I was perusing the campfire looking for a thread where folks were posting pics and describing their holiday. I couldn't find one that wasn't polluted with politics and bitching. If one exists I'll apologize up front for sucking at searching for threads.

Usually my BFF comes up w/ family and we shoot guns, eat, set off fireworks and have a general great time. This year he stayed in town and cooked cabbage. However, it was a really awesome time up this way. My son has been shooting since he was little, fish to water. My daughter on the other hand has never shown any interest, and though before I unleash her on the world, she WILL have requisite weapon skills to defend herself and competently run at least a couple types of guns. And WILL have shot and dressed at least one deer. To that end I have taken a soft approach with her. Always offering, and letting her know it was on the table if she wanted to shoot with me, or with me and her brother. Well, I'll be damned. A couple days ago she mentioned to her mom that she might like to try to shoot. Boy, I lit up!

I told her I have some .22 shorts that would be quiet and kick not at all. She asked if I had any .22 pistols, and her brother pipes in with an affirmative. Now, the pistol was her idea, I had suggested she start with a rifle, but she was adamant on the pistol. So after busting some clays with my son, and wife, I grabbed the 22/45 and after some brief instruction she lit off a couple. Her very first shot with a real gun she shattered a clay bird at about 20 feet. The pics below illustrate me explaining sight picture to her, and then her shooting. The pistol wasn't quite as fun as she had hoped, but the rifle sounded cool. I set up a box and some clays, set her up with her brother's Mini-bolt and some shorts and she loved it! Whooohooo. Pretty proud papa today guys.

Also I should add, her mom had already explained why for self defense it was important she know how to operate a gun. I built on this with an explanation on why the 2nd Amendment is so fundamentally critical to our freedoms, and was able to dovetail that into an Independence Day proud to be an American and what it took our forebears for us to be able to say that today.

I hope you all had as good a day as I did.








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Crap, just saw the thread below with a nice friendly 4th discussion and service members recognition. My bad, didn't need a new thread after all.

GOOD job!!!

Here is how I spent my day.

Good stuff there.

Didn't recognize you without the beard.

I sat on the front porch loudly doing my best impersonation of Hank Williams singin' "Jambalaya" while 2 French Canadians looked on while wearing expressions of utter disapproval.

