Why you should be in Raton with pictures

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Woody
Posts: 6060
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:02 am
Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by Woody »

From someplace in the boot heal of MO.

Safely set up for the night. No more incidents yet. Very heavy rain and high wind while crossing Northeastern Arkansas. Slowed down to 40 mph because of visibility. At least the rain cooled the temp from a high of 97.

Woody
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
Woody
Posts: 6060
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:02 am
Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by Woody »

Warm and sunny today for the final leg. No issues. Arrived to find the lawn freshly mowed. Unloaded the truck and trailer and ready to get back into the shop to catch up on orders and prep for the next Friendship match in a week.

Woody

You should'a been there.
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
GrumpyBear
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2018 6:42 pm
Location: Western,Pa

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by GrumpyBear »

Glad that you made it home safe and sound Woody,with no more tire problems.

Maybe next year I will make the trip,sure sounds like a good time.
BFD
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Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:36 pm

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by BFD »

Grump, don't wait past next year. Might not happen. It could just fade away in the blink of an eye.

I'll post a few more photos. We had a neighborhood block party and BBQ, shot some more sporting clays, lever guns, and just had fun. Right now, I'm working my tail off fixing up things around the house though.
Aviator
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Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 8:06 pm

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by Aviator »

Wow, Woody! You have a lawn boy?
GrumpyBear
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Location: Western,Pa

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by GrumpyBear »

Thanks Brent, really enjoyed the photos already posted, maybe I can get some of our Quigley crew to go with me !
BFD
Posts: 2789
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:36 pm

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by BFD »

I'm a bit lost on where I left off and what I haven't posted, but here are some more of what I consider highlights of Raton 2019

Grilled Teal with wild rice, sour cream, and Al's famous stuffed mushrooms. Might be a beer in that mug. Maybe.
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We finished up with lever guns - "Rifle Caliber". Lever Gun, Pistol Caliber and Small Bore passed without my taking many pictures.

Weather for the lever gun matches was even more awesome than for the BPCR matches. Cool, clear, light breezes. If you shot scores like mine, it's because you shoot as poorly as I do. I am just plain bad with a lever gun, but no one cares. This is all pure fun.
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Michael Rix joined Woody, Al, and me for this last 2-days of lever gun. Here he is using a proper gun (.45-70) to dust a few pigs. If you zoom in, you will see one of them doing a perfect swan dive into the dust. Michael shot well. .45s rule.

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Well, maybe .45s don't rule entirely. This guy is John Mullens shooting a .30-30. A strange modern caliber, but he knows how to use it. Over 2 days, he missed 3 rams. And nothing else. John can shoot. He won it all, going away.
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Here are some folks checking out the score board to see how far behind John they are. I could have doubled my scores and not caught him.
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Woody
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Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by Woody »

Actually a girl. My neighbor's daughter. My mower, my gas, $200. As many times as required, while I'm gone. Paid up this afternoon. She said she mowed twice while I was gone. One year, she mowed five times in the same time frame. She made good money this time. You coming to Friendship next week?

Woody

The block party Brent alluded to was grilled steaks, baked taters, corn on cob, and a German chocolate cake. Brent, Al Sledge, Michael Rix, my wife Lois, and myself. I'm still full.
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
BFD
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Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:36 pm

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by BFD »

Here is a picture I almost forgot about. It is from the awards at the .22 bpcr match. I have very few photos of this match for some reason. These are all Junior shooters. They all shot off for a rifle from CPA after the match. this was the coolest of matches. They began with banks of 5 turkeys. Two of them, the girl in the black shirt and green shorts (Joe and Carol Scott's granddaughter) and Clarence's grandson (I think the lad to the far right) bagged all of them. So, naturally, they had to have a shoot off. Another bank of 5.. The lass got all 5, the lad, 4. It was awesomer to watch than anything I've seen in a long time. All of them also got line boxes from Harold Forcum. If you weren't there - I feel sorry for you.

Image

A typical evening palaver, Al, me, Woody, from left to right. You shoulda, coulda, been there.
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More sporting clays. Isn't this an ugly course? It was low 70s in the shade.
Image
BFD
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Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:36 pm

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by BFD »

Here is a picture I almost forgot about. It is from the awards at the .22 bpcr match. I have very few photos of this match for some reason. These are all Junior shooters. They all shot off for a rifle from CPA after the match. this was the coolest of matches. They began with banks of 5 turkeys. Two of them, the girl in the black shirt and green shorts (Joe and Carol Scott's granddaughter) and Clarence's grandson (I think the lad to the far right) bagged all of them. So, naturally, they had to have a shoot off. Another bank of 5.. The lass got all 5, the lad, 4. It was awesomer to watch than anything I've seen in a long time. All of them also got line boxes from Harold Forcum. If you weren't there - I feel sorry for you.

Image

A typical evening palaver, Al, me, Woody, from left to right. You shoulda, coulda, been there.
Image


More sporting clays. Isn't this an ugly course? It was low 70s in the shade.
Image
BFD
Posts: 2789
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:36 pm

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by BFD »

There are three things I like about Raton beside having lots of lead in the air (and thus hope in my heart).

One star gazing. On this trip, star gazing just wasn't great. For one reason or another, there was a conspiracy to spoil the star gazing. Clouds, haze, little time, no energy, or occasionally odd weather (high winds at dark - really odd).
So, no star photos.

Then there is food. You probably already surmised this was on my list. But one day in the last of the lever guns, Michael brought steaks - huge, high-quality steaks from Denverish. We headed down to Woody's and Lois's place where they were grilled and we feasted. Lois had the first sweet corn of the season for us and potatoes as well. It was, of course, awesome.
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Some BSing commenced as well. Unfortunately, Lois is not in this picture and I don't have another. I messed up there.
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And the third thing I like about Raton is the clouds, especially at dusk. They are like NO WHERE ELSE and I've lived in a lot of No Where Elses. If they don't wow you, then blame the photographer, not the sky.
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This is a not too well photographed dawn sky.
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Double 'bows,
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And finally, a photo to close out the trip. Sunset on Saturday night from camp.
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BFD
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Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by BFD »

I did not post scores here because I want to emphasize how much more there is to these matches than just winning and losing. You can shoot abysmally and have fun (and I did). And you can shoot outstandingly, and still not win because the competition is tough. But, in the end, the real important part of Raton is having fun, seeing beautiful country, making new friends, spending quality time with old friends, and having memories for a life time. There is absolutely nothing like it - anywhere.

So, now you have it all. I do not have anything left with which to convince you to come to Raton in 2020. I hope all of you can come, and do so soon. I cannot say with confidence that the matches will be here, even 2 yrs from now. Even next year might be in question. If this is on your bucket list, just MAKE IT HAPPEN! DECIDE NOW, and DO IT! Kick the can down the road one more time, and you just might never be able to do it, ever.
GrumpyBear
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Joined: Tue May 15, 2018 6:42 pm
Location: Western,Pa

Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by GrumpyBear »

Enjoyed the pictures and commentary, thanks again for posting them.
Glen Ring
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Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by Glen Ring »

What Brent said ...
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
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Lumpy Grits
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Re: Why you should be in Raton with pictures

Post by Lumpy Grits »

Thank you, Brent :!:
Gary
"Hav'n you along, is like loose'n two good men"
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