I can't say I've ever been disappointed with an Athens Appleseed (because they're all awesome!!!) but I'd have to say that this one was DEFINITELY extra special. First of all, it was the first shoot in Athens (and the first in Ohio) that FRED attended!!! ^:)^ ^:)^ ^:)^ Thank you so much for (finally!) coming, Fred!!! It was such an honor.
Second, I am proud to have witnessed my father, RedNekEngr, receive his very own red hat from Fred himself. H-U-Z-Z-A-H!!!!!!!!!! ..:.. ..:.. ..:.. He worked VERY hard for that hat and few deserve it more than he. He did an awesome job giving EVERY SINGLE BIT of instruction on Saturday (and some on Sunday too) including all the history. Bravo, Dad! ;)
It was great having Dinky back in the state again to shoot boss this event. ;D Thank you for bringing all those pumpkins! It sure was fun blasting them to pieces. :---
It was totally awesome having Slim back too! A huge "HUZZAH" to you, sir!!! ^:)^
EZ3, MeanStreaker, Cozza, Wildcat, KAH, Dangerous D, Captain Crook Hook, Recharge, RPD, GoldFish, Lyberty, Green Light, LitlBit, Nurse Ratchett, GeorgeT: you all rock. O0 O0 O0
To our new orange hats, Dustin and Louie, THANK YOU!!!!! :bow: :bow: :bow: I am convinced that you two will have a LOT to offer the program. Huzzah!!!
To our new riflemen, Brad and Kevin, congratulations!!! I'm sure you made our founders very proud. @) You're taking orange hats next, right? ;)
Since this Appleseed fell on Halloween weekend and no one dared to venture into downtown Athens.... ::)....we took a little trip to the "haunted" tunnel. (What's its name again???) After hours on Saturday, about thirty people piled in Slim's Jeep and Cozza's truck bed and drove a couple miles down the road where we unloaded at the trail. Little did Dinky know, Slim's crew went ahead and set up a little *surprise* in the trail. When the whole group came through, RedNekEngr pulled an amazing trick on Dinky by grabbing one of my old prosthetic legs from the shadows and throwing in on her. Let me tell you: Dinky may be tough, but she sure can scream!!! **) ^:)^ **) ^:)^ **)
Thank you, Mrs. James, for the Sunday morning devotional. Very convicting and inspiring.
Thank you again, kitchen crew, for the outstanding food. Yum!
Thank you, attendees, for making this event possible and for your persistent attitudes. Keep spreading the seed!
A humbled, honored, and thrilled monopod girl,
Ishy ;)
O0 O0 O0
--It was an honor to see RedNekEngr earn his Red Hat. Congratulations!!!
--Anyone that has been at a shoot with Fred knows how inspirational his presence and words are. Spending time with the man that started it all can really put the Mission into its deserved perspective.
--Watching Instructors and students (safely) pull centerfires out of trunks just prior to the pumpkin shoot... I couldn't help but think of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qj8PhxSnhg&NR=1
**)
Thanks to everyone for a great weekend.
Athens is awesome! I was grinning all the way home! ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: MeanStreaker on November 01, 2010, 05:54:58 PM
Watching Instructors and students (safely) pull centerfires out of trunks just prior to the pumpkin shoot... I couldn't help but think of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qj8PhxSnhg&NR=1
**)
I can't stop laughing!!! **) **) **)
More coming soon...
:~ :~ :~
O0 O0 O0
Hey guys, it was an awesome time. It's a place that (for me) really captures what the project is about. So to all the Athens crew, thanks for roping me into the whole shebang.
Julia and RPD (and Hoover, though he didn't make it to this one), you guys are a big part of the reason I came back to AS shoot number 2..and 3...and got me on the trail. Thanks. =)
Wildcat...you, sir, got me to my first shoot. For this (and many other things) I give my thanks, friend. It's been an amazing experience so far. Though your voice sounded pretty funny today, nice job calling the line Sunday and keeping us inspired when we were tired and sore!
Richardsons, Driscolls, George, D, and so many Athens regulars...you guys continue to make the Athens' shoots something worth coming back to (as every male in-law I have, brothers and father, can attest to). To all of you that treated us so well, thanks.
Mike and Sarah, it was great to have you guys there. Looking forward to seeing you guys back there again (hopefully!). Don't worry Sarah, I don't hold a grudge or anything about you shooting 5 points higher than I did on my first AQT...nope, not at all..... >:D
To all the instructors (full and in training), and the shoot bosses, you guys ran a great shoot. Well done!
