I miss them already

When it was over I went to the main tower, hugged Jenny Boyd and said nice things about her legendary dad, D.I Boyd. Then I hit the Blue Bunny cart.

This morning I resisted the urge to video Rick Crawford snoring. It was.....visual as well as auditory. He didn't wake up on his alarm and I rattled, ran water, closed doors, clomped around and finally turned on the light a few times. Every other morning of the world he is up first, so I'll never see this opportunity again in my lifetime.

I expect credit in Heaven for my good works.

I had a 200 yard shadow from the rising sun this morning rolling out on Rodriegez for day three. Astride the range like a collossus. Seagulls standing around in the blooming purple clover. Wonderful time of the year up here.

On the line Tobie Tomlinson (AMU shooter) was on the same side again. I was paired with Richard Robinson, a retired helicopter pilot and Warrant officer from Ft Rucker, Alabama. He flew rotary and fixed wing aircraft for the army for 20 years. Vietnam with a lift company hauling soldiers.

Trouble at 300. Sticking cases caused an alibi. Had to refire and lost two Xs and two points. Shooting OK, but not great. Going to average about 775 for the three 80 shot matches that make up the aggregate. At 300 they held the shootoff between David Tubb and Sherri Galagher. Tubb won by an X. They were both shooting Tubb bolt guns. They fired the single prone rapid string. Sherri shot 100X7 and he shot 100X8. Amazing gun handling and shooting. All iron sights, of course.

While I'm on the subject, can we hear it for the M16A2? Everyone up here is shooting an AR15 or a variant or a design influenced by the Stoner blueprint. It's a fun and accurate rifle to shoot. Our forces have carried into battle all around the globe now for 40 years. I've had more fun out of my AR than any other piece of sporting equipment that I own. Great American Rifle. Anyone who doesn't celebrate it should be considered a little suspect in Red-Blooded Americanism.

Last night we sat 20 Texans and some aussies down to dinner at the Pizza Hut Bistro. The last supper. Julie Coggshall was there, invited by David Waters. Julie is young, blonde and always stylishly dressed. She's such an attractive young woman that its a little dangerous to look directly at her. You have to watch her reflection in your shield, like Odyssus watching Medusa. David is a confidant guy.

Julie has been on nearly every National Junior Team since she started coming, won a couple of Whistler Boy Trophies. Great gun-shooting American girl from Conneticutt. She and her girl teammate put a tutu on the Whistler Boy trophy the times they won it. Her brother was a couple of targets down from me today. He's joined the National Guard or Reserve and was pulling targets with an 80 year old who told stories about Tunisia, North Africa, Scicily and Italy in WWII. He was shooting his Garand for the his last National Matches, he said.

There's someone like that about every ten target points up here.

This may be the end. We are hitting the dusty trail for Texas tomorrow as soon as the last shot goes down range. I'll be lucky to snatch a Blue Bunny Bar, though the kid has taken to recognizing me as soon as I walk up. Good tipping gets you noticed in expensive places.

Viale Range tomorrow for the last time. Standing in the dark on relay one, prone rapid at 300 and one last string of 20 shots at 600.

Hard to believe we are at the end. Once again, thousands of folks came together, fired their firearms, both small and large, pistols and assault rifles...........and nothing happened.