Mar 22, 2012

In lieu of writing about the equinox


Walnut on slate, 2012

Mar 17, 2012

With me pike upon me shoulder

And you're of the country, aren't ye, lad?

Aye, the son of kings. Maybe the kings of the Annaly bogs but p'raps of the Fearghael  kings of  of the wild Wickelow mountains. 'tis hard to says since the bloody English burned the baptisimal certificates. Anyway, won't I be celebratin' this lovely day in a quiet manner? And won't I not be be with the Germans and Dutch and like pretendin' raff in Emmetsburg? And even if a few sons of the Auld  Sod be there, haven't I already seen me Paddy brothers and sisters brawling' and pukin' in the streets  before and them not even knowing about Colonel Farrell up on Kilgarry Mountain?

But if you're of another mind, lad, don't I wish ye the best of St. Patrick's Day, and as an act of kindness don't I remind ye to keep a few punt in your boot for bail money when the black and tans jug ye just for bein' what youse are. 



Bad bangs

If you pull the trigger and the bang does not sound quite right, you might want to open your action and take a peek.


Image





Mainly, you're looking for a hole through the barrel, confirming the round you just fired made it all the way out. Apparently one didn't when two young snow goose hunters went into action near here this week. The injured fellow lucked out with just minor injuries. 


... (The victim)  was hunting with 19-year-old  (buddy) ... (who) had taken a shot but the shell in his gun didn't fire properly. (Buddy) reloaded and when he fired again, the barrel exploded. Authorities believe the barrel was blocked by the misfiring of the first shell.


It can happen with any ammunition, of course, but reloads are the usual suspects. (I'm particularly sensitive to this because my buddy had a close call shooting unknown reloads in his 1911 a few years back.  And I had provided the mystery rounds. I was shooting them myself. Very, very dumb even though I had reason to trust the guy who sold them to me.) 


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I borrowed the picture from a good Shotgun World thread.







Mar 16, 2012

Looking for Boris Karloff

It's brightening a little now, but the first hour of daylight brought memories of   opening scenes in Isle of the Dead which I still consider the ultimate horror movie. I could see the three burr oak trees closest to my window -- about 20 yards. Beyond that was nothing, the kind of nothing harboring something horrible about to emerge, slimy, hungry, and not quite dead.

I thought of taking a picture for you but decided not to bother. What is the point of posting an 18 per cent gray card?