Progress and Summertime Fun
So, our garden has finally become a source of happiness instead of worry and disappointment. We have more straightneck and zucchini squash than we know what to do with and tons of green beans, too. We’ve also got pumpkins starting to turn orange, four different kinds of tomatoes, jalapenos, green onions, red onions, okra, watermelons, cataloupe, two different kinds of cucumbers and some lettuce that has survived the hot weather. Soon, I’ll be planting broccoli, cabbage, more radishes, carrots, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. Our corn was completely decimated by the sqirrels, so we’ll try that again next year. I don’t know what they did with the corn. There weren’t any ears yet, but they gnawed the corn stalks off about two inches off the ground. We started out with forty-five plants and ended up with four. I finally tried red pepper on the corn that was left, as I heard it might work. C said he said saw one of the squirrels running away from the corn squeaking and jumping in the air. We haven’t seen any squirrels in the garden since, so I guess it worked. We actually got a permit to shoot them from DNR, but they disappeared for the entire month that the permit was good for. A few days after it expired, they came and killed it all. Now, I’ve never shot an animal and I’m not sure I ever could, but I was so angry about the corn that I thought I might be able to. Even A, who wants to save all the animals in the world, was using a slingshot, trying to whack the squirrel that we had chased up a tree. I think we might have better luck next year. We just got a beautiful black lab puppy named Diesel. I don’t think he’ll mind chasing squirrels for us. Also, we need a fence next year. I had to replant green beans because the deer seem to find them irresistible and ate them down to nubby stems.
The kids are having a great summer, swimming at friends houses and playing manhunt (a nighttime version of hide and seek) almost every night. I feel bad for R. There aren’t any kids in the neighborhood that are even close to her age.
In chicken news, we have finished the coop, at least until we have to insulate it this fall. The chickens should be laying their first eggs around the beginning of August. I can’t wait!
That’s all for now!
Filed under Chickens, Dogs, Fun Stuff, Gardening, Homestead, Shooting Sports | Comment (0)Training…
This is actually old news, but I thought I’d post it since I haven’t posted anything in a while.
I’ve now completed my Range Safety Officer training. Anotherone down, more to go.
Filed under Shooting Sports | Comment (0)NRA Instructor Credentials
Yay! I received my NRA Instructor credentials today. I can now show off my officialness and say whipee!
More seriouslly I can now start teaching the classes that are getting backed up. Two new students are signed up and paid for this Saturday and others are already in the waiting queue.
Now I can focus on the other items I want to achieve:
- Range Safety Officer
- Rifle Instructor
- Shotgun Instructor
- Reloading Instructor
In due time, in due time. But things are in motion. I have to give a shout out to someone who is fast becoming a good friend. Berny Hostrop from GBH Gunsmithing. He is a Master NRA Training Counselor and is the one I’ve been going to for my NRA training. Here’s a link to him and I’m going to add his site to my link list.
Filed under Shooting Sports | Comment (0)Completed: NRA Instructor Training
Well I slacked off and didn’t post about day 2 or 3. However I have completed the training and am back home.
I wanted to blog more while away but I was really swamped with studying and preparing for the class. The students had to prepare lectures and presentations for the subjects we were learning. This was a good method of teaching us the material and giving us experience in teaching the material. I have to say that I really enjoyed the training methods that were used and they really worked well.
Not much more to say right now.
Filed under Shooting Sports | Comment (0)Day 1: NRA Instructor Training
I have now completed day one of the NRA Instructor Training that I’m attending. Here is a list of the classes that I’m being trained in:
- Basic Instructor Training ( Pre-requisite for instructors )
- Home Firearms Safety
- Pistol
- Pistol First Steps
- Personal Protection in the Home
So far I have completed the first two in the list. Tomorrow we’ll start another day in which I now become an instructor and must give demonstrations and lead others through a “mock” class. There will also be live fire on the precision range. This will be a testing of firearm skills and accuracy.
I’ve completed my homework for the night. I’ve read through the materials I needed to. I’ve written a dozen or more 3×5 note cards for my presentation tomorrow. The presentations that I’m doing are:
Ammunition Malfunctions (Misfire, Hangfire, Squib)
Benchrest Shooting. Hands on all the way through setup and dry firing as a Teacher/Pupil pair.
Hopefully I’ll do well tomorrow!
Filed under Shooting Sports | Comment (0)