Columbia, Maine - April 21-22, 2012

[CaptMac]

My trip from Connecticut to Maine and back is not yet complete, but I have some time to begin an AAR, and, as usual, I had a wonderful weekend when at an Appleseed. 

As I understand it, we had good weather for Columbia, as far as Appleseeds go, and I had an easy job as a shoot boss, because of the fine Maine instructing team and cooperative and eager shooters.   Good weather for Columbia Appleseeds still had most of the instructing team and shooters in rain gear ALL weekend.  Luckily, the real storm did not arrive until late Sunday afternoon.  Our own venerable SeanO referred to Saturday as "a fine soft day," and it was.

It was a fine day because even though the rain fell on and off, we had an almost full line of shooters eager to lie on wet ground and mats and shoot all day. 

This weekend we added a Maine rifleman and cam very close for a couple others.  Lyle missed by less than 1/8 of an inch, shooting a 209 with more than one round just missing another point under the .30-caliber rule.  But, alas, a Rifleman score can be elusive.  Tim was turned around to his dominate eye for the first time in his life and managed a 203 on Sunday.  Much improvement was demonstrate by all the shooters. 

Brian, the new Rifeman, also is a new IIT, but no recruiting was needed by the SB.  Boreas, an IIT and the range president, had him asking for an orange hat in no time. 

I have not even touched on some things, but I will when I get to a computer.

Please post your photos and comments.

Thanks to all who attended and helped.

Dan / CaptMac

[Boreas]

Another great 'seed at Columbia, big thanks to CaptMac for a dynamite job as SB! I'm really proud of our Maine crew, The Old Guide, Northwoods Lady, SeanO, Woods Hag Maggie, and Robin. All of us from Maine were extremely pleased to see Brian get his patch, even more so when he accepted his orange cap, he'll be a great addition to the crew. I was some pleased when CaptMac allowed me to present Brian his cap. Lyle missed by a squeaker, he's a determined young man and I'm sure he'll be back. Tim promised he'd be back as well, I know both of them will make the grade. Fine weather for shooting, couldn't have been better.

[Boreas]

More pictures...

[The Old Guide]

Great shoot at Columbia with CaptMac. He can come back to Maine any time. "Fine weather" in Maine means we don't have to shovel it. On Sunday afternoon we had mixed rain and sleet at 39 degrees with a stiff wind. All of our shooters went away safer and more accurate than when they came. Congratulations to Brian on his solid Rifleman score and taking the hat. Appleseed in Maine is growing and we'll more than double the shoots in Maine this year.

Pleasant River Fish & Game was a fine host as usual. They are strong supporters of Appleseed and are very active in the community as well. I had a look at their annual report and they are active in all manner of outdoor activities from the "Frozen Mosin" during the winter to kid's fishing derbies.

This was the first weekend ever in Maine with two simultaneous Appleseeds. SB TominCT ran the Augusta shoot. That's a first for that new DAR.

[CaptMac]

Thank you for your kinds words gentlemen.

A bit more to add to my earlier post.

This was an easy shoot to work, for the SB coming in from a few states away.  Everything I thought I might need to take care of and worried about, it was all taken care of by someone else.  And I mean everything.  Perhaps I should have asked more questions about how much was taken care of, but not asking resulted in pleasant surprises. 

The shooters were almost all cooperative and VERY appreciative, AND they were either prepared or hardy New Englanders.  There were no complaints, ZERO.  Ages and experience levels varied, and we saw a bunch of improvement.  I cannot think of a one that did not walk off seeming to have appreciated and enjoyed the Appleseed, and all improved. 

