GOFWG

[Doc Shapiro]

We made a big breakfast in, kids just left for their 10 hour drive home.  Lovely visit, but I'm glad to get back to routine.  We'll see them again for Thanksgiving.

[Eyesa Horg]

That is some good news Blackwater for both you and Mom👍

[Blackwater 53393]

Gonna’ take a little trip today! I’m meeting up with some of my local Cowboy friends for a lunchtime get-together.  It’ll be my first official walk as I plan to strap on the walking boot and hobble in and out of the restaurant without the damned scooter

 

This will be the first time that I have been out on my own in nearly twelve weeks!!

 

WISH ME LUCK!!

[Eyesa Horg]

Good luck Blackwater. Enjoy lunch with your Pards. YeeHaw

[Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001]

Blackwater 

 

  DON'T over do it , like I always do 

 

  have FUN 

 

  CB 

[Blackwater 53393]

29 minutes ago, Chickasaw Bill SASS #70001 said:

Blackwater 

 

  DON'T over do it , like I always do 

 

  have FUN 

 

  CB 

NOPE!!  This time, when I say “hobble” I really mean HOBBLE!

 

My Achiles tendon is still so tight from the surgery that I am constantly reminded that I’m still in the EARLY stages of recovery!!

 

 

[Blackwater 53393]

So I’m back home safe and sound!!  A reasonably comfortable trip and a lively, enjoyable lunch!!

 

I got a dozen slaps on the back and “so glad ta’ see ya’s!” when I got there.  I meant to have my picture taken walking in or out, but in the bustle of the moment, I forgot to get it done.

 

I pulled a real boner this morning! I was ordering new door skins for my Model T project and had my billfold out to read the debit card info to the vendor who took my order… and I left it sitting on my side table.  It wasn’t a big deal, but I figure that I was so excited about getting out that I just forgot to put it back in my pocket.

 

Anyhow!! I’m back home and my feet are propped up!

 

I guess I can still GRUMP about forgetting my wallet!

 

GRUMMMMP!!!

[Eyesa Horg]

3 hours ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

So I’m back home safe and sound!!  A reasonably comfortable trip and a lively, enjoyable lunch!!

 

I got a dozen slaps on the back and “so glad ta’ see ya’s!” when I got there.  I meant to have my picture taken walking in or out, but in the bustle of the moment, I forgot to get it done.

 

I pulled a real boner this morning! I was ordering new door skins for my Model T project and had my billfold out to read the debit card info to the vendor who took my order… and I left it sitting on my side table.  It wasn’t a big deal, but I figure that I was so excited about getting out that I just forgot to put it back in my pocket.

 

Anyhow!! I’m back home and my feet are propped up!

 

I guess I can still GRUMP about forgetting my wallet!

 

GRUMMMMP!!!

Out effing standing Blackwater!!! Fantastic Pard

[DeaconKC]

Great news BW! 

Now take it easy tomorrow, willya?

[Blackwater 53393]

Took the last couple of days and just puttered around the gun room and the kitchen.

 

I made some final adjustments on the new to me MEC 600 jr and put a few other things in order.

 

I’M GOING TO GO OUT AND SHOOT A FEW ROUNDS TOMORROW!!

 

My oldest grandson is coming over in the morning and we are going to try samples of several shotgun loads and some hot pistol caliber rounds I have built up lately.  One of my close friends has a small range near here that we can back my truck into the firing line and wail away from the tailgate.

 

I have half a dozen 12ga and two 10ga batches awaiting testing, some to confirm their effectiveness and a couple to verify that they will be right or need further development.

 

I have three HOT .45 Colt rounds that I have never shot before, (although others have had success with them) and my latest Black Powder pistol rounds, the first produced on my Dillon 750.  This last round is familiar, having been used for many years, but it’s the first time that I’ve run them off on my new press.

 

I reserve this time tomorrow for some GRUMPIN’ if things don’t go well!!

[Eyesa Horg]

We'll have no GRUMPIN' go have fun!!

[Doc Shapiro]

22 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Took the last couple of days and just puttered around the gun room and the kitchen.

 

I made some final adjustments on the new to me MEC 600 jr and put a few other things in order.

 

I’M GOING TO GO OUT AND SHOOT A FEW ROUNDS TOMORROW!!

 

My oldest grandson is coming over in the morning and we are going to try samples of several shotgun loads and some hot pistol caliber rounds I have built up lately.  One of my close friends has a small range near here that we can back my truck into the firing line and wail away from the tailgate.