Was talkin' 'bout,.."Sing along!!"

~~~ME GOTTA GO POLE DA PIROGUE DOWN DA BAYOU!!~~~

,..they didn't seem to be amused.

Looks like big fun..

We celebrated by pawn shopping, and blowing chit up. Both in celebration of kicking the Brits and their chitty food and fugged up teeth outta our country.

Is that a clean shirt?

Whew Rost, that looks hot. Gas?

Yeah Shane, I hardly recognize myself in the morning sometimes.

Indeed Rancho it was. Mighty dapper if I do say so myself. And I do because no one else would.

crude oil basically... salt water disposal well in front of my house of all places, this was the 4th lightning strike fire the department has put out there so far.

Rattled the house pretty good when it blew. It had just vented a big tank and flared when I took the picture, when I looked around even the chief was behind me and all the trucks had pulled away.....

Worked.

Here is how some of our service members celebrate Independence Day.



L.W.

Spent mine here, but makes me glad to see you bringing the next generation along the right way.

Work. Someone had to keep the computers running.

Irrigated pasture, doctored a couple cows, and then made a run to the res to get the kids some good fireworks. Blew about $150, got the kids a nice cream and headed home. Kids played in the water while we changed water and then home to wait for dark. Neighbor came over and together we set off almost $300 worth of res fireworks. Kids had a blast so I did as well.

Would liked to have gone shooting but it was just too hot around here. Did let the kids shoot some prairie dogs for the first time earlier in the week while coming home from a ranch I was doing some work at. Fun times

Took the family to Concord MA, went to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery to see the graves of Thoreau, Hawthorne, Emerson and Alcott, them did the Lexington and Concord Battle Road followed by a trip to Faneuil Hall and the Old State house. Doing independence hall and the liberty bell in Philly tomorrow, figured I'd go se where it all started on the most appropriate day for it. Time to teach the kids a little history.

Outstanding BGG!

Well,,, I spent part of it bragging about my new found technical skills and starting a thread about something other than politics and bitching.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8996011/1

BGG;
Thanks for sharing the photos of your family's Fourth of July with us, I appreciate it on several levels.

It's always a grand thing to see fathers spending time with their offspring and when it's shooting or hunting it's even more grand. Well done to you sir.

On a side note, I've been seen doing very similar hand signals whilst getting a new shooter up and running with open sights. Funny how some things are sort of universal isn't it?

Again sir, thanks and well done to you. All the best to you folks for the rest of this weekend too.

Dwayne

Did some load testing since it was only 85 yesterday.

Great stuff BGG!!

Looks like you will have another hunting partner to chase those mule deer and antelope.

Cut alfalfa.

I spent the day with my mother and my dog, both of whom will not be here much longer. Started by helping Dad pull 100 pots, brought home some lobster for dinner, and spent a lot of time talking and laughing.

It was a damned good day.

Shooting PP from 1000 through the .50!

TheBastardII by Sharps45 2 7/8, on Flickr

Billy, and everyone else.. Very fine.. The dogs and I shot a few p. dogs with the .22-250ai.. Cleaned some guns, grilled burgers for the wife and I, had a micro, read a book about Bonnie and Clyde, had a glass of wine while watching the local fireworks display.

Spending the weekend with my wife in Upper michigan, way up in the top of the peninsula. Houghton is a nice clean town. Lake Superior is huge and beautiful.
Pictures when i get home.

That looks like a 4th well spent!!

I spent the day cutting the rest of the tree up that fell on the old house last weekend. No damage done, just a PITA.

At my sister home and a cook out for her Birthday which is on the fourth

Looks like a great day there buddy, well done.


You are indeed living the High Life!

Worked. Ate. Had several close calls with fireworks.

Smoked a Boston Butt. Added some jalape�o and cheese deer sausage during the last hour. Sighted in my 10-22 and slung some 5.56 down range at dark as a noisemaker. Drank several adult beverages and enjoyed the low humidity.

Thanks for the kind words gents. I'm glad to see lots of other folks had a fine day too! I've been finding the little plastic Saturn missiles all over the place today, man I do love those things. I had one brick that only half went off. Going to dissect it and have some fun with it tomorrow. Bought a bunch of sparklers and man, what a pile of crap. Friggin things wouldn't hardly light, or stay lit.

Well done with the spawn, BGG. Thanks for posting the pics.

Most excellent Bgg!!!! Good time would be an understatement. My family watched a firework show in town and visited with family and friends. I did some ghetto cruising.

Good stuff BGG.

temps were running well below normal, really nice out...we decided the nest way to celebrate was to spend it at a local range. My son, me, and our friend from work spent most of the day sooting.

took a few pix, i'll post some target pix up later. had moved several scopes around & wanted to sight in a few rifles, as well as shoot several others to do some load testing.

We got to the range right as they opened, and we spent most of the day enjoying recoil therapy.

starting to load up the truck...


after we got things situated...


tried assorted loads in a .17Fireball, .204, 3 different .223's, a .17Ackley Hornet , a 6.8SPC, shot a couple of .357 long guns (Ruger 77/357, and an H&R .357 handi) , got caught up on fireforming chores to form some 25x30/30 Ackley Improved brass, and shot several TC carbines.

buddy was shooting .300blackout test loads with Alliant MP-300, they shot great...he also tried some 125 gr NBT loads for a ruger 77 ultralight in .308 that shot terrific, and i think he was also shooting a 7mmWSM, a 22/250, a .243, and his .17HMR.

At work, then a quiet and wonderful time with my best friend. Great shots and good on you, BGG. Smiles.













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We grilled the pork bellies, drank beer, and made things explode.

