Happy Birthday Lu

Yep, she's a Valentine baby. My sweetheart. No, I'm not going to tell you how old she is but I will say that we had to have her carbon dated to be sure. Heh heh. Just kidding honey. Please put down the rolling pin.

I'm taking her out shooting (she's beginning to express an interest in the AR and even perhaps some 3 Gun. Yay!!), Skype with the grandkids and then dinner. It's going to be a good day.

So Happy Birthday to the love of my life and the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me. All the best things in my life flowed from the day The Good Lord brought you and me together and I am eternally grateful.

I love you.

Six

It's Someone's Birthday

Hi! My name is Angus and I'm two years old today. Hurray!!

Mommy and Daddy says we're going on a hike and then swimming and then Ice Cream!!!!! I'll be back later to tell you how my day went.

Angus

Hey, I'm back! We started the day with a nice cake. Mommy and Daddy don't want me eating too much icing so they made it out of canned dog food. Yay!!I love canned dog food, especially when it's shaped like a cake. And everything!

They sang some kind of song but I really think they were just teasing me. Plus I didn't get to blow out the candles! Poop!

Eventually they did let me eat it and it was extra yummy. The melted wax was my absolutest favorite part!

I didn't get a party because my Girl Child wasn't here to plan one. Maybe next year! I did get to go on a nice hike at my favorite place. I haven't been there since my Owie. It was so much fun you guys. Seriously! Daddy says it was two and a half miles, whatever that means. For those of us who understand it was four drinks long. Hurray!!

Then, best of all, OhJoyOhJoyOhJoyOhJoy I got ice cream!!! Double Hurray and Yay!! I even got the big boy cone this year because now I'm a big boy. And everything!

I got to eat it right down to the crunchy part. It was soooo good! I love ice cream you guys. Seriously!

Then we went home for a nice nap on my favorite floor. It's soft and smells like family. It's right under the big whirly thing that makes a cool breeze. I love that thing!

It was the very goodest best day ever. Daddy says we can go swimming later and then we get to have our evening Walkies where I can say hi to my very bestest friends Mister Horses, Mister Goats and Mister Cows. Hurray!!!

Mommy and Daddy says that my birth and coming into their lives was one of the happiest days ever. Well of course! I'm a happy, lovable Labrador retriever. Who wouldn't love me?

I love my life and my family and I hope you all had a day as good as mine though there's no way because did I mention I got ice cream and it was the big boy cone this year?

Hurray!!!

Much love.
Angus

Where Do You Find Joy?

As we walked Angus around the neighborhood last night I was struck by one Christmas display in particular. It had the word JOY surrounded by bright colored lights. It's not an unusual word and is one found in many displays at this time of year. But it really hit me at that moment.

Joy.

We choose our state of mind. Whether that be of the positive or negative variety it is ultimately up to each of us to decide how we're going to face the world. With pessimism, fear and anger or optimism, courage and a smile on our lips.

Joy.

Such a small word and simple idea. To live facing each new day with hope and determination or surrender to despair and decline. There are forces at work in this country and the world today that want us in discord and disarray. Who hate Joy and Love and Happiness and Light with every fiber of their beings. Who are working hard to stamp out those things and have us living empty, joyless lives, devoid of faith and honor and devotion.

Joy.

I say yes to Joy. I say yes to Compassion and Fidelity and Passion. I will find my Joy in the love of family and friends. In my Faith in God. In my Wife. My Daughter. My Grandchildren. In Sarge and MIL who are the best family and neighbors anyone could have. In a black dog who always has a wagging tail and who greets me each day with a Joy in his heart I can only aspire to.

Joy.

I am free to choose how I will live my life. How I will treat those I love. How I will view each day and the challenges that come with just being alive. Yes, I will decide. Joy or Despair. Happy or Sad. Love or Hate. Life or Death.

Joy.

Such a small word but one with so much meaning and potential. The ramifications of choice fraught with both frightful peril and wonderful opportunities. 

I know my choice. I choose to Love and Live. I choose to embrace the unknown with an open heart and a ready mind. I choose family and friends. I choose Faith with all that entails. I choose to accept the depredations that life throws at me with all the humor I possess and gratitude for the opportunity to test and show my mettle.

I choose Joy. What will you choose?

