Project Appleseed

After postponing a week due to an expected 12" of snow, the second Appleseed of the MO schedule commenced.  While we lost a few of the pre-regs due to the schedule change, 26 shooters showed up on Saturday morning, including several children/families some driving as much as five hours to attend!

The weather wasn't much of an issue with the partly sunny skies and 60-65°F (ish) temps, but the winds gusting to 40 mph had the AS crew sprinting back down to the target line several times that day to re-tie wire, fix backers, and drive in more fence posts.  Despite the impromptu moving target exercises, it was a terrific group of shooters with great attitudes that performed very very well.  Several were knocking on the door with score of 190-205 by the first couple AQTs. 

George, the land owner, went above and beyond, providing a nice open barn for the history lessons, arrangement of hot lunches, gravelling in troublesome muddy spots, and generally just being a great host. Shoot Boss GregInMo, did a great job of coping with Mother Nature's challenges and keeping everything moving.  Ben1775 provided the, shall we say, voice of motivation with his patter.  Greybeard was on hand and Dan came up from Kansas to help out as well, both valuable assets to the AS Project.   

Sunday's weather turned cold and wet but the shooters persisted in the rain until by the final AQT there were three new Riflemen all leaving with Orange Hats. In just one weekend the Kansas contingent of instructors/IITs nearly doubled!

Greg and Ben are already talking with the landowner about a second AS in Cameron, we'll keep you posted!

Every Appleseed presents new challenges, and this one was full of them.  First of course was the rescheduling.  Then, as others have indicated, the wind wreaked havoc with our lines all Saturday.  Who would have guessed that the 2 times out of the year that the wind blows out of the east in MO it would be gusting to 45 mph and going straight into our backers.  We had to fight keeping the targets up all day.  We were pretty far behind, and the time monkey was screaming in my ear.  Fortunately, I had Ben running the line, since I knew he would keep people moving.

Providence smiled on us, and granted us a fantastic group of shooters who really had their act together.  I have never seen groups that good after only 3 or 4 squares, so we were able to move into IMC and make some sight adjustments before lunch.  The landowner and his family really took good care of us, and made this weekend successful.  We were back on schedule in the afternoon and easily got through the rest of the day, with time to spare for 3rd strike and 7th step by yours truly.  I was really pleased to be able to fit that in since I knew we would lose people on Sunday given the forecast.  Two Riflemen made on the first AQT.  Hard to argue with that!  And they both stepped up and took the orange hat.

Sunday those that returned were determined and really improved.  We managed to squeeze some more scores out in the freezing rain, and good thing because we made one more Rifleman on the last one, and one more took the orange.  What a good group of folks!   

The freezing rain and snow cut us short, but we were still successful and the group did very well.  Hopefully we will see many of them at Osage or some other shoots this year.  All of the feedback I received from the shooters was positive.

I want to thank all of my instructors.  Ben, Chris, Erik and Dan.  You guys are top notch and I always enjoy working with you.  It would be tough to stomp around in the cold slop for a whole weekend without you guys always keeping my spirits up.  As usual you stepped up to the challenges that Mother Nature gave us and met them head on.  Good job!

Special thanks to the landowner.  George took a big chance hosting an Appleseed with no real knowledge of what we were about.  He did a ton of work around his place to make the event a success.  Throughout the weekend he saved us countless times, with extra posts, stakes, or other supplies to deal with the wind.  His family was gracious enough to provide an excellent lunch for us when our previous provider couldn't work with the event rescheduling.  He provided transportation of equipment and shooters to the firing line, and is really just a great American.  He stepped up and made this event possible.  I am pretty sure we will be seeing George and his family on the trail.  At least I hope so.

Thanks again to everyone who got off the couch and made it to the shoot.  Without you, Appleseed wouldn't exist.  I'll see you and the 10 other people you bring with you at the next event!

Greg

This was my second Appleseed.  My first one was last October in Osage Beach.  I wasn't sure what to expect when I went to the Osage Beach shoot but I learned a lot and have been anxious to get to another one.

My buddy (Paul) that I went to the Osage Beach shoot with came to this one too and we brought two first-time Appleseeders with us.  We all had a great time.  We camped on Friday and Saturday.  We pulled in about the same time Friday evening as greybeard and his daughter who also camped.  George was a great host and we all got to know each other around the campfire that night.

It seemed like we got off to a slow start on Saturday morning but the instructors got things back on track by the afternoon.  I was able to earn my Rifleman patch, which I had been working on ever since leaving Osage Beach back in October.  It felt really, really good.

The wind blew so hard on Saturday that my tent literally blew away.  My buddy had his tent staked down a little better... but the wind blew hard enough to make one of his tent poles shatter.

It was all worth it.

Sunday it got cold and wet and we had to stop early, but not before Paul earned his Rifleman patch.

It was a great weekend and I'm already looking forward to going back.  Hope to bring some more new folks next time.  Thanks to everyone that helped put this on: George, Greg, Erik, Ben, Dan, Chris and the women that brought lunch both days!