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Port Townsend, WA 21-22 Sept 2013 AAR

Started by Earl, September 21, 2013, 08:49:39 AM

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Earl

On the road again! Across the Narrows to have an Appleseed where one has never been before. 

So happy that GPS is guiding me, and the traffic is light and destination is just two hours down the road.

Getting there I find old friends from RWVA cadre going to work, and then Kimber Custom shows up with doughnuts. We are ready!

Then the shooters start arriving. It does seem a bit strange that so many seem to know me - and that I even know their names. Great that so many are continuing to grow in marksmanship and honoring the heritage.

RL sets out the course of instruction and introductions. The first Red Coat isn't impressive, except for the VETERAN Appleseeders.
The last one of the day did show remarkable improvement.


... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Earl

Ah, twenty-one dollars in Bridge tolls on two Appleseed weekends, don't you love being a volunteer instructor? Why YES! So glad you asked. My pay has always been in safe shooting, happy shooters with steady improvement that they can see. Smiles are golden.

What would make be happier? I would like all the shooters I worked with to add their comments and experiences to the internet, here on the forum, this After Action Report, or just an email to good friends and get with the dry practice to prepare for their next Appleseed. Yes, that would. Earl does want too much, but it is for the Posterity, our posterity.

I have to report that the weather forecast was seriously bad, high gusting winds, rain, winds, more rain and have we mentioned the wind? Still, all the RWVA instructors and serious shooters arrived and got organized. The target line blew down just after we opened the range, the Revolutionary banner stand tried to fly and tripped on to the ground badly. Only challenges, the riflemen will persevere. It must be the first day of Fall in the Great Northwest, rain keeps raining on our heads... actually the rain only made little puddles to do prone. The trigger finger was fine out of the water. The wind kept ripping target corners up and completely off.

We covered all the points of marksmanship from day one, demonstrated them, and verified the sight setting. Ball and dummy and Carding the sights were taught and practiced. AQTs up and flapping in the wind, concrete blocks held mats and target stands down, a bit.

Lunch time arrived and time for Dangerous Old Men tales and some mention of seventh stepping. Always trying to outwait the wind.

In the afternoon, Earl finally became Line Boss and started calling AQTs, and sure enough the wind calmed, the rain lightened up, and the SUN broke through periodically. Not enough for Earl to take off his Shooting Jacket but he thought about it. It wasn't really Earl's fault but my reputation will accept embellishments.

Finally, a Rifleman score, from our local range host/coordinator. Great job! And since he was on his third Appleseed, and was really Seveth Stepping to promote Appleseed and our mission, RL hooked him up with IIT0, the cap looks great on him. He had worked to get our four youngest shooters to the two days, and their parents had been visiting, viewing and speaking well of what we were doing. It did help the young patriots were fine students.

Final Red Coat was a marked improvement from the morning one. Looking forward to seeing the return of many of these shooters to Appleseeds this year.

Thank you all for walking on the trail, and leaving us with great memories and expectations.
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Kimber Custom

A pleasure to spend the weekend with you all. Congratulations to our Rifleman and new Orange hat  ^:)^

There are more Riflemen (and women) in this group - a little dry practice and one or two more AQT's to polish them up and make them shine. I'll be watching future AAR's from the Seattle area expecting to see my prediction come to fruition.

Nobody camera shy this weekend so I was able to take extra pictures:




















































Earl

Two Appleseed weekend AARs in a row, and I have spelled heel as heal twice, and I do know better. :wb:
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

SonOfRevolution

Awesome Event! I would Like to thank Jay for giving me the opportunity to participate. RL you did an amazing job as shootboss/historian and we could always rely on Earl to bring the sun out. Thanks to you other line bosses for constantly correcting my lousy habits and ensuring a safe, fun, and educational shooting environment! I find myself quoting revolutionaries as I go about daily tasks! Lest we forget.
"What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything its value."

Yankee Terrier

Hello to RL and Earl, and Henry is that you??? A Yankee Terrier is a Great War era term for a Pit Bull...Which I am sure people know I have....I am very happy and thankful for all of the instructors and their time..To the 4 young people I brought I thank you for doing a great job and not embarrassing me with any safety faux pas!!! Now that I have an orange hat I just wish to do a good job and do what I have some aptitude for i.e. 7th step...I will check in with the club officers at JCSA.(Port Townsend)...Also my thanks to the Jefferson Community School,  that school will need and welcome a Liberty Seed,, and supply us with MANY appleseed attendees....Thank you!!!!  Earl you can stay on my boat instead of paying the bridge tolls!!!

helen

Thanks for every ones help.  I'll be at Ariel after some dry firing.  I left two olive green chairs with attached tables. Did anyone see them?

Yankee Terrier

Hello Helen, I am going to the range in P.T. Today, I will check on the chairs..

Earl

Great pictures, Kimber Custom. I keep wondering who will remember the events as the pictures immortalize.  For sure the targets never looked that far away, but then the camera doesn't automatically focus and enlarge like ones mind will - automatically.

LOOK! ^:)^ Three new forum names, and comments. RL must have stirred something good up. Very happy this event went well, considering the Sunday wind, maybe everyone should bring watersoaked, very heavy mats to lay on next time? Thanks for the offer of the boat to stay upon, but as RL knows I just like going home if it isn't unsafe to do so.

The Northwest Region Project Appleseed on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NorthwestRegionProjectAppleseed also covers this Appleseed and is a place to post comments and find other events. But true Riflemen never spend too much time on the internet - there is too much to do for Liberty. Hope your chairs are found Helen, and hope to see everyone on the trail another day. :cool2:
... to catch the fire in another American for sharing the skills and our heritage to our posterity. Maybe my perfect shots will be made by those I met along the trials and trails of Appleseed. I know that America is a nation of Riflemen.

Pendragon

I don't spend much time on forums or the Internet in general, but I wanted to register and login to say thank you to all the people that made the event possible. I had an awesome experience in Port Townsend and I look forward to the next one. Steve2