At the Gun Show

The Annual Memorial Day gun show was well attended. Gang-bangers with "do-rags" lots of beards, lots of tattoos, mountain man wannabes, lots of shorter than usual people, characters. It seemed to me that chins and testoterone were in short supply except on the women. It is kind of hard to explain because there seemed to be nerd factor in there someplace, otherwise these folks might be riding Harleys. Very few new vehicles in the parking lot, though they were mostly fairly late models from around this state and from far away. Only two up front "political discussions"-one seemed to focus on a confrontations with law enforcement. The guns were primarily used or antique and pretty darn pricey. There were some historical oddities I enjoyed seeing; A rifle with a turning cylinder like a six shooter, WWI and II pistols and rifles, Lugers and Walthers. It was surprising that there were not many sportsmen types. They were probably at the lake or Rocky Mountain Sports

I bought a spare magazine for the pistol to hold the snake shot shells. I think they will probably jam but at least they are not loose.

This interesting vehicle was sporting a bumpersticker that would seem to support Napolitano's statement that right wing homegrown terrorists might well be lurking. A cropped shot below is probably easier to read (click to enlarge it). A Michigan truck (below) seemed to proclaim the current mantra of the NRA. There were not a lot of bumperstickers on the vehicles-of any kind. My "Coexist" sticker was the only pacifistic one I saw. A lady saw me snapping these two shots and got all paranoid. I left her that way. I think it is easy for these folks to get fearful. Unless you are somewhat fearful, why would you want a gun unless...unless... Omigod! it is too awful to contemplate! Black helicopters will usher in flying saucers and we'll all be PROBED!... (Skip me I have Dr. White's fine photographs) OR you are contemplating "going postal" at some point.

Perhaps Henry Reed's WWII poem gives a clue:

I. NAMING OF PARTS

To-day we have naming of parts. Yesterday,

We had daily cleaning.

And to-morrow morning,We shall have what to do after firing.

But to-day,To-day we have naming of parts.

Japonica Glistens like coral in all of the neighboring gardens,

And to-day we have naming of parts.

This is the lower sling swivel. And thisIs the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see

When you are given your slings. And this is the piling swivel,Which in your case you have not got.

The branches Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,

Which in our case we have not got.

This is the safety-catch, which is always released

With an easy flick of the thumb. And please do not let me

See anyone using his finger.

You can do it quite easy

If you have any strength in your thumb.

The blossoms Are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see

Any of them using their finger.

And this you can see is the bolt.

The purpose of this Is to open the breech, as you see.

We can slide it Rapidly backwards and forwards:

We call this Easing the spring.

And rapidly backwards and forwards

The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:

They call it easing the Spring.

They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy

If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,

And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom

Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,

For today we have naming of parts.

Note the anti-radar license plate cover. Can this thing even go the speed limit?
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The neighbors change where they feed the cows every day to minimize wear and distribute fertilizer aound the pasture. This morning they picked right under my deck and for some reason Honey took umbrage. The cattle were halfway across the pasture before I could even zap her- and zap her I did. The neighbors calmly took another pass with the hay wagon and all the cows were contentedly munching by they time they finished feeding in the lower pasture. They were feeding on my land so there is not much they can say but I wish it had not happened. Honey was pretty subdued most of the day. We played tonight though and she was fine. Buster was pretty hacky today but he was exerting himself quite a bit. He's got to have some semblance of a doggie life.