So many individuals that made this weekend great...Louis, Goldfish, Ishy, Lyberty, Redneck (congrats!), the cooks, Dinky, Meanstreaker, FRED (yeah, that one!)...and so many more...thanks for being there, pouring yourselves into this weekend for us shooters!
WOW. :))
This weekend meant more to me than just "another weekend of heritage, marksmanship, and fun." This Appleseed taught me more than all the other 'Seeds I've attended.
Slim, thanks for your lessons on, uh, everything! ^:)^ (by the way, the smiley is shouting 'HUZZAH')
Dinky, thanks for your mechanics lesson and tips on instruction. Hopefully, an RBC will cross my path...... &)
Fred, a big thanks for the advice you gave me on Sunday. I will put it to good use, trust me! (also, thanks for coming, finally!!!! ^:)^ Now, you will come back, right? &) &) )
And to all the other instructors, thanks for coming out. I had a blast and I learned a lot. In case I didn't mention, I learned a lot!!! :bow:
Congrats to Dustin and Lewis for your orange hats! Hope to see y'all on the trail. ..:..
Daddy, great job doing ALL the instruction AND history to get your RED HAT!!! You were awesome! (you still look "different" in Red! :cool2: LOL)
Cooks, y'all know how to find your NPOA in the kitchen as well as you can with rifles. Huzzah!!! (Cri, orange hat please? 8))
Look forward to seeing y'all on the trail sometime soon.
HUZZAH!!!!
Lyberty
What is it about the Athens mojo?? ..:..
It's like a family reunion in Athens. Pieces of the family were missing and I really missed you guys (PB, Fuzz, DF, The Guy, Luna, JoAnna, and Angie to name a few). :'( Please make plans for next year so we can celebrate our freedom together. :)
The shooters had some of the best attitudes I've witnessed. Congrats Brad and Kevin on those 222 scores. A warm welcome to Dustin and Louis for joining the team.
I can't say enough about the instructor team we had (EZ3, MeanStreaker, Cozza, Wildcat, KAH, Dangerous D, Captain Hook, Recharge, RPD, GoldFish, Lyberty, Green Light, LitlBit, Nurse Ratchett, GeorgeT). Awesome!!!! O0 :bow: Thanks EZ3 for making the trip to the Buckeye state and sharing your thoughts.
It was an honor to have Fred with us this weekend even with all of the floggings. ::) ~~:) The Good Book tells us "spare the rod, spoil the child". :) This man loves this program so much, he's willing give us the direction it needs to go even if it hurts a bit. This is the very measure to which you know if someone loves us...when you're willing to inspire and even say some things that may seem hard at the time, instead of sugar coating, to make you a better person. Everyone needs to attend a shoot with Fred present and absorb his knowledge, passion, vision, and wisdom.
I want to give special thanks to Wildcat for getting me to my first AS last year. Without you my friend, I'd not be where I'm at now. Thanks to The Guy and Meanstreaker for inspiring me at that first shoot and for your mentoring. MS and Slim for pushing me along and giving me the honest critiquing I needed along the way. Thanks Dinky for your energy and perseverance. Thanks to my special wife (Dangerous Ole Mom) for her support. Thanks to my kids for which I have hope that posterity has a chance to get it right. Thanks to the AF&G club members George T, Ratchett, Matt, Ralph, Vic, and Rimfire for their tireless efforts that make this place so special, and who never settle for good enough. Thanks to those special friends (RPD, Christina, Cheese, Blaster) that were praying for me during the instruction and strikes.
For all of you looking for an AS on Halloween weekend next year, join us for the annual pumpkin Zombie run. It doesn't get much better than sending so many rounds into those pumpkins that your chamber flag melts when inserted :cool2: and watching those pumpkins turn to mush before your very eyes. Or watching those mini-pumpkins jump two feet into the air when hit with continuous fire from a Garand. :---
Food was awesome again of course, courtesy of Ratchett, Matt, and Christinia. Bravo!!
After hours was like sitting in the living room with your best friends you haven't seen in 10 years.
Thanks Carrie for the Sunday service and never letting us forget who's our real enemy.
And of course, you never get tired of witnessing Ralph fire off the ole Brown Bess.
^:)^
RNE
AMAZING WEEKEND!!! This 2nd Annual Athens Halloween Pumpkinseed seemed like one big family reunion. This shoot was one of the BEST ever shoots I've been to. ..:..
