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A brand new, fairly stiff Stetson saved my skull one summer afternoon ... a four foot long set of pipe tongs (family oilfield setting) slipped out of the user's hands and cracked me across the crown. Kind of reshaped the hat but saved the underlying scalp and whatever claimed to be rattling around inside my skull. I stepped back, examined the skypiece, allowed as it just got some character, and went back to work.

You are correct. My friend 3-Cut did them for me many moons ago. They don't get shot much anymore but I love to show them off. Lucky

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My friend, you ain't alone, my hand is a-wavin' in the air ... Testify! Particular instances omitted out of a wish for brevity and a general feeling of well deserved humiliation!

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WHAT GAVE IT AWAY? The Firelands hospital’s nurses were not surprised when children under their care asked unusual questions. Especially questions about that nice lady that didn’t say much. Apparently that nice lady came to them when they were scared, when nights were long and lonely and frightening to a wee child who was in a strange bed in a strange place that smelled funny and people came in and did things to them that generally hurt: one of the nurses had to turn her head and squeeze her eyes shut, hard, to compose herself when a little boy on chemo thrust his fisted arm out and almost yelled “Hit me!” when it was time for his treatment. These same nurses sometimes saw people in their hospital chapel. Tammy was an old veteran nurse who’d been a hairdresser before becoming a nurse: her hair was always jacked up and elaborate, her makeup was done to perfection, her uniform immaculate: she had the same irreverent, almost jaded sense of humor that was off-putting to anyone not accustomed to the survivor’s sense of humor. Tammy was told in nurse’s training that a sense of humor was a “coping mechanism.” Tammy knew enough medics, enough lawmen, enough firefighters, enough fellow nurses, to know a sense of humor was most certainly not a coping mechanism. It was a SURVIVAL mechanism, and no two ways about it! Tammy listened to her patients – actually listened – and when a child spoke of that nice lady that didn’t say much, Tammy asked what she looked like. The answer ran a trickle of cold water right down her back bone. When Tammy went on break, she passed the chapel’s double doors with the stained glass windows, as she always did. Instead of just walking past, Tammy hesitated, then pulled the right hand door and slipped inside. And stopped. She watched as someone in what looked like a white-plastic spacesuit – red shoulders, red boots, a big red cross on what looked like a thin, white-plastic back pack – rose. The figure had been kneeling at the altar rail, but stood. A red helmet with white trim covered most of its face, but a clear faceplate was pushed up and the profile was young, female, and pretty. Tammy watched the figure flip a stethoscope overhead and around her neck with the casual ease of long practice. Tammy stopped, stared, wondering if there was a costume party she hadn’t been told about – The figure brought up a bent wrist, tapped at something on the back of what looked like a wristband, then stepped forward and disappeared as if stepping through an invisible doorway. Tammy blinked, she felt her mouth open, then shut it: she shook her head, backed against the door, backed out into the hallway. Tammy went back into the children’s ward. She didn’t usually work midnight shift pediatrics, but she’d been pulled off Med-Surg as Pedes had a call-off. Tammy stepped into the pediatric ward and stopped. A woman wearing a white cap, a white apron and a long dress was holding a little boy’s hand. Tammy froze again, not wanting to interrupt the conversation, then her eyes went to the wall clock. She backed up against the door and backed into the hallway. She still had seven minutes of break time left. “Coffee,” she whispered, before she headed toward the ER and its perpetual coffee supply. She stopped as she came abreast of the front desk, stopped and froze and stared at a very old portrait. Her eyes dropped to the hand-lettered card attached to the bottom of the hand-rubbed, heavy wooden, frame. Dr. John Greenlees and his wife, Nurse Susan, she read: the pair stood stiffly, unsmiling, in what was evidently a physician’s inner office. “Did you see her?” a voice asked from behind her. Tammy turned, startled, her face the color of wheat paste, as she whispered ... "What gave it away?"

I bought two 5# jugs of TB about 10 years ago at $108 each. I just opened my 2nd 5# jug. I use TB in my 38 spcl rifle loads, 32-20 loads, and 45-70 loads. I like to use Unique in my 38 spcl pistol loads as I found that to be more accurate, but you can't find that powder either. I think I have 3# of Unique left. I don't expect to run out soon, but when the time comes I'll see what is available out there.

BTT. Reduced.

BTT. Reduced.

Thanks, I needed that.

And if I wanted a hard hat I'd get another Derby or something like folks wear on construction sites or when riding motorcycles.

This is why the Remington 870 became so popular.

I have two of those and they as useless as tits on a chicken.

I bought a 1941 vintage Resistol that had never been worn. It's been my every day favorite for almost ten years. About once a years I have it cleaned and re-blocked (that lady just retired and I don't what I going to do now.). I still have two All Hat hats (a very elegant wide brim high crown cowboy hat and a "western Fedora", both in light gray) that Bobbie Dumez (Damn I miss that guy.) made for me that are almost as good, but they are more Sunday-Go-To-Meeting hats that don't get as much use. I also have a baker's dozen other hats and caps that get very little use, a beaver pelt "trappers hat" and a Marine eight panel utility cover and an Army "boonie" hat that are mostly once or twice a year hats....and a Navy watch cap for really cold days.

Cause you're special!

Sure they’re were not all the western actors but surely a good number of them in this flick. Pretty good movie too.

$427.50 a lb is insane 🤪 I use TiteGroup as well and I have good amount. I also have HP 38 and Clays Where did you see $427.00 a lb at?

Decades ago we were hosting Easter dinner with the family. The timer went off on the oven indicating the ham was done. Poor Ellie opened the oven only to discover the ham was still in the refrigerator!! The veggies, salad and potatoes were excellent!!

I AM an episode! I don't get 'em, I cause 'em in other folks.

Would help if you were specific in color, composition etc. I only have about a dozen assorted sets. kR

We're heading out Wednesday morning for a match. So stay off my lawn too! Hope you have a great time Blackwater!

Doc! So glad to hear that he’s recovering well!! I’m making the final preparations for the trip to Black Gold this morning. We’ll be leaving in a couple of hours and I’ll be mostly incommunicado for the better part of the week. The phone reception at the range is pretty spotty and I’m hoping that I will be busy, but I’ll check in when I can. Y’all have a good, safe week and I’ll try to get some reports out to ya’s!! While I’m gone, GET OFF THE LAWN!! GRUMP ON!!!!

I got out a package of Innovasian Orange chicken for my supper. It's pretty good for a frozen meal but not used very often. They make a number of other dishes that I use more often. Anyway, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees, opened the package, dumped the chicken into an oven-safe dish, and put the sauce in warm water to thaw. I heard the buzzer go off, went in and put the dish in the microwave, and set the timer for 22 minutes, pushed the button and went back to the book I was reading in the living room. . . . . . . . . . Did you catch that? Fifteen minutes later I went in to check the meal and found the kitchen full of smoke......and a dish full of chicken nuggets cooked to the consistency of paving stones. Why the smoke alarm didn't go off is a mystery for later. I turned the oven off and made myself a grilled cheese sandwich, opened a bottle of sarsaparilla, and read some more. I'm up and will clean up the mess later. Just remember, POBODY'S NERFECT!

Looks like the party is about to start and Man oh Man do I wish we could be there this year. Just too much on our plates at the moment and the next few months are slammed with personal tasks. Holli and I will be back, but sadly, it won't be this year. Y'all Enjoy The Party!