Six

Traditions And Messages

There is so much of her grandmother in Baby Girl. Among them they are both traditionalists. Things are supposed to be a certain way, always and forever. Heck, the DO is cut from the exact same cloth for that matter. There is a strong pioneer streak, handed down from mother to daughter for generations, that runs through Lu's family. They had a large part in settling this part of Southern Utah more than a century ago. But what messages do our traditions send to our beloved children?

Is it one of alcohol and abuse and contempt for law and society and our neighbors? Because those are indeed things that are handed down, subtly or not so much, to our progeny. Attitudes as poisonous as a rattlesnake.

Is it one of family and the shared happiness and sorrow that comes with being together, tight in our bonds of love? 

In our everyday interactions with each other and our children what are we telling them?

I like to think that Lu and I are the keepers of the family lore. The guardians of family traditions. It's our job to pass along that knowledge the kids need to understand their place in, not only our family but the greater American family.

It's an awesome responsibility, knowing that you have such an ability to guide and teach and influence.Much of their future is in our hands. What messages do we send?

Is it simply a Christmas stocking for the newest member of the family or is there a greater message? Something beyond the excitement of creating and the learning of a new skill?

Perhaps she is learning that two sets of hands makes a task go quicker and easier. That a shared joy is increased beyond measure. That patience and listening will be rewarded. That giving is more satisfying than receiving. That works of the heart carry a greater value than a store bought trinket.

Perhaps all we ever truly pass along is love. The joys of just being together as family. That sometimes a warm lap and a shared smile are enough.

In the end all we ever really have is each other. Spend your time together well and remember the messages we truly send for it is that which will stay with our children the longest and shape their futures more certainly than any outside force.

May God grant me the strength and wisdom to be the messenger I need to be.

Six

Pirate Ship Update - Finished (Mostly)

It's been a while since I posted about the Pirate Ship I was building for the grandkids. I managed to break Lu's camera and still haven't replaced it so when the DO got here she took some pics for me. Click any picture to enlarge.

Here's where we left off. The main cabin structure without siding and the beam laid on for measuring. No prow and no landscaping.

Because I was sans camera I didn't get any further build pictures so here's the finished project. I'll just have to talk you through what I did, how I did it and why. I was overruled on the whole two story thing by higher command. I just cut off the 4x4s at the rear of the ship and used the two in front as rigging. The 4x6 beam is bolted to the roof with the end held up by a 1/4 inch steel 4x4 that's 10 feet long. The steel 4x4 is set 3 feet into the ground with 160 pounds of concrete. The beam has a swing, a tire swing and a climbing rope.

The prow is set on another pier block and attached to the main cabin with 2x6 framing. The floor is OSB over 2x4 floor joists. When I decided against it being two stories I went ahead and roofed the main cabin with shingles. The sheathing is more OSB with 2x4s and 2x6s for support. Everything is either nailed or screwed together.

Lu and I were at an antique store when she found this rock. It's fiberglass and it is way cool. 75 bucks. I love finding stuff like this and it added a nice climbing rock to the play area.

We had some old fishing net floats that Lu contributed to the build. I hung them on the sides and used some nylon rope as rigging.

Here's another view of the swings. I wanted to keep the ship theme so used wood and rope everywhere I could. Lu tested everything out. Just to be sure it was safe of course.

 
You can see the steel 4x4 post here. At the top I took two pieces of angle iron, welded them together to form a U bracket, drilled it, welded it to the post and lag bolted the whole thing to the beam. It's solid as a rock. That was Sarges idea. I was going to use an A-frame but this is both stronger and takes up a lot less space.

I bought a small basketball goal and mounted it to the end. We're planning on having some epic HORSE games. I went down to Ace and bought two gallons of brown paint. The paint guy asked me what shade and I told him Pirate Ship Brown. He offered a color, I accepted and it's now officially known at my local hardware store as Ace Pirate Ship Brown. He still chuckles whenever I come in.

Every Pirate Ship needs protection and this one is no different. This is a gun ship not a sissy merchanter. If you look closely you can see the cannon mounted on the side of the prow. That is most emphatically not a Nerf gun. It's a period correct replica of a repeating cannon manufactured in the 17th century by Theodor Geisel Armaments commonly referred to as a Ma Seuss. It's NFA of course. You can also see inside the main cabin. There's a 4x4 post just inside the doorway that holds the ships wheel. I put down some old carpeting I had from the bathroom/hallway remodel for padding. It's snug, cozy and a great clubhouse.