First, a big thank you to the AF&G Club for hosting; this event would not have been possible without your continual generosity. :bow:
This AS was privileged to (finally) have the honor of FRED attending an Athens shoot for the first time. ^:)^ 8) Thank you Fred, for all the talks, comments, criticism, and encouragement. Witnessing first hand your love for the program, and even more so, for this great country was truly inspiring. Thanks for signing my hat and keeping me at a 100% success rate. ;) We ALL hope to have you back SOON!
Next, I have to give a BIG round of applause to Dinky Dao and MeanStreaker. Dinky, your shoots are so top-notch that at them, it's hard to imagine working under anyone else. :cool2:
MeanStreaker, you constantly encourage me and teach me so much on a multitude of different levels, and for that, I'm grateful. ;)
You both were almost ALWAYS with either a shooter or another Instructor, imparting your vast amount of knowledge to those under you. As Fred said, "Dinky is so senior in the program, that the only work she should be doing this weekend is raising a cup of coffee to her mouth, and MeanStreaker is so senior in the program that all he should be doing is helping Dinky lift that cup."
Your lessons of true Leadership are by example, which is AWESOME. O0
EZ3, having you come down from Pennsylvania was an added bonus to the weekend. Thanks for the instruction, and I hope you can make it back again soon. ..:..
Slim, Appleseeds just ain't the same without you, and I mean that sincerely.
All of the other instructors, Wildcat, Ishy, Recharge, Cozza, Litlbit, Green Light, Lyberty, Nurse Ratchett, George T, Dangerous D, Captain Hook, KAH, working with you all is ALWAYS a pleasure. 8)
RedNekEngr.....wow; it's been a true honor, just as with Ishy, to see a member of the DOF to reach a milestone in the program and get a red hat. Being able to listen to your instruction and phenomenal History was incredible; working with you as much as I do is a blessing that I hope does NOT end. O0
Shooters, your attitudes were the BEST of any AS I've worked! ^:)^ Thank you guys so much for being a pleasure to work with.
Brad and Kevin, congratulations and thank you for caring on the tradition of traditional Rifle marksmanship. :~
Dustin and Louie, :bow:! Thank you for taking up the orange hat and beginning your AS trail as IIT's. I can't wait to see what greatness you have to give to America through this program. 8) :cool2:
Last but CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THANK YOU KITCHEN CREW for continuing the glorious Athens tradition of having great food for all! ;) ..:.. :bow: @)
This shoot is going to be in memory for a long time; thanks to all for making it a great memory. :---
---GoldFish
Greetings from the "Pumpkinator" family (our team won the pumpkin contest)! This was our first appleseed shoot and we can't wait to come to another one soon! Thanks to everyone involved for making this weekend one we will never forget! Please post more pictures, we were so busy we forgot our camera.
Wow! And again WOW!!
Such posts from Instructors and attendees alike make me want to be there next year. (I can dream can't I?)
Congratulations to all.
TruT
TruT,
Those airplane thingys fly just as well to the east as they do to the west. :D Maybe we can do some sort of exchange program next year! :cool2:
No kidding, Tru! You know, we're having an IBC next year too! :cool2:
Elliemae, I'm so glad you and your family had a good time. I was sad you all had to leave early. Make sure you come back next year! ;)
Nice pix, EZ3. O0
A few pictures
Another
All I have to say, after reading the posts and viewing the photos, is there is not an appropriate icon on the message pad to express my thoughts...
I could not locate the icon representing "drool" for those of us who are envious because we could
not be there in person. Sad, drool icon, please :'(
Cynthia, West Virginny
Thanks redneck engineer For thinking of me in your post. You're the only one that can see what I do for AF&G AND THE EVENTS LIKE APPLESEED THAT TAKE PLACE THERE. And I want you to know that I appreciate you and love you for it. Congratulations on that very special hat and have a great trip on the big pond.
Thanks to all of those who worked the A.S. on Halloween. I truly had a great time, (shooting rifleman on my first A.S. was a real bonus too)!! Thanks to Lyberty for repeatably and i mean repeatably reminding me to pull my knee up into position, it really helped steady me. Also if anyone knows the dates for the Bootcamp in N.C. I forgot to write down what Fred told me. I think it was in February but I need to put in for a vacation. If you could let me know or foward my question to Fred it would help a lot. Thanks, BRAD. (coldshot)