Christmas Ramblens

December brought some slightly cooler weather then we have been used to…unless you were at the first Smoky Mountain Shoot-Out. The morning started with a mild 18 degrees on my trucks thermometer but had warmed up considerably but the start of the match. I saw a balmy 22 when I went to shut the gate. It did warm up slightly as the day progressed; however, the increased breeze seemed to negate any warmth.

Anyway, we had 37 brave and hearty souls make the match and it turned out to be a great shoot. There may have been a record set with clean matches percentage wise. We had 8 shooters make it through 5 stages without a miss. Of those 8, five of them managed to shoot “clean” which is to say with no misses or penalties. We also had 8 shooters with only one miss, and to cap it all off we were done by about 1:30 with all the steel put away and the range cleaned up. Thank you to everyone who pitched in to get the job done.

We also had a few shooters that deserve a mention: Judge em’ all Duncan and Yazoo City Gal made the trip from way down south in Georgia. We also were paid a visit from a good friend that we had lost to the great North wilderness when Cherokee Maddog made the trip over from his new location in North Carolina. Thanks you all for making the trip. It was also good to see Sandy Shortgrub after a long absence. It was the first time he shot with us since we moved to ORSA.

I figured out that I have been remiss in keeping the new members informed on the social aspects of our “family of shooters” I have neglected to let all the new shooters and visitors know that we meet after the match at a local restaurant. The last few months we have gone to Don Gallo’s off Hardin Valley Road. I am open to suggestions for next month if anyone wants to go somewhere else. Just remember it has to be easy to get to and convenient for most everyone.

The Ocoee Rangers will hold their Christmas shoot next Saturday the 19th. If you plan on attending and want to meet for breakfast, we have the food trough at Shoney’s for breakfast, drive down to Cleveland for three stages then go to Golden Carol for another food trough. (I see a pattern.) This is not a day for the faint of stomach but it sure is fun and good eats along with the great company.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from Lady Tombstone and myself. Remember, it was Christmas long before it was a “holiday.” Also have a safe and Happy New Year if our paths do not cross before then.

Long days and Pleasant Nights
Tennessee Tombstone