church in droves and reverse the Church of England's drastically declining membership.

Goofy

The logic's simple and runs like this: the less there is to believe, the more people can believe. That's it, the Disbelief Gambit and it's beguiling, isn't it. If only the church lowered its membership requirements to reflect a disbelieving society then all the disbelievers will start going to church again. 

Grinny

Anglicanism and just about every other Western denomination has been deploying the Disbelief Gambit for at least 30 years, in the hope that watered-down, anodyne, dumber and dumber liturgy and doctrine will somehow convert people. But convert them to what? To nothing? They already have that in the comfort of their homes, which is exactly where they've stayed instead of darkening the doors of our churches.

The Old Crook

Welby, who gained the nickname "Sharky" for his sharklike business acumen in plundering Nigerian oil while employed by Elf oil, seems intent on following the path of recent Archbishops, all in the hope of getting disbelievers into church by making the church disbelieving itself.

Good luck with that.

LSP

Goodbye, Calgary

Bison Head

After a good night under one of Calgary's many highlights, the Bison Head, it was time to head back to Texas and Lonestarism. All too soon in a way, because I like Calgary and the Calgarians a lot. I like Canada too, which now seems to be rather less sovcom than the U.S. Who'd have thought it?

Just a bit of LSP

Reflections on the hideous iniquity of our political class aside, a minor snowstorm was blowing in as I left the Canada's economic engine. I was half hoping my flight would be delayed but it wasn't and US Airlines duly dropped me off in the hellhole that is Phoenix airport before taking me on to DFW.

Modern air travel, like getting a bus to Gloucester from London via Chepstow in the '80s.

Now that I'm back in the country I notice my neighbors have added several goats to their herd of chickens and roosters.

Texas Prepper

Nothing like being prepared for the coming crash. 

Have a blessed Epiphanytide,

LSP