I hope everyone had a good time celebrating what ever they believe in over this past holiday.
I loaded up my family intothe swagger wagon and made the 4 hour drive to Bemidji to spend it with my Parents and other family. We ate, played dominoes and talked about numerous topics and generally enjoyed each other's company.
It seems there is a growing movement of people against the holiday for various reasons, and that is their pergoative. My family will continue to celebrate with each other as we always have: eating a home cooked meal, gathering together and enjoying each other's company.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Another Rant!
Sorry all,
This isn't outdoors related but I need to vent so here it goes. We have been fortunate in that we have an in home day care friend who has watched all of our kids almost from the birth of our oldest who will be 9 next month. Her personal lifestyle and politics are different then ours but has never really been an issue until recently. I am not a very political person at all. I hate getting into disscussion about politics and will leave the room when folks start up. I am a Libertarian if anything. I have friends who are very left, like our day care lady and some who are just as right. I don't mind being with these folks for the most part. When they do get up on a soap box so to speak I politley listen, like at a party or get together, and then just mind my own business.
I picked the girls up after school the other day, a couple days after the election, and the girls seemed upset. I asked them what is up and what they told me really has my blood up. The ladies at daycare told them that Mitt Romney wanted to kill Big Bird. I verified with them to be sure of the words used and they said it was. These ladies are wiccan, polygamous, bi sexual, right wing peacenicks and yet the are sitting there telling my kids that the Republican Candidate wanted to KILL BIG BIRD if he was elected. Shame on them for saying this to kids who are impressionable and who take things to heart because they haven't the life experience yet to pick up exageration or sarcasm or what have you. Shame on them for trying to press on my kids their politics. I am still pretty mad about this.
We have been friends with these folks for years and years now and have always been able to take them with a grain of salt and the good they have done by being affordable daycare in an age where the cost is ridiculous. But this has hit me rather hard and I am at odds.
Do you think I am right with being this upset or should I just, "Lighten up, Francis"?
This isn't outdoors related but I need to vent so here it goes. We have been fortunate in that we have an in home day care friend who has watched all of our kids almost from the birth of our oldest who will be 9 next month. Her personal lifestyle and politics are different then ours but has never really been an issue until recently. I am not a very political person at all. I hate getting into disscussion about politics and will leave the room when folks start up. I am a Libertarian if anything. I have friends who are very left, like our day care lady and some who are just as right. I don't mind being with these folks for the most part. When they do get up on a soap box so to speak I politley listen, like at a party or get together, and then just mind my own business.
I picked the girls up after school the other day, a couple days after the election, and the girls seemed upset. I asked them what is up and what they told me really has my blood up. The ladies at daycare told them that Mitt Romney wanted to kill Big Bird. I verified with them to be sure of the words used and they said it was. These ladies are wiccan, polygamous, bi sexual, right wing peacenicks and yet the are sitting there telling my kids that the Republican Candidate wanted to KILL BIG BIRD if he was elected. Shame on them for saying this to kids who are impressionable and who take things to heart because they haven't the life experience yet to pick up exageration or sarcasm or what have you. Shame on them for trying to press on my kids their politics. I am still pretty mad about this.
We have been friends with these folks for years and years now and have always been able to take them with a grain of salt and the good they have done by being affordable daycare in an age where the cost is ridiculous. But this has hit me rather hard and I am at odds.
Do you think I am right with being this upset or should I just, "Lighten up, Francis"?
Monday, November 12, 2012
Television "experts"
I saw something today while channel surfing that has really bothered me. I don'tnormally get upset by this sort of thing but today it really bothered me. I was flipping channels and came to a program called "Gun Gear". They were in the middle of reviewing some Stag Arms AR 15s. Talking about their new relatively inexpensive gas piston models and what not. This was followed by a host of the show demonstrating how much cooler the gas piston model was compared to a traditional gas impingement model.
The test was straight forward, measure bolt temp on a cold weapon, fire a mag through quickly and then measure temp again. He picked up the first gun, locked and loaded and fired towards his target area. I don't know what he was shooting at but he seemed to be at a range so I assume some sort of target was there. It is what he did after he fired that caught my eye. After the last round was fired the hold open caught the bolt, the camera showed this and it was easy to see the chamber was clear. Then the host released the bolt forward with the mag still in inside and set the rifle down and picked up the other. As an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) in the Army for over 20 years, having been a range saftey and Range Safety Officer on countless rifle ranges wht he did not do stood out to me as if it had bells and whistles on it. It happened fast so I watched him shoot the second weapon and repeat what he did with the first rifle to be sure. I even waited and hoped the cameraman would close in on the weapons as he talked so I could be sure. I was kind of surprised by what I saw.
