punxsutawneypete

Unfortunately Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke and Gene McDaniel are no longer with us. I really tried to see as many of the old time performers as I could back in the 1970s-1990s.

What? Nobody here remembers "They're Coming to Take Me Away" by Napoleon XVI? That's what first came to mind for me.

I remember the song well. I still have the record. I was an oldies disk jockey back in the 70s.

A somewhat interesting flub in continuity happened on the Dukes of Hazzard. Daisy Duke was driving in a car chase. Another car was shown in the ongoing chase, and then went back to Daisy Duke, who was driving this whole time. Somehow during an active car chase Daisy Duke managed to change into a different top while driving a moving car. Of course, I was making these observations solely in the interest of production values.

I've never been to End of Trail but I remember a similar event long prior to the establishment of SASS. When I was little boy back in the 1950s, my dad was a competitor in the North-South Skirmish Association. I can remember going with him to an event at Camp Perry, Ohio. Like it was yesterday I can remember a stack of potato chip cans filled with water being set up downrange, and then a Gatling Gun, probably in 45-70 cut loose on the stack. The hydraulic pressure from those big slugs hitting the cans just ruptured the cans right down the seam.

Thanks for having me up this year to be able to see folks that I used to shoot with at prior matches. I don't get around like I used to but everyone I came across looked after me to make sure that I was safe and sound. And now the good thing is that I'm making new friends who I'll probably start seeing at the Maryland matches close to me. I can't compete anymore, but I'm glad that I can still be an active member of SASS.

Back in my misspent youth 50 years ago I was an oldies disk jockey. I assembled quite a collection of 45s (records, not pistols). I was quite a radio fan when I was a kid so I remember lot of the rock & roll and country crossover songs from the 50s and 60s. And now with karaoke I can sing the songs I used to play on the air.

When I started in SASS you only needed one revolver, so I bought a blued 7 1/2" Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt. Then the rules changed so I had to get a twin for it. Then Ruger came out with the Blackhawk in stainless steel, and I like shiny guns, so I had to get one. And of course, I didn't want it to get lonely so I got its twin brother. Then I didn't want any of the guns to feel neglected so every big match I took matched sets of 7 1/2" .45 Colt Ruger Blackhawks , one blue and one stainless. Now they are like me, enjoying retirement.

Despite being a member of SASS since 1990, I have only shot cowboy matches in PA, MD and VA. A job loss in 2010 and discovey of some health issues in 2016 cut down my participation in the matches and any chance of going to any more states. But I still try to come around to major matches if only to show my face and spread around a few Golden Dollars.