Only pics I got were spinnin hog.

Daytime: wandered through Old Man's Cave and down toward Cedar Falls in Hocking Hills, with a portion of the kidlings, enjoying weather of epic beauty.

Nightime: spent 4+ hours in the ER at Hocking Valley Community Hospital. Nearly strangled the dumbass, "Dr.", and left "against medical advice" having been offered no relief whatsoever.

I'll still call it a good day.

FC

Nice work, BGG.

Wish I had a good story but I was on airplanes and in airports all day suffering some jet lag.

Looks like a great day!

Ribs, burgers, dogs, chicken, grilled cabbage(fart fart fart), beer, family, good friends and fireworks.

One great 4th here!

The Power Wagon, Hi-Life accoutrements, and hidden face shots almost had me fooled, but no beard gave it away. Whoever you are, looks like an awesome day.

Seriously, Gruff...you can't hardly spend a better day than that. Good to see the young lady learning with the family.

(And thanks for a no politics/bitching thread!)

The BFF and I headed north to the river for some of this....

It was awesome. Ran a lower section yesterday. Also awesome...

Actually watched some fireworks in Meridian that night (first time in forever). Not the city's, but someone laid out some serious cash as they had big illegals going for about an hour.

(I need to grab a Go Pro for some action pics on the water....)

Ride the River

We typically spend our 4th with the Gruff's but this year we had company.

Lots of cooking:









Travis

I'm betting that cabbage blew up plumbing better than any M1000...

Some fishing:






Lots of shooting. The Anshitz is getting quite the workout.
:











Travis

I about killed myself with it...



Travis

And of course, fireworks:








Travis

That lobster looks fantastic!!! I spent a week in Maine with the wife and kids last summer, best lobster in the world comes from New England...

I spent the 4th pouring post pads in my basement. Gonna put in some jack posts and level the floors in my house...did grill some brats and set off some fireworks in the evening for the kids...

I joined 60,000 of my closest friends and did the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. It is the world's largest 10K (6.2 miles) race.

Shrimp boil Friday night. Dad (lastround) partaking in the festivities.....



Then we cooked at dad's on Saturday....





The bar was packed....

Here is how I spent the fourth.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/8997808/1

SAS,

Do you own that bar?



Travis

Drove thru a tree.

That's pretty cool.

I need to take the kids out that way. We'll drink bottled water of course...




Travis

Pretty much how we spend most every weekend in the summer....on the water. We had some family over for burgers and brats that evening.

It's at dad's house. We built it a few years ago. We spend tons of time there. He keeps his grill in there and we use it year round.

Looks [bleep]' awesome.




Travis

Travis, yes on the kids to the Redwoods. Awesome sights. We took a gondola ride through the tree tops up to a scenic overlook, for $15 each, a deal. Dog friendly as well on the gondola and in the Trees of Mystery gift shop. The kids can talk to Paul Bunyun, they get a kick out of that.



Lots of excellent campgrounds in the Redwoods, streams and rivers, clean air, gift shops, fishing in season for salmon, steelhead, ocean fish. Not far from us, about 80 miles. You'd be welcome here as well, although admittedly not the Ritz Carlton, we have cold beer made with water from other places.

spent the better part of the holiday week at a boy scout camp - shootin guns, archery, swimming in the lake ,zip lining and living off camp food

Most excellent! Good times!

With the temps diving into the 40's overnight on Thursday and Friday i went firewood cutting both days.

we took 49 boys - earned 131 merit badges

Organic, I hope!

Sycamore

Good thread BGG, bet your proud of the young lady..

Spent the fourth weekend with family and friends in the foothills just outside Coulterville..smokin hot but we made do.
Some slow cookin


Smaller piece of property so it's .22's only, which isn't a bad thing at all.
All in all a great weekend, hope everybody enjoyed as well.

went to the farm with the wife and dogs. did some shredding and fishing. went to a fish fry and a firework show. great weekend

Yes it does!

Burned some 22lr with another fire member.

Some 5.56, 6.5 Swede, 22wmr, and 38spcl

Shot from 7am to 2pm


Layed some mfd stone around my future patio/outdoor kitchen


Then bbq some chiggin on my komado

Fed my baby catfish

Cleaned the guns


That was enough

We spent Independence Day on the South Carolina coast and had a blast. We played in the waves for several days and did some kayaking. You can't beat playing on the beach with a couple kids!!!!

Backpacking & catching native cutthroat trout in the Weeminuche Wilderness.

cleaned the guns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????????????



holy chit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







ah yes young padawan

feel the power of the force


come to the clean side

Haven't uploaded pics yet, but had a great 4th. Took the boys out on the boat for a few days of fishing, exploring and camping. Started the 4th by pulling the shrimp pots and getting about 1 1/2 gallons of tails. Motored on down to our camping spot and picked up a few rock fish for dinner. Found a little lagoon to anchor for the night and took the guns and fish to shore. Took a nap while the boys built a fire ring. Cooked the fish on the fire and proceeded to loosely oversee the boys while they shot various guns, 22's, 223, 357's, 480 and a 12 ga. Their teens, which probably means they need more supervision than less. They seemed to enjoy shooting rocks, stumps, jellyfish etc. Had dinner, then turned the campfire into a raging bonfire.

Pretty good way to enjoy the freedoms our founding fathers set forth for us.

There's probably something cooler than a Mexican holding an American flag plate loaded with bacon whilst wearing aviators.

But I don't know what that something would be.



Travis

Flave...if anything could up the coolness factor of that pic, it would be that the aviator sportin bacon lord is actually Japanese! I call him Zero..
Besides you were sposed to key in on the far rifle, not the geisha!