Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Tonto Arizona gathering 2017...

Yes, I made it home to Redding Thursday afternoon. I avoided the flooding on I-5 60 to 100 miles or so south of here by diverting to the east on Rt 99 through Chico. That put me closer to Oroville and the dam problems, and I did pass through the evacuation warning area, but I avoided the flooded areas further downstream that were caused by the high dam release flows.

Highway 99 was clear all the way with no slowdowns and lighter traffic than normal. I did see many flooded orchards, fields, and parks along the way, and it was just lightly raining off and on as I got through the area.

The rain started harder and steadier as I reached home, and continued all night. Our house is on higher ground and we are doing fine.

There are several roads closed around Redding in low areas, and along and near the Sacramento River because of flooding. Even the Sheriff's office is closed to the public because water is up to their front door. The staff is still working, coming and going through a back door. Our Sheriff Tom Bosenko is a great guy and a friend. He is a big 2nd Amendment supporter, so I hope his office doesn't get flooded. He has a nice display of antique handguns mounted on the wall behind his desk.

We got a break from the weather yesterday with some nice sunshine. It is cloudy today with the next big storm coming in tonight and continuing through Tuesday. By then our area will have exceeded DOUBLE of our normal expected annual rainfall for the season which runs from August to August, since we get almost no rain from May through September.

An old man once told me, "Almost all droughts end in a flood". I believe he was right.

Just glad to hear you made it and are safe.

Thanks for the positive report, Milo - glad you are home safe - and dry, so far.

Good to know that you made it home safe and sound.

Glad to hear you made 'er safe and sound!

amazing pictures. Looking at so many old friends there, kinda made me sad that I can't make these outings. Glad y'all has so much fun.

Fun is the right term. Some more good photos should be coming, once the shutterbugs get them online. It would be great for all if you could swing out here and join the festivities.

Mudhen, (Ben), I didn't get to thank you personally for those great burritos. They were delicious.

I got lucky, because when things were breaking up Kent had a few burritos left over that he passed out, and I got one.

The next day when I enjoyed it, I was warmly reminded of the nice time we had together.

Thank you, and your helper that put those together.

Milo, you're more than welcome, but they were all my wife's doing. I was just the delivery boy. I did tell her that she and her burritos received many compliments, so maybe we'll get some more next year.

Okay, after a long time this evening wrestling my ailing computer.. and dealing with some servers slowing down...I managed to get the pics I took available to show.. seems everyone always likes and wants pictures...

First one.. Interstate 5, North Bound looking over at the southbound side up near Redding where Milo lives...




Milo taking names after kicking some ass... Paul ( CCCC) hiding his face, trying to avoid the inevitable..




Ron and Miles getting their Butch Cassidy and the SunDance Kid photo taken by Dennis...




Paul ( CCCC) showing Jeff H ( Owl) the finer arts of cursive hand writing.. just before he shot that Bull Elk coming down the Mountain side Lost...



Jeff ( Talus) and Darby trying to convince Mudhen ( Ben) that they are Arizona State Troopers and that he was speeding down the camp's dirt road, doing 8 mph in a 6 mph speed saftey zone...

Michael ( RoadRunner 65 Jr) hanging low profile in the chair besides dad, hiding out to avoid doing the dishes duty after lunch time...




One of the rifles I gave away to one of the needy campfire members that were there....




Dennis showing pictures he drew of his pet raccoon to Ron, Miles and Jeff H:




Joe, Miles and Ron discussing Dennis's Artwork, while Joe Darby is showing a visitor in the background how to make his favorite paper airplane design....

SAme image as above, but enlarged since I left out Milo's left shoulder... and important part to get the full effect of the situational awareness...



Milo getting ready to sneeze on Dennis's artwork... as Jeff H observes, just in case it is damaged for the insurance claim Dennis would have made...



Talus standing by that rifle I gave away ( one of many) getting ready to use his spotting scope on that Lady up the hill taking a shower in her Motor Home, but left the window open... She was really Hot HOt HOT!!!!



Same thing that caught Jeff's attention is catching Mudhen's ( Ben) as he is getting his bearings to look thru the other spotting scope set up...



Jeff P ( Talus) admiring the image provided by the open window in the Motor Home on the hill.... I missed it, I was busy checking out my valve cover gaskets to see if they were leaking... having a spare set with me like I always take on trips.. just in case... you never know, ya know...

Dennis recording it for the 5 o'clock news in Phoenix on Monday night, on the Playboy Channel...



Ben taking it in, but he admitted to me in private, his wife is much much more attractive... but he being the nice guy he is, didn't want to hurt the other guys feelings...Ben's a prince of a man...much like Joe Darbyshire...