He never put either rifle on safe. As the camera was on facing the right side of the weapons where the selector lever is not visible I looked at the notch on the flat head of the lever and it was pointed straight up, on fire. These Stag arms rifles even had Fire and Safe stamped on the right side and it was crystal clear that both weapons were still on fire. He just continued to talk about the temperature diferences and some other features, even picked them up again so the camera could get better angles.
It really stood out as wrong to me. In our rifle training we emphasize and train constantly to put the weapon back on safe immediately after firing. We hammer it home at every qulification range where the saftey in the tower announces, "Cease fire, cease fire, place your weapon on safe, lock your bolt to the rear, back away from the weapon and stand by for a saftey to inspect you". When we do shoot house training and CQB firing we spend hours with unloaded weapons training in raising our weapon to a target, making certain it is what we want to shoot, switching the lever from safe to semi, firing, switching back to safe and lowering our weapons again. We drill this safety practice home to our troops. We chew each other out if we find weapons on semi when we are in the rear or just hanging around or whatever.
It really struck me as negligence. Now perhaps my view point is skewed but I don't think it is. This person is a host of a program on television that is all about firearms. As a host, he is going to be viewed as some kind of "expert" in the field. As a host on a televison show I think he has the duty to demonstrate safe handling procedures of firearms at all times. In this case I think this was an extreme lack of safety. In the Army and especiallyin the Infantry we always tell ourselves to train as we fight and I sincerely hope this host doesn't do this often. Even if the host and the one cameraman were the only people on a closed range with absolute certainty there was no one else around I would still be bothered by this.
When we are learning basic firearms safety either through the Military or hunter safety courses or conceal carry permt courses we are always taught to keep our weapon on safe until we are ready to fire. it is basic safety and to see it disregarded on a show by an "expert" really bothered me today.
Wow, my first real rant!
The test was straight forward, measure bolt temp on a cold weapon, fire a mag through quickly and then measure temp again. He picked up the first gun, locked and loaded and fired towards his target area. I don't know what he was shooting at but he seemed to be at a range so I assume some sort of target was there. It is what he did after he fired that caught my eye. After the last round was fired the hold open caught the bolt, the camera showed this and it was easy to see the chamber was clear. Then the host released the bolt forward with the mag still in inside and set the rifle down and picked up the other. As an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) in the Army for over 20 years, having been a range saftey and Range Safety Officer on countless rifle ranges wht he did not do stood out to me as if it had bells and whistles on it. It happened fast so I watched him shoot the second weapon and repeat what he did with the first rifle to be sure. I even waited and hoped the cameraman would close in on the weapons as he talked so I could be sure. I was kind of surprised by what I saw.
He never put either rifle on safe. As the camera was on facing the right side of the weapons where the selector lever is not visible I looked at the notch on the flat head of the lever and it was pointed straight up, on fire. These Stag arms rifles even had Fire and Safe stamped on the right side and it was crystal clear that both weapons were still on fire. He just continued to talk about the temperature diferences and some other features, even picked them up again so the camera could get better angles.
It really stood out as wrong to me. In our rifle training we emphasize and train constantly to put the weapon back on safe immediately after firing. We hammer it home at every qulification range where the saftey in the tower announces, "Cease fire, cease fire, place your weapon on safe, lock your bolt to the rear, back away from the weapon and stand by for a saftey to inspect you". When we do shoot house training and CQB firing we spend hours with unloaded weapons training in raising our weapon to a target, making certain it is what we want to shoot, switching the lever from safe to semi, firing, switching back to safe and lowering our weapons again. We drill this safety practice home to our troops. We chew each other out if we find weapons on semi when we are in the rear or just hanging around or whatever.
It really struck me as negligence. Now perhaps my view point is skewed but I don't think it is. This person is a host of a program on television that is all about firearms. As a host, he is going to be viewed as some kind of "expert" in the field. As a host on a televison show I think he has the duty to demonstrate safe handling procedures of firearms at all times. In this case I think this was an extreme lack of safety. In the Army and especiallyin the Infantry we always tell ourselves to train as we fight and I sincerely hope this host doesn't do this often. Even if the host and the one cameraman were the only people on a closed range with absolute certainty there was no one else around I would still be bothered by this.
When we are learning basic firearms safety either through the Military or hunter safety courses or conceal carry permt courses we are always taught to keep our weapon on safe until we are ready to fire. it is basic safety and to see it disregarded on a show by an "expert" really bothered me today.
Wow, my first real rant!