 

I have half a dozen 12ga and two 10ga batches awaiting testing, some to confirm their effectiveness and a couple to verify that they will be right or need further development.

 

I have three HOT .45 Colt rounds that I have never shot before, (although others have had success with them) and my latest Black Powder pistol rounds, the first produced on my Dillon 750.  This last round is familiar, having been used for many years, but it’s the first time that I’ve run them off on my new press.

 

I reserve this time tomorrow for some GRUMPIN’ if things don’t go well!!

You have fun now, ya hear?

[Blackwater 53393]

It was MOSTLY a pretty good day!!  Much of my ammunition testing was highly successful! My 10ga rounds are really good! I had never fired this combination and had extrapolated the load from information I had from others on a comparable 12ga load. I’ll be running off a batch shortly! My brass shells worked better. It’s going to need the chambers polished real well.

 

My hot .45 Colt loads are rowdy as hell, but they’re accurate out of the Blackhawk AND the little ‘92 carbine. The carbine needs some smoothing out, but I expected that, it having never been fired. Those are some WICKED cartridges!!

 

The load I made up for my semi-automatic 12ga shotgun was very successful! #1 shot in a new 3” high brass shell.  I’m satisfied.

 

ON THE OTHER HAND, I had a miserable time testing my other 12ga stuff!!  The Baikal hammerless double refused to cooperate! It took time about not firing rounds, not locking closed, firing one barrel and not the other and then firing the other barrel and not firing the first! It produced light primer strikes, but then I could break it open and recock and it would would fire just fine!  I’d brought some factory loads and it STILL acted a fool!

 

That thing is in for a serious rework!! It nearly ruined my day!!

 

GRUMPGRUMPGRUMBLEGROUCH GRUMP!!

 

 

[Blackwater 53393]

SO!! After two weeks out of the cast and a little bit of actually walking in short sessions, I had another appointment with the surgeon today.

 

X-rays look good and the bone grafts are doing great.  He says to start walking a little more and he’s prescribed some physical therapy to aid my recovery and to alleviate some of the post-operative swelling.  They say that the swelling COULD continue for several months.

 

Anyhow, I’m free to start learning to walk again for the seventh or eighth… HELL!!  I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve started over!! I have to relearn the motor skills for balance! My equilibrium is pretty good, but I’m not making the muscle adjustments that keep one on their feet smoothly or naturally.  Hopefully, the PT will help that too.

 

I don’t have to return to see him for six weeks unless I have something go wrong!! I will be allowed to wear my actual boot for the left foot that matches the one I wear on the right foot in a couple of weeks for a short time each day.

 

There’s still a ways to go, but we’re getting a little more optimistic about it!

 

We tried to stop at a particular restaurant on the way home that Schoolmarm has been hankering to visit, but it was absolutely slammed! Not a parking space anywhere!!  That was disappointing, but we’ll have to go to town several more times in the next couple of weeks.  We’ll get there!

 

Y’all talk amongst yourselves! I’m sure we’ll find something more to GRUMP ABOUT!! 🙄

[Doc Shapiro]

Great news Blackwater!

 

Tomorrow morning I'm going to check out the local cowboy shoot.  Dunno if I'm gonna shoot yet or not (the tremors in my hand make the pistol shooting difficult GRUMP), but I at least want to go down and say hi and introduce myself.

[DeaconKC]

Great news BW! And Doc best wishes on the shoot. Family on the way in again, our Church is voting on my Nephew to be our Pastor this Sunday, so hopefully they will be moving here. Lots to do, but we had a nice getaway to Branson MO this week and I let the Missus rest a bit. 

[Blackwater 53393]

Got to spend some time in the gun/reloading room this morning!  
 

Mostly drudgery!!  I cleaned up a little spill of shot, (less than an ounce) and dumped and separated a batch of brass I’d run in the tumbler the other day!  I had the tiny bit of brass from last weekend’s test session and I dumped a couple hundred .45 acp empties in with it to make it worth while. I picked out the brass shotgun shells and the .45 Colt brass and then bagged up the acp.

 

I had packaged a batch of 30-30 yesterday morning before my doctor appointment, but I needed to label the boxes because there were four different loads.  My penmanship is absolutely atrocious, so I basically sat there and drew the letters onto the box lids!  Necessary, but tedious as hell! But I got it done and shelved twenty boxes of fresh rifle ammo!

