Squirrel catapult.

Long winters pestering small mammals.

More redneck engineering.

Longer version Suborbital.

Spinning squirrel.

I thought that was spinning. THIS is spinning.

Best spinning music.

One more.

Fooling the Ferryman.

Above Fort Bend the Mexicans spotted a black ferryman on the Texans side of the river. Col Almonte called to him in perfect english and got him to bring the boat over. Santa Anna and his staff sprang from cover and captured the boat. They immediately began to cross troops. Martin, hearing that the Mexicans had troops across the river, was forced to retreat. Baker, with a dead man and a burned town to show for his defense of San Felipe had to fall back as well.

Houston marched his men East from Groce's Plantation. Secretary of War Rusk had a letter in his pocket from Texan President David Burnett authorizing the firing of Houston as Supreme Commander if he didn't make a stand and fight. He kept it in his pocket and retreated with Houston and the Texas army.

TSRA Highpower Rifle Championship.

Chief Rick Tanner, home for two weeks from Afganistan presents TSRA Executive Director Steve Hall with a flag flown in theater.


Match Director Ken Gaby.


TSRA Junior Team Member on the line.


TSRA 2011 Highpower Rifle Champion Keith Stephens with the Ike Lee Trophy and his tube gun.


Sgt. Brandon Green during AMU Clinic.


More Sgt. Green lecture during AMU Clinic on Friday afternoon.


Emily Hogg with her AR15 at the AMU clinic.


Heavily armed teenager.


Rifle-fu demonstrated at the clinic.


Kids with assault rifles. A good sign in any culture.


Kids with gunz.


Top gives pointers on shooting them in the center.


Our favorite Hogg.


Giving directions to the Alamo.


AMU Clinic.


TSRA Junior Team member.


Two of our favorite guys, Travis and Clayton Rogers at the AMU clinic.


You don't see this everyday: Concussion pattern at prone position at 300.


Sunday shooting in crosswinds.


Green sends them while Anaya counts him down.


300 yardline grimace on Sunday during 9-25mph fishtailing pickups and let-offs.


AMU Team that won the Texas Team Championship on Friday. Then they had to leave because Congress and the President had FUBARED the budget. Then a bandaid was put on and they were back on Sunday. Can't anybody here PLAY this game?

The most wind anyone can ever remember at Camp Swift, solid from dawn till dusk. My rifle and gear are coated with red grit. Big turnout and a wonderfully run match by directors Ken Gaby, Rick Crawford and Don Tryce. Over 100 competitors shot the two day aggregate score match. 80 shot match on Saturday and a 50 shot match on Sunday. Team Day was Friday and the AMU also held a Highpower Rifle Clinic.

Santa Anna rides to Fort Bend

Ramierez Y Sesma arrives at San Felipe. Santa Anna leaves him there confronting Baker's men across the river and takes a column South toward the Fort Bend crossing. One of Baker's men is captured and reveals that Houston is 30 miles North at Groce's Plantation. Also Santa Anna learns the the Texas government had moved from Washington-on-the-Brazos to Harrisburg.
The General doesn't care to fight Houston's army in the timber along the Brazos, at any rate Houston has shown no inclination to fight. He'd love to capture the Texas Government, especially an old enemy, Texan Vice President Lorenzo de Zavalla.
Groce's is 30 miles North. Harrisburg is 30 miles east.

Santa Anna arrives on the Brazos

With 200 Infantry and 80 cavalry, Santa Anna makes a dash for San Felipe on the Brazos. The town sits mostly on the Western side of the river. When Santa Anna arrives at the center of the Old 300, the spiritual home of the Anglo settlers, it has been burned to the ground. Nobody knows who has burned it. Either the Mexican scouts or the retreating Texicans. A company of rebels under Captian Baker guards the crossing. Santa Anna brings up a couple of field pieces and shells them. The bulk of General Rameriez y Sesma's army is on the way.