All in all I'm please with the result. The ship measures out at 7 1/2 feet wide by 20 feet long and 8 1/2 feet high not including the spars. It's surrounded by outdoor carpeting with gravel around the whole thing. It has swings, ropes, a basketball hoop and a rock to climb. The kids seem to enjoy it so I'm calling it a success.

Here's a random photo of Angus enjoying the play area just because he's so cute.

The yard was originally dirt and weeds. Lu took care of the weeds and I covered the rest with landscaping fabric, outdoor grass carpeting and gravel. That's 10 tons of gravel I moved by wheelbarrow, shovel, rake and a 5 gallon bucket. Each and every pebble. It really looks quite nice with the ship surrounded by a green sea and gravel shoals. There's plenty to do and it's a nice place for adventures and fantastical voyages of imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed the build with enthusiastic help from Sarge and Lu. It was all done off the cuff and straight out of my head. I think that's called seat of the pants engineering. All you real engineers should probably just look away. I tended to over build and it's managed to stand up to hard play and the usual Hurricane winds. This place is aptly named. The kids are going to take some paint to it and decorate it to their hearts content. It also needs a name. Monikers are being bandied about and as soon as one is chosen it will be painted on the prow.

This was a true labor of love. We managed to turn a couple of hundred square feet of dirt, mud and weeds into a play area for the kids that will hopefully allow them good, clean fun and a chance to exercise their imaginations as well as their bodies. I hope it reflects that.

 
Six

Training Course

I signed up for a Defensive Pistol course this Saturday with Crusader Training. The lead instructor is The Mad Ogre.

I've been following The Ogre for a while now and he seems like a very knowledgeable guy and a good instructor. We've chatted over e-mail and through his website a bit and I'm comfortable turning myself over to him. It should be fun and I'm really looking forward to it. I'm a firm believer in training and this course should be a good one to re-acquire my base and get me back up to speed. I haven't shot competitively or in a true training environment in over a year. When you're a bit rusty going back to the beginning is often a good way to get your head straight. I plan on keeping my mouth shut and my ears open. It's just a one day course but The Ogre wants us to bring at least 300 rounds so I anticipate a lot of trigger time. I'm hoping to get in at least one more course this year, maybe something longer and more advanced. Provided I don't embarrass myself on Saturday. This is a good chance for me to evaluate Crusader because they're Utah based and not only do training but also have a line of pretty cool weapons as well as a lubrication system that looks very interesting.

I'm going to bring 2 guns and 2 rigs. My primary will be the new holster from Michael's and the G34. My backup will be a Sig 226 .40 in a nylon duty rig. I'll be bringing the camera so pictures will be forthcoming. I'll also have a write up on the training and how the new rig performed.

Now if I can just remember how this goes. Ogre, be gentle with me.

Six

update: Thursday. The day I need to pack and get ready. Yeah, I'm sick. Frickin' fabulous. I'm still going though, if I have to have Lu haul my semi-comatose butt to the range on the trailer.

update 5/8/2011: The class got cancelled. Apparently on Friday the range decided they needed 700 bucks from Crusader before they'd allow the class. It never ceases to amaze me how short sighted some can be. It costs the range literally nothing to allow us to shoot there. I could totally see a modest fee for 'range upkeep' or some such but $700? Now I have a negative view of the range and will pass along that view to others. Maybe they don't care. My only answer is we're all in this together. If this is your attitude you're not only doing nothing to bring in new shooters to your facility, you're actively damaging the sport and potentially damaging the possibility of bringing in new people to the sport period. Get your heads on straight. Kudo's to The Ogre who did his best to notify us of the issue in time to avoid problems. That some of us didn't get it in time isn't his fault but the ranges and the idiots who are running it.

Puppy Update

It's official,. We're expecting.

I called Donna, from Highland Labs, today and she confirmed that Momma was bred successfully on March 21st. If our math is correct the new boy will be born around the third week of May. I'll go out to see the pups in June and will bring the new baby home somewhere around July 9th.

Now I get to arrange the house, buy some new toys, collars and leashes and brush up on my Richard Wolters.

I have a name picked out but won't reveal it until he comes home.

I am on Cloud Nine.

Six