 

I primed the shotgun shells and ran the cut down .454s and  .45s through the sizing and depriming die on the 750 and primed them on the auto-primer rather than change out the large primer setup.

 

So now I’m back in the recliner with the foot propped up ‘cause it’s decided to swell up a little.

 

I might shouldn’t GRUMP too much, but I can dang well GRUMBLE GRUMBLE GRUMBLE!! 

[Doc Shapiro]

I can grump.  But first the good.  Had a good time on my scouting trip to the local cowboy match.  Didn't shoot, but ran the timer.  Came home, had lunch, and then...

 

Oof.  I had a tumble MTBing.  Hurt enough that I had to check to make sure my collarbone is still intact and in the right spot.  And got jabbed in the forehead by a stick.  Just bruised.  Will recover.  Seems that ever time I get a bit of momentum on getting into shape, and I get hurt.  Major GRUMP

[Grumpy Old Man]

Finally got to my 1st shoot of the year. 1st stage was a total train wreck. I did end up with 3 clean stages.

[Blackwater 53393]

Doc!! Is that MTB mountain bike??

Glad you weren’t injured!  Sorry you got hurt!  
 

I’m wanting to get back on my stationary bike, but I need to see what physical therapy says before I do.

[Doc Shapiro]

52 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Doc!! Is that MTB mountain bike??

Glad you weren’t injured!  Sorry you got hurt!  
 

I’m wanting to get back on my stationary bike, but I need to see what physical therapy says before I do.

Yes, Mountain bike.  Both of the local ski hills offer lift rides up and nice long rides down.  We stick to the easy trails.  It's much fun, and more of a workout than you'd think.  If I feel up to it tomorrow we'll hit up the other ski hill.

 

Incidentally, we bought our season passes for 25/26 skiing when they went on sale in March.  Both together for one of us was a whopping $1100.  And they are valid all summer.  So we will easily get our money's worth out of the deal.

 

I didn't take a picture, but right at the top was a set up for a wedding, with the reception set up at the bottom out in the field.  Beautiful location. 

[DeaconKC]

Wow, a full day today! My nephew was voted in as Pastor at our Church. Seems weird that the little boy that was our ringbearer at our wedding 41 years ago, is now our Pastor. Now they are getting the joy of selling their home in Mobile AL and finding one in Heber Springs AR.

[Eyesa Horg]

On 6/27/2025 at 5:45 PM, Blackwater 53393 said:

SO!! After two weeks out of the cast and a little bit of actually walking in short sessions, I had another appointment with the surgeon today.

 

X-rays look good and the bone grafts are doing great.  He says to start walking a little more and he’s prescribed some physical therapy to aid my recovery and to alleviate some of the post-operative swelling.  They say that the swelling COULD continue for several months.

 

Anyhow, I’m free to start learning to walk again for the seventh or eighth… HELL!!  I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve started over!! I have to relearn the motor skills for balance! My equilibrium is pretty good, but I’m not making the muscle adjustments that keep one on their feet smoothly or naturally.  Hopefully, the PT will help that too.

 

I don’t have to return to see him for six weeks unless I have something go wrong!! I will be allowed to wear my actual boot for the left foot that matches the one I wear on the right foot in a couple of weeks for a short time each day.

 

There’s still a ways to go, but we’re getting a little more optimistic about it!

 

We tried to stop at a particular restaurant on the way home that Schoolmarm has been hankering to visit, but it was absolutely slammed! Not a parking space anywhere!!  That was disappointing, but we’ll have to go to town several more times in the next couple of weeks.  We’ll get there!

 

Y’all talk amongst yourselves! I’m sure we’ll find something more to GRUMP ABOUT!! 🙄

Fabulous BW!! Nice to hear positive news on that damn foot. So glad it's finally coming together.

[Doc Shapiro]

Wow!  We went into town to get some groceries.  it's absolutely nuts. Population likely tripled (or more) with all the folks up for the weekend. Plates from all over the state, WY, MT, OR, WA, AK, CA, NV, etc.  We're staying home tomorrow.  Saturday will go the other way for a steel challenge match.

 

GRUMP about all the outsiders in town.

[Blackwater 53393]

Yeah! The nutcases around here have been shooting off fireworks for nearly a week already!!  It ain’t been real bad, but the dawg doesn’t like it!  
 

I used to do a pretty fair fireworks show on 7/4 and Hatfield took over a few years ago, but lately, fireworks have become more expensive than they are entertaining, so we just watch if the weather ain’t to bad.

