Well, Judi and I completed our NRA Rifle Instructor class this past weekend. What a great time. We now have both BSA shooting merit badges covered (okay, we don’t have archery), plus most of the Venturing Shooting Sports covered. Just need back powder, and we’ll have to figure out that whole archery thing.

The gun show was great, but next time we’re going to make sure we spend more than one day (and a half day at that) at the show. We picked up our essentials, and a few items on our wish list, but not everything.

Next on the agenda is our NRA Training Coach training session this weekend.

Its that time again… going to a gun show! These are always fun, especially when we can bring some of the Crew along. Even more so when its their first time at one. We have some essentials to pick up, plus I really want to get into cowboy action shooting, so I’ll be looking for some cowboy guns in either .357 Magnum or .45 Colt. The Colts have a nostalgic place in my heart (I’ve always loved westerns since I was a kid) but the .357’s will be cheaper to shoot. Of course, one day I’ll need to get a regular hunting rifle, but there is time enough for that. Hopefully I won’t spend too much so Sue won’t toss me out of the house

Well, back from another Crew campout to Big Mac. Everyone had fun. No one got hurt. Okay, one small slide bite, but nothing major. Everyone worked pretty well together. We had some new shooters with us, and they did really well for their first time. We stopped by the Bull Run Shooting Range on the way back. What a cool place. We’ll need to take their intro class, but after that it looks to be a good place to take the Crew for practice. Plus, we can take them as the responsible adults - meaning we don’t have to drag everyone’s parents along.

Next up is two weeks of training (rifle instructor and then NRA training coach). We’ve also got a full month booked with FRGC, so loads of hands on time.

Phil and Eddie are doing well at Goshen. Apparently they even signed up for next year already. I’m impressed. Phil sent me an email asking for more ammo and the target .22’s for the upcoming Venture Camp. Don’t know if that will go over well with their owners though. If they were mine, I’d say ok. We’ll see how that pans out.

Goshen was a success. Mostly. There were your typical blue card mistakes, nothing major. We had to make one short trip to the hospital in Lexington for a small hatchet slip. Nothing serious, just being overly cautious. Camp was a bit more understaffed than usual, and we heard a lot of stories about youth and adult staff quiting for various reasons, but mostly from poor upper management. But the boys had a good time, and that’s what counts in the end. But they got to do better or Goshen is going to continue to hurt in the years to come.

My second trip to Goshen this weekend as to take Phil and Eddie back down Sunday so they could join the Marriott staff. Phil at shooting sports, Eddie at Archery or Scout Skills, not sure where they will put him. Gone for three weeks. Looks like I won’t get out of mowing the lawn this season :)  Good news is that Phil got his Eagle Project approved in the 24-hour turn around we had. By the way, thats a looong drive down and back in one day. I’m still road weary.

We depart for Goshen tomorrow morning for a week at Camp Marriott. All the planning is done, all the preparation is done - ready or not