If you want to see an example of a hardy New Englander, watch one endure cold, sleet, rain and wind, and look happy for the opportunity to do, even one or two without foul weather gear, so there were pretty much wet all day, for both days.  I will admit to a little pride when I got up once wet and muddy and pointed out that "this is how an Appleseed instructor is supposed to look!"  I was far from the only one in such a condition.  It was difficult to avoid it.  When laid out the mats on Sunday, we did so seeking to avoid the low spots with puddles, from Saturday night's rain.  Those same low spots were placs where shooters lied on Saturday, when it also rained.  I stepped under cover for our safety briefing, while the rain got heavier.   Chirs, Steve, Tim, and Lyle were belly down in the wet all weekend.  Tom got up, but only because he was running low on ammo, AND, he was making sure his son Lyle had ammo to keep shooting. 

When it was too cold and wet for one older shooter, his entire group readily stayed to hear some history.  Hi daughter came up to tell me they were leaving, then agreed in a flash to stay and listen to some history.  Nice!

The Old Guide is right about Pleasant River Fish & Game being a fine host.  Nice range, warm clubhouse, warm food available, can you move this place closer to me? 

Columbia, Maine may be a ride for some.  It is the location of the Eastern-Most Appleseed.  The directions begin on what Boreas referred to as "the edge of nowhere," and then you have about 60 more miles to go.  But, there are benefits, in addition to feeling appreciated.  I came home with stuff, stuff that was given to me.  I had some of that stuff for breakfast.  Good stuff. 

Unfortunately, I took not a single photo.  But I know some more were taken, so hopefully, we will see some. 

As usual, the best part of being at an Appleseed was the people. 

[Josey Wales]

..CaptMac..

..That is awesome!!.. Maine is a special place and it is great we have Appleseeds going on up there.  Up there at the edge of nowhere and beyond..  Thank You for all you do Capt.......Bless........

......Strength & Honor.............Josey Wales...................

..P.S.. You do not need pictures to prove anything, your word is all I need.  After all you are a High Son of Liberty like myself..

..P.S.S. The Old Guide, thank you sir.....

..P.S.S.S The pictures that are up are fine.. Thanks Boreas.........

[Boreas]

Thanks for the kind words about our club. On the agenda for this year (finally) is a raised pad at 25m for Appleseed shoots. Laying in puddles shooting makes for good stories after the fact, but while you're doing it it ain't much fun. We're also going to work on a better, permanent system for backers. Can't wait until next time!

[Woods Hag Maggie]

     Once again, smiling through the rain, we gathered with the intent of teaching, learning, and having fun.  This was my seventh Appleseed, but my first to attend as an instructor, and I couldn't have had it better.  I was a little nervous in the beginning about the flow of things, but all went well.  I had wonderful, supportive cohorts in instructing and attentive, enthusiastic, and determined students to instruct.  In good spring Downeast fashion the rain fell, but I must say the weather only aids in the building of ones character, and ones shooting skills are only enhanced by having to create the rifleman's bubble under such conditions (true focus).  I believe it was last April where on Sunday it was raining and blowing a gale, forcing us to move the whole shooting line to the 50 yard range after it had been blown down on the 100 yard range (we also had to trench it slightly to get the water flowing off the range).  A "bad day" on the firing line beats a good day in the office, any day.  I think that instructors and students alike would agree.  I had a truly splendid time and I thank the other instructors and students.  It was fabulous to see Brian make rifleman, he certainly deserved it.
Best,
Woods Hag Maggie

[SeanO]

Thanks to CapnMac for driving all that way from the well-manicured civilization of CT to the wild frontiers of ME.  As a Shoot Boss, he was right out of Central Casting...voice, bearing, know-how...Master of His Domain.... 

Thanks to Boreas and Maggie for representing Appleseed so well to their home club.  They tutored Brian in his shooting on their own time so that we'd have yet another great instructor from the club.  There are now at least 7 club members who are Appleseed instructors, with more in the pipeline....

Thanks to Old Guide and Northwoods Lady for coming up with solutions to any little problem that comes our way, ranging from administration to adaptive Appleseed.  They've got it covered....

And a special Thank You to the Columbia club for yet another great shoot.  These are people "who know what they're about...."

Sean O'