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Veteran's Day
To everyone, please take a moment today and remember the service and sacrifices of the men and women who serve and have served in the Armed Forces. To my brothers and sisters in arms, it is my HONOR to serve alongside you.
Monday, November 5, 2012
My first hunt
Hey all,
I made it back from my first ever deer hunt. While I didn't manage to get a deer for the freezer I did enjoy my time in the stand, and I will be back again as soon as possible.
I did get close to getting one on opening morning but it just didn't happen. The stand my Uncle put me in was a proven one. It sits in a saddle between two hills on the east and west. On the North side was a dried up swamp and on the south side was a lake. It was pretty much the only path deer could take to get past the lake and swamp and my Uncle has taken quite a few deer in this stand in the past.
We got up at 5 am got dressed and made our way out to the stands. I was up and sitting by 6:15 just waiting. It was a little cold, but that is to be expected in November in Minnesota. We had heard there was a chance for flurries of snow and were hoping it would be true. A little of the white stuff really helps visibility. The woods we were in was pretty brushy, lots of little popples all over the place.
Sitting and watching the sun rise and the day shift of nature get up and going was awesome. There were a pair of swans on the lake that started trumpeting with the first rays of the sun. Crows caw-cawing, squirrels scampering. At about 7:30, just about the legal shooting time, I heard something big walking in the woods on the backside of the westerly hill, the bigger of the two hills. It was taking its time just casually making its way around looking for a place to bed or maybe some last minute browse to fill up on before sleep. It came around the hill to the low ground near the lake and then started heading right towards my stand. I had the wind in my favor, blowing towards me from the direction of the animal. The blood started to realy pump as I slowly raised the 7mm and sighted throught he scope towards the sound, my thumb on the safety waiting for a good look at a deer before engaging. The sound kept getting louder and louder, coming right at me. I was really excited! I was going to have a deer in the 1st minutes of the opening morning! Meat for the family and some bragging rights too!
But the deer never came the sound just started to slowy ebb off iback in the opposite direction and it never showed itself to me. Other hunters all around me near and far were firing now, nothing close but still I hoped something would maybe flush my way, but nothing did.
I stayed up in that stand until after 10 a.m. waiting and was back in it by 3 that afternoon and 6 again Sunday morning. Still no luck.
I didn't get my deer this year but I am keeping up a long tradition of deer hunting and will pass it on to my own children if that is what they wish. I am proud and thankful to live in a state like Minnesota with such a rich outdoor sports heritage. I am also proud to carry that tradition and heritage on.
I made it back from my first ever deer hunt. While I didn't manage to get a deer for the freezer I did enjoy my time in the stand, and I will be back again as soon as possible.
I did get close to getting one on opening morning but it just didn't happen. The stand my Uncle put me in was a proven one. It sits in a saddle between two hills on the east and west. On the North side was a dried up swamp and on the south side was a lake. It was pretty much the only path deer could take to get past the lake and swamp and my Uncle has taken quite a few deer in this stand in the past.
We got up at 5 am got dressed and made our way out to the stands. I was up and sitting by 6:15 just waiting. It was a little cold, but that is to be expected in November in Minnesota. We had heard there was a chance for flurries of snow and were hoping it would be true. A little of the white stuff really helps visibility. The woods we were in was pretty brushy, lots of little popples all over the place.
Sitting and watching the sun rise and the day shift of nature get up and going was awesome. There were a pair of swans on the lake that started trumpeting with the first rays of the sun. Crows caw-cawing, squirrels scampering. At about 7:30, just about the legal shooting time, I heard something big walking in the woods on the backside of the westerly hill, the bigger of the two hills. It was taking its time just casually making its way around looking for a place to bed or maybe some last minute browse to fill up on before sleep. It came around the hill to the low ground near the lake and then started heading right towards my stand. I had the wind in my favor, blowing towards me from the direction of the animal. The blood started to realy pump as I slowly raised the 7mm and sighted throught he scope towards the sound, my thumb on the safety waiting for a good look at a deer before engaging. The sound kept getting louder and louder, coming right at me. I was really excited! I was going to have a deer in the 1st minutes of the opening morning! Meat for the family and some bragging rights too!
But the deer never came the sound just started to slowy ebb off iback in the opposite direction and it never showed itself to me. Other hunters all around me near and far were firing now, nothing close but still I hoped something would maybe flush my way, but nothing did.
I stayed up in that stand until after 10 a.m. waiting and was back in it by 3 that afternoon and 6 again Sunday morning. Still no luck.
I didn't get my deer this year but I am keeping up a long tradition of deer hunting and will pass it on to my own children if that is what they wish. I am proud and thankful to live in a state like Minnesota with such a rich outdoor sports heritage. I am also proud to carry that tradition and heritage on.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Apologies for the time span. I know I have some other promised entries and I do plan to get them out but I have something I am really excited to share.