 

Gonna get the grandson to weed eat and blow off the driveways and sidewalk tomorrow. He loves doing it and I like an excuse to poke a little cash in his pocket!

 

Gotta get him out for a driving lesson tomorrow too! He’ll be here through the middle of next week while he checks out a couple of colleges.  Gonna hate to see him go back to his mamma’s next week.

 

AH HELL! There go the fireworks again!!

 

GRUMBLEGRUMBLEGRUMBLE!!

 

 

[Rip Snorter]

Throw on the stereo, used to help with my dogs when I lived in town.

Edited July 4, 2025 by Rip Snorter
Typo

[Doc Shapiro]

There will not be fireworks at this home.  One of the dogs is absolutely terrified of them.  I do not know what to expect from the neighbors...

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Busy days in ER and the surgical suites here in Canada and down your way.

Edited July 4, 2025 by Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474

[Blackwater 53393]

Resembles X-rays of my foot!! 🥴

[DeaconKC]

Just got in from a church cookout and fireworks tonight. They even had a bounce house and waterslide for the kids. No fancy food but it sure was good. And the family that hosted this had a nice fireworks display for us all. May God bless America!

[Doc Shapiro]

I will have enough fireworks in the morning at the Steel Challenge match.  Looks like the fellow that runs it will be out of town next month.  I messaged him that I will pitch in, and we can talk about it in the morning.

[Doc Shapiro]

What a night (and I don't mean that in a good way). Lots of local fireworks (so much for quiet rural living), a terrified dog, not much sleep, then he's up at 4:30am. I really hate how we celebrate Independence Day.  GRUMP

[Blackwater 53393]

I’m guessing that everyone survived the big weekend!  It was loud and boisterous for a while, but it seems like it’s settled down now.

 

Took a run into town this morning to see Schoolmarm’s kidney doctor. All good there!!

 

Next, we drove to the other side of town to pick up her meds. When we finished there, we stopped at a breakfast only restaurant and had a big breakfast, bacon, eggs, pancakes, and biscuits and gravy!!  
 

While I was waiting for her to finish up with her doctor, I called and ordered refills for all of my prescriptions.  They texted me back that they didn’t have one of the most important ones and wouldn’t likely have it for another day or so. Saved me a stop that was out of the way for us to get home, so I will pick ‘em all up in a couple of days when I have to take her to the oncologist.  It’ll be on the way during that trip and we can catch a particular food truck that’ll be in the area that day too!

 

I walked around the house all weekend! Left the scooter in the back of the Buick when we got home on Thursday afternoon and it’s still there now!

 

This walking thing is more difficult than I remembered!!  It’s the ninth time that I have had to relearn the skill and it’s not coming to me quickly!!  I’ve picked up a little simple brace that lifts my foot just behind my toes. It came with a strap that I can use when I’m in my sock feet and I have been using it a little bit at a time.  I’m much more steady on my feet wearing it. It’s going to be interesting to see how it works when I try it with my regular shoes/boots.

 

For now, if I go out of the house,  I’m still wearing the walking boot. I’m going to try out the brace a little next week with my regular lace up boots.

 

In the meantime, Hatfield and the Bopper, my younger grandson, left this morning for Knoxville to do a campus visit at the University of Tennessee. I’m a little ambivalent about him attending that place. I don’t care for some of the folks I’ve encountered there, so I’ll have to check my feelings if he decides to attend there.  I hear they have a decent performing arts school. He’s planning on an acting career, but I’m hoping that he’ll get into a better school.

There’s a really good university here close by, but unless he can get a scholarship, it’s probably out of the range that his parents can afford. I’d help as much as I could, but I don’t know if we can make it work.

 

We’ll see…

 

Much to chew on this afternoon!!  GRUMBLEGRUMBLEGRUMBLE!!

 

 

Edited July 7, 2025 by Blackwater 53393

[Eyesa Horg]

👍to Schoolmarm and wishing her a good check up tomorrow.

All and all a good report BW. Hoping this will be the last time you need to relearn how to walk. The progress sounds pretty positive however.  Hugs from Ellie, I'll give ya a grump just cuz that's what this thread is for 😊.

[MizPete]

1 hour ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

campus visit at the University of Tennessee.

My ex-boss & BFF Sherrie ALMOST graduated from UT.  Left to get married (don't EVEN).  Finished later when we were together & she sent me kicking & screaming back into academia.