Having a Blast

Darling Man was busy today, covering football in Gainesville and Mom needed me to come help out at the farm before the holiday arrived.  The Boy came along in hopes of earning a few dollars.  As soon as we got there, I set him to work cleaning every fan in the house.  And when Dad got back, he went with him to retrieve the recycle and trash bins from the side of the road, put new bedding in the chicken nests, and washed my car, John's car and Dad's car. 

We took a little break and went to the Magnolia Cafe for lunch - had Italian Wraps and the best chili I've ever tasted.  I'm not sure I can ever eat that stuff out of a can again.  I did manage to spill my iced tea all over the place, and the Boy laughed out loud and said "For once it wasn't ME!"  I felt pretty stupid, but he made me laugh.

After lunch, we went back to the farm.  I went back to work in the house while Dad and Boy transplanted spinach to containers and one of the raised beds.  A bit later, they came in for a drink and Dad said he thought it was time for the Boy's first shooting lesson.  I didn't know eyebrows could go that high.  He turned to me and and asked in a tremulous voice - Can I?  

He offered a while ago but Boy was reluctant.  He was afraid the noise would be too much - and the very idea of firing a gun in the first place was intimidating.  But he SO wanted to do it... he's finally old enough to handle the idea.

We jumped in the golf cart, made a pitstop at the barn for ear protection and headed down to the firing range.

First they hung some targets.  These are called yellow jackets, which was unfortunately apt as every time I went up close to it, a yellow jacket buzzed my legs.

Then the lesson began.  The rifle in question was a .22 - a good size for learning.  Dad keeps it for varmints - mostly the kind that eat his chickens.  He explained about how to hold a gun and where it should be pointed when not being actively shot.  He had a very interested student.

And finally, they got down to the nitty gritty - The Boy got to SHOOT!   Dad showed him how to hold it, how to sight, how to cock it and how to pull the trigger. 

He shot three times and hit the target all three times!  Oh, my - he was so stoked!  And hooked. 

Then he learned how to do it from different positions - standing, kneeling and prone.  That's a chicken feed bag he's lying on.  Prone turns out to be his favorite position - and his best one.

Check THIS out!!!!  Two inside the nine ring and one in the eight!  Those were prone shots.

Holidays around here just got a lot more interesting for him.  Now he can join is uncle the cop, his other uncle's girlfriend.. the cop, another uncle the Army Colonel and of course his Grandpa the gentleman farmer.