For the 1st time ever I am going deer hunting this season. To understand the significance of this I need to explain a bit. First, I live in Minnesota, where outdoor sports are not only popular but real parts of who Minnesotans are. Growing up as a kid I always had friends that were fishing or hunting or snowmobiling all the time. I didn't get the chance much as I was a city kid with a single Mom. This isn't going to be a sob story just a statement of fact.
My Uncles liked to fish so we at least went on a few trips every summer but none of the males in my family growing up hunted. Now that I have a young son of my own, I want feel compelled to give him the chances I didn't have. That means taking him out into the outdoors as often as I can and sharing with him, and my daughters as well. So far all 3 love to fish for Sunnies off the dock at the lake and we are almost at the point they can hook their own bait and unhook their catches.
But on to hunting. My step Uncle lives in Akeley, MN. He has a spread of land that he hunts every year and according to my folks he gets a deer every time. I was planning to ask him to take me in 2011 but an unplanned for deployment to Kuwait stopped that. I contacted him early this year and the hunt is on! He has 2 stands for both of us and a couple of Remmington 700s I can choose from to use. I'm not the expert shot that I once was back in the day but I still do pretty well at my bi yearly rifle qualifications in the MN Army Guard so I think I can make a 100 yard shot with a scoped rifle that isn't quite zeroed to me.
Anyway I am really excited and so is my Uncle. He has called me several times to tell me how much he is looking forward to the hunt. I really hope this goes well and becomes a family tradition I can pass on to my kids if they choose.
And if nothing else I hope to put a little venison in the freezer for the winter.
For the 1st time ever I am going deer hunting this season. To understand the significance of this I need to explain a bit. First, I live in Minnesota, where outdoor sports are not only popular but real parts of who Minnesotans are. Growing up as a kid I always had friends that were fishing or hunting or snowmobiling all the time. I didn't get the chance much as I was a city kid with a single Mom. This isn't going to be a sob story just a statement of fact.
My Uncles liked to fish so we at least went on a few trips every summer but none of the males in my family growing up hunted. Now that I have a young son of my own, I want feel compelled to give him the chances I didn't have. That means taking him out into the outdoors as often as I can and sharing with him, and my daughters as well. So far all 3 love to fish for Sunnies off the dock at the lake and we are almost at the point they can hook their own bait and unhook their catches.
But on to hunting. My step Uncle lives in Akeley, MN. He has a spread of land that he hunts every year and according to my folks he gets a deer every time. I was planning to ask him to take me in 2011 but an unplanned for deployment to Kuwait stopped that. I contacted him early this year and the hunt is on! He has 2 stands for both of us and a couple of Remmington 700s I can choose from to use. I'm not the expert shot that I once was back in the day but I still do pretty well at my bi yearly rifle qualifications in the MN Army Guard so I think I can make a 100 yard shot with a scoped rifle that isn't quite zeroed to me.
Anyway I am really excited and so is my Uncle. He has called me several times to tell me how much he is looking forward to the hunt. I really hope this goes well and becomes a family tradition I can pass on to my kids if they choose.
And if nothing else I hope to put a little venison in the freezer for the winter.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
My Gear pt 2
The second post regarding my gear for getting out into the wilds. This will cover what I have found most useful in my Finn Gas Mask bag which I use for day trips.
This bag has quickly become a very popular day tripper bag but the Bushcraft community. It seems to be readily available, holds a good ammount of gear, and can be found very inexpensive. I bought mine for $3.99. It is made of cotton canvas and as it comes is not water resistant at all. I have done nothing to mine yet to ammend this but there are folks who domod them to make them more waterproof. I will, at some point do this and you can be sure that I will post the process and results here on the blog.
It has a strap system theat is pretty common to protective mask carriers. What I mean is, it has a waist strap and another ssmaller strap usually wrapped around your thigh to hold the bag closer and tighter to you so you can open it quickly when needed. Using it for a day bag I wear the waist strap asa shoulder strap across my body. I simply tighten up the unused leg strap and let it hang.between me and the bag.
On to the pictures!
Here is the Finn bag next to my packed ALICE medium rucksack for size reference.
Another shot of the loaded bag.
