St. Augustine, August 9-10, 2014

[9mm4545]

August in Florida is a special time of the year. Heat and humidity are featured in abundance but those who thirst for knowledge will not let a little sticky weather stop them. Such was the case on Saturday and Sunday in St. Augustine when an intrepid group of patriotic Americans came out to learn marksmanship and heritage. Our students ages ranged from young Alina at 8 to Dix at, well, "older". After a welcome and safety briefing, we were off to the races with a fire hose of instruction in the fundamentals of rifle marksmanship. Students learned the proper prone position and how to use a sling to create a rock solid firing platform. The vital Six Steps were explained for the first time but certainly not the last and the ever elusive Natural Point of Aim was taught and demonstrated using our laser equipped rifle. Inches, minutes, and clicks were explained as our students fine tuned their zeros. Progress was quick and it was apparent that this group--several of whom were previous Appleseed attendees--were fast learners. By lunchtime we were all ready for a break to cool down and hydrate. Rambo Granny educated us about the true story of Lexington, MA on an early morning in April of 1775 as British colonists defied tyranny and stood up for their rights. During the afternoon the heat index topped a hundred degrees as positions other than prone were taught and practiced. Rifleman calisthenics in the form of transitions (Safeties on, STAND!) and rapid fire made sure that the sweating continued. During a welcome mid-afternoon break we heard the "rest of the story" and learned the story of Isaac Davis at the North Bridge and the retreat back to Boston by the King's army and how this fateful day did quite literally change the world. Then it was back to hot and heavy shooting!  By day's end Cheri had earned the coveted "Inferno-seed" patch while several others were knocking at the door. Good job, Cheri!

Sunday started just as sticky as Saturday and keeping up with hydration was challenging but before lunchtime we had reviewed all the basics and even got in one AQT. During the very hot afternoon our marksmen showed their stuff and hung in there during some truly miserable conditions. The torrential rain that broke out during the afternoon did cool things off--at least until the sun peeked out again. As the afternoon progressed, our shooters were slowly wilting but continued to soldier on. At the end of the day a new Rifleman was revealed as Mason first shot a 210 score and then followed it up with a very respectable 224. Congratulations to Mason for some very fine shooting!

Everyone who came out deserves a very heartfelt thank you. Getting off the sofa and out of the air conditioning in these conditions takes a special kind of person, one with guts and determination and you folks ROCK! Thanks also to our crew of volunteer instructors: Rambo Granny, TomM1Thumb, and FLawyer. T'was a fine weekend for Americans...

[Engineer shooting]

Rambo Granny educated us about the true story of Lexington, MA on an early morning in April of 1775 as British colonists defied tyranny and stood up for their rights.

WOW! Sorry I missed that! 

[FLawyer]

 Dix did not let a little water keep him from practicing stage 2....

[9mm4545]

That photo of Dix is indicative of a spirit that refuses to quit. I want him on my side...