Thanks to Manatee Gun and Archery Club for allowing us to host an Appleseed!
We had hearty souls show up to get pounded by the sun! 90+ degrees...no cover...no problem. The amazing thing to me is that we had everybody (plus one walk on) shoot with NO drop-outs or no-shows. People never cease to amaze me.
More details to follow but I was more impressed than ever by our youth. I have hope that our posterity will fight the good fight because of what I saw this weekend. We had a 8 Boy Scouts show up (some shooting for the first time!). While they were all memorable Andy will become an Appleseed legend. At only 10 years old his focus and skill blew my mind. He could repeat back everything we threw at him. By the end he was reminding the rest of the group word for word the Steady Hold Factors and 6 steps! I wish the Scouts could have been there for day 2 but they had other obligations.
That isn't the least of it. On Day 2 Jeffrey stuck it out. Yes he was tired, sun burnt (think lobster) and he had camped out there with Dad...but he did it. Page in a similar situation was killing it with his iron sights. He learned valuable lessons (wrong-way sight adjustments) but he never complained, always threw himself at it and is a fine young man. Iris had equipment trouble galore. I think she swapped out rifles 4 times? In the end she slogged out day 2 with her AR, hit a high of 141(?) and undeniably qualified at 300 on her final Red Coat. Most adults couldn't have done it - and she beat Dad!
The short version was that I go to see
Friends: the Boy Scouts
Families: John and Iris, Jeff and Chris who camped out
Kirk, Page (well he might as well have been) Jim
Moses who 7th stepped his sister Teresa
Appleseed Family: Henry and Dwight
For a weekend we were that group of original Americans who had spirit, wisdom, a sense of community and the guts to do something with our freedom.
-Peter
ps. Somebody pass the Aloe...
Photos! - What a great group of Patriots! Despite having very little shade, hot temperatures and rain, they showed incredible tenacity, never complained and even seemed to enjoy the history more than any group I've had the pleasure of working with. Huzzah!