And now a pic of what I have in the bag in these pictures. Again these are the things I have found useful at this moment. More will be added or modified as I will explain. One problem I had was overpacking this bag. I used it a few times with a standard sized Nalgene and my Gransfor Bruks Wildlife hatchet packed inside. The was far too much and the snap closures couldn't handle the strain and constantly popped open. This led me to have to devise another method of carrying water and a hatchet if needed. Again this issue has been noticed by others and a quick internet search or a search of the forums in my side bar will give you more ideas of what to do if you need a solution. My solution was to carry a water bottle in my pocket and my hatchet on my belt if I really need it. I carry a fixed blade on my belt at all times out in the woods so if I need a hatchet I either add it to the belt or replace the knife.
Now for the contents
Really a pretty basic set up here. At the top of the photo are my work gloves and a roll of about 50' or so of military paracord (aka 550 cord). On the left side is a Kellam Puukko. This knife, or a Mora Classic 1 are always in this bag. Both knives are solid users and I know I can trust them if needed. Next to the knife are a survival blanket, a GI Lensatic compass (self luminous), a small altoids tin packed with Petroleum Jelly cotton balls, a box of stormproof matches which I need to get a watertight carrier for, and a ferro rod and coffinshaped striker. Next is a plastic spoon from an MRE. I got used to always having one on me in the military and now it has become a habit. A can of SPAM to eat if needed. The green altoids is a small personal survival kit, the red altoids is my fire kit. Next is a signal mirror, a fox 40 whistle and a piece of cloth cut from a military VS-17 signal panel. The panel piece is bright orange on one side and bright ink on the reverse. It is big and bright enough to use to signal a searching aricraft if neede and or a safe landing zone. Finally I have an OD/Black Shemagh, the uses for which are numerous. Earth, wind, and fire protection; arm sling, dew rag....you name it.
And that's it. As always it is a work in progress. SOmethings that go in or out as need are sunscreen and bug reppellant. I bought a bag for each of my kids and am starting them on their own "adventure" bags which they add gear to as they acquire it.
This bag has quickly become a very popular day tripper bag but the Bushcraft community. It seems to be readily available, holds a good ammount of gear, and can be found very inexpensive. I bought mine for $3.99. It is made of cotton canvas and as it comes is not water resistant at all. I have done nothing to mine yet to ammend this but there are folks who domod them to make them more waterproof. I will, at some point do this and you can be sure that I will post the process and results here on the blog.
It has a strap system theat is pretty common to protective mask carriers. What I mean is, it has a waist strap and another ssmaller strap usually wrapped around your thigh to hold the bag closer and tighter to you so you can open it quickly when needed. Using it for a day bag I wear the waist strap asa shoulder strap across my body. I simply tighten up the unused leg strap and let it hang.between me and the bag.
On to the pictures!
Here is the Finn bag next to my packed ALICE medium rucksack for size reference.
Another shot of the loaded bag.
And now a pic of what I have in the bag in these pictures. Again these are the things I have found useful at this moment. More will be added or modified as I will explain. One problem I had was overpacking this bag. I used it a few times with a standard sized Nalgene and my Gransfor Bruks Wildlife hatchet packed inside. The was far too much and the snap closures couldn't handle the strain and constantly popped open. This led me to have to devise another method of carrying water and a hatchet if needed. Again this issue has been noticed by others and a quick internet search or a search of the forums in my side bar will give you more ideas of what to do if you need a solution. My solution was to carry a water bottle in my pocket and my hatchet on my belt if I really need it. I carry a fixed blade on my belt at all times out in the woods so if I need a hatchet I either add it to the belt or replace the knife.
Now for the contents
Really a pretty basic set up here. At the top of the photo are my work gloves and a roll of about 50' or so of military paracord (aka 550 cord). On the left side is a Kellam Puukko. This knife, or a Mora Classic 1 are always in this bag. Both knives are solid users and I know I can trust them if needed. Next to the knife are a survival blanket, a GI Lensatic compass (self luminous), a small altoids tin packed with Petroleum Jelly cotton balls, a box of stormproof matches which I need to get a watertight carrier for, and a ferro rod and coffinshaped striker. Next is a plastic spoon from an MRE. I got used to always having one on me in the military and now it has become a habit. A can of SPAM to eat if needed. The green altoids is a small personal survival kit, the red altoids is my fire kit. Next is a signal mirror, a fox 40 whistle and a piece of cloth cut from a military VS-17 signal panel. The panel piece is bright orange on one side and bright ink on the reverse. It is big and bright enough to use to signal a searching aricraft if neede and or a safe landing zone. Finally I have an OD/Black Shemagh, the uses for which are numerous. Earth, wind, and fire protection; arm sling, dew rag....you name it.
And that's it. As always it is a work in progress. SOmethings that go in or out as need are sunscreen and bug reppellant. I bought a bag for each of my kids and am starting them on their own "adventure" bags which they add gear to as they acquire it.
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