Houston is across the river and to the North. The Mexicans locate a flatboat but accurate rifle fire from Bakers men prevents it from being launched. A Mexican sniper kills one Texian.

Texas State Rifle Association Highpower Championship

Here's what 100 people on the range looks like. Half in the pits, 1/4 shooting and 1/4 scoring. This is the 300 yard line.

Big three-day match this weekend at Camp Swift. The TSRA Highpower Rifle Championship. The Army Marksmanship Unit is sending some folks. 92 folks registered at last count. Going to be a big crowd. That will put folks on nearly every target available for a four-relay match.

I won this, years ago, maybe 2008. Seems like ancient history now. Might be last person to win it with a Service Rifle. Someone from the AMU will probably win it this year but you do have to show up and shoot. Staying in the barracks at Camp Swift and eating BBQ in Elgin and Bastrop. Great guy and gun weekend. Riding down with Rick Crawford in his truck. Haven't shot in a month or more since I had several conflicts in a row. Mid-Range Championship is the last thing, also at Swift.

They keep telling us that the range at Camp Swift is going to be shut down and another opened at Brownwood. Camp Bowie. Been fun shooting at Swift though it is famous for invisible and tricky wind changes.

Santa Anna starts crossing the Colorado.

Tuesday, April 5. No resistance across the Colorado at Beason's Crossing. When Santa Anna arrives at Ramierez y Sesma's camp he starts the army crossing the river. Incredible shortage of boats. The Texicans have burned, sunk or beached all of them River level is falling and conditions improving and the Mexicans ford the river. Takes a few days to get across with baggage and supplies. Santa Anna is hunting the Texican Army with his three separate forces. He rides 13 miles north to San Bernardo Creek.

Nuke the Alamo.

Search for your hometown and see what Little Boy would have done to it.

Santa Anna leaves Bexar and rides to join Ramierez y Sesma at the Colorado.

Santa Anna has packed up his new wife and mom and sent them back to Mexico. He then left San Antonio and is riding to joining Generals Ramierez y Sesma and Tosca at the Colorado across from where Houston's force had been. Floodwaters are beginning to recede on the Texas Rivers.

Houston is another river ahead, across the Brazos at Groce's Plantation North of San Felipe. A company of Texians guards the crossing at San Felipe with another group to the South at Ft Bend. Fannin and his men are a week dead in the fields outside Goliad.

Pinfires.

Hard to believe you can't get this ammunition anymore. Beautiful little concealable carry pieces. French, I think, and 7mm caliber. Fold down triggers. I carry some old guns often- Colt Pocket Models in .32 acp and .380. Sure would be nice if these had modern ammo. Quite fashionable. Borrowed from a friend just for the experience. His MOTHER had them in her collection.

Who could ever object to being shot with such a fine, stylish, vintage firearm?

Daily Deercam.

Br'er Rabbit.


Br'er Coyote.


Only deer photo out of about 500.

Kids swiped my cam off the old drowned cam position. Wasn't a very good cam....but it wasn't theirs. Got a call into the grandfather across the lake. We'll see.

Update: One of the kids went and fished it out of the creek. When I had it, it worked. Trouble.

Obama on Fox with Chris Wallace!

In a wide-ranging interview with Chris Matthews of Fox News President Obama came clean about many aspects of the Presidency, his personal life and politics. Obama admitted the stimulus was "a complete cynical waste," Biden "a useless fool," says his family "made a big deal about me being born in Kenya" says presidency "not like community organizing" Calls modern Democrats "thieves and liars," and Pelosi "just plain weird" and talks about Chicago Machine forcing him to give up drugs and women in order to run for office. "I had a hot blonde girlfriend in college," the President says, "and we made a lot of money selling coke to the undergrads. They made me give it all up, I met Michelle and the rest is history."

The interview will will be aired before the NCAA Final Four Championship games this weekend on Fox News.


Yes, it's April 1st.