Great to hear from you, Matt, and glad you're keeping safe over in AG! Sorry I've been silent for a while. I've spent the last few days with James & his family, and a couple of hunting rifles. He's a pretty hefty kid for 11 years old--stocky almost 120 lbs. Still, the heavier rifles are a little hard on him in off-hand position, ditto the full sized stocks. Of course, with growing kids it's always tricky, since I think his doctor said he could easily grow 3 inches in the next year!

In any case, on Friday I'm going to take him to a couple of hunting stores to shoulder a few more rifles (everything is pretty far from where they're living, so we have to plan it). We've been researching the ones that make the most sense.

Right now he's really gung-ho about the Marlin XS-7--he's a naturally thrifty kid (big families will do that to you! smile ). After me telling him about it being an excellent rifle at a very fair price, and his reading a bit about it, he was like "it's the perfect rifle--lightweight, great accuracy & trigger, and its cheaper than the others!" But we'll see when we get to the store. Right now I think he might go with a 7mm-08 as being lighter kicking and still enough gun for anything on the east coast, but he may ultimately prefer the .308 since his granddad has one (these things matter to boys!).

I've also been explaining the reloading process to him and showing him everything, and in the next few days I'll also start reloading with him. We'll use equipment here at his house (he still doesn't know where it came from, or that it is his--it will be a surprise when he gets everything together!) and components I brought just so that he can see the process. Thanks to all for their generous gifts, and I'll keep you posted on the all-important rifle question!

"And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us." Jn 1:14

"The expense is reckoned, the enterprise is begun; it is of God; it cannot be withstood. So the faith was planted: So it must be restored." -St. Edmund Campion (+1581)