Jeff just loving it.. she was drying off now...and smiling at him...



Since the other guys were hogging the spotting scope, Owl ( Jeff H.) had to use his scope off of his 22 to check her out...
She was waving at Jeff, but Dennis said she was waving at him... YOU be the judge...both are kinda studly guys..




Dennis evidently liking the view and that smile and wave she's giving him... instead of reporting it on the Playboy News Channel, he's thinking "maybe this should go into my private news archive....Hmmmmmm"

Paul: "What the hell are you guys looking at???? When are we going to start the shoot? I've been sitting here 30 minutes while you guys have been gawking at something up the hill there!"




Jeff H ( Owl): " just give me another minute Paul..."



Meanwhile...........
Milo, Miles, Ron and "the Guest", are trying to figure out why Joe Darby's paper airplane didn't fly, but crashed and burned... with NO Survivors....




Tony ( Rufus G) trying to figure how why he made the trip out from Phoenix..... thinking "boy are these guys a bunch of perverts.... and what the heck is with that Seafire guy, spending time checking out his valve cover gaskets... its the weekend for Christ sake... and the weather is beautiful!"




Ever wonder who the real guy is that "Won the West"? Well, here's your chance to see him in pictures... with the gun that "won the west".... the 220 Howell....the first gun He built when he owned Sako, before selling it to the Finnish Government... I present you with the real life Image of a Legend: Joe Darbyshire, of Show Low ( or is it NO Go? ) Arizona....




For $50, Joe will always give you his autograph.. if you supply the paper and pen.... for really good looking HOT babes, $40.... If they are nude, $39.95....

Paul on the shooting line ( finally!), getting ready to shoot the gun given to him by Ben Franklin himself...this is the one he made right after he did the lightning, key and kite thing...
Paul scored the first hit on the target in our 1000 yd 22 Rimfire shoot...with this rifle...



Note how jealous of that rifle that Ben ( Mudhen) is in the background...


This first minute of Paul's 10 minute search for the target, thru his 60 power scope....




Joe's ( Road Runner 65) Red Ford Road Runner in the back ground...




Joe Darby showing his delight after he hit the 1000 yd gong with his 220 Howell, with his first shot...the tell tale sound of the bullet's wack on metal could be heard around the canyon..... and his shot had NOTHING AT ALL to do with that Jeep up there that someone put a hole thru the fender and his engine block...




Action shot replay of Darby, after he hit the Jeep/ I mean GONG for the second time with his second shot......

Paul in his 10th minute looking for the target in the 60 power Barska Scope.. finally getting ready to chamber a round and let her have it....




Paul's 5th minute after chambering a round, looking for that darn elusive target, thru the sites of his 60 power Barska Scope...Ben ( Mudhen ) getting impatient in the back ground...
Reading his mind, from afar.... " Lets get on with it for Christ Sakes Paul!!!!"




Paul reviewing his breathing technique before pulling the trigger... Minute 17 on the line for that ONE shot... but PERFECT SHOT.....



Dennis's Dog Ruby, busy thinking... Gee Paul, are YOU EVER going to take that shot? Ever????




Ben finally gets the bench for his shot, after waiting for Paul's Perfect Shot " heard 'round the world" for 22 minutes...

Ben getting ready to let it fly.... you can see Darby in the background trying to con Michael out of his 22 LR...




Ben " well you gave Paul 22 minutes, can't I take 2???"... Michael's dad Joe, intercepting Darby trying to low ball Michael...in the back ground....




Joe Telling his son Michael " no son, that is a 223 cartridge and the rifle is a 22 Long Rifle....".. Michael " but Uncle Darby told me that either would work, they are both 22 calibers...




Michael "taking the shot" and Jeff P ( Talus) observing thru the spotting scope and wishing " oh to be young again with good eye sight...."



Michael with dad's Rem ADL in 223, Leupold on top.. scoring a direct hit on that target out there...

Spying on Paul and Dennis with my 2000 power Zoom Lense I was given by Big Stick.....



Road Runner getting ready to shoot, while Jeff ( Talus) is checking out that Motor Home on the hill, just in case there is another "floor show" going on....



Yup there is another floor show going on up the hill and Road Runner Joe getting ready to shoot, while Jeff enjoys the show...




Instant Replay:



Miles telling another Arkansas " three guys walk into a bar" joke....inquiring minds want to know the outcome...

Well its 243 Winchester AM... so I'm going to call it a night...

will post some more pics tomorrow or tomorrow night....

Guten Abend!

Love the commentary Sir, LMAO!