It's very rare that I would become excited about a gun, and even more rare that I would actually put one in my hands, but I'm just dying to share my day yesterday. The Boy Scouts Chapter in Bakersfield hosts an annual Clay Shoot at the 5 Dogs Shooting Range in the outskirts of Bakersfield. Since my boss is actively involved in the Scouts (this year he is the local President) I have attended this event on several occasions to assist with the logistics of the shoot (registration, raffle ticket sales, score tally, etc). This year Jim was invited along to join one of the teams as I feverishly sold thousands of dollars worth of raffle tickets.
Jim and I ventured to Bakersfield late on Thursday night for an early rise on Friday morning. We arrived under cool temps at the event at around 7:15am and got to work. By 10am I would say the temp had risen to well over 90 degrees, and after walking around on the shadeless range for an hour or so I was hot and sweaty, and wishing there was a pool I could jump into. While the shooters finished their last few stations, I decided to assist with lunch preparation....BAD IDEA. My co-worker Steve dropped a huge block of butter, real butter, into a hot pan of melted butter and the "splash" it created splattered all over me....yes, butter plus any type of clothing equals disaster! I'm sure hoping that the oodles of shout gel I covered my shirt with does the trick because I paid a decent amount for the shirt at a boutique. Thank goodness I packed a few extra things (to Jim's dismay) so I was able to freshen up with a clean, butter free shirt.
....and on to the awards for the day. Jim's team won first place in his division which earned him a box of shotgun shells and a framed certificate. Unfortunately, Jim himself was not on his best game and received recognition for the lowest scoring non-amateur in the group. Might I add that there were two individuals that scored lower than him but since they had both left the event early, he was recognized. The best part was that he had to stand next to my boss as he was awarded a book on how to shoot. The event concluded at noontime after the raffle (go figure, we bought $110 worth of tickets and won nothing!)
Now comes the fun part. After eveyone left, it was my turn to shoot. Several years ago I picked up a 12 gauge shotgun and pledged to never do that again. The "throw-back" of the gun after I pulled the trigger was enough to inflict a decent amount of pain on my shoulder. Charlie, my boss, brought along his son's "youth" gun and insisted I try again. WOW! What a rush! The type of shotgun really makes a difference. Although I couldn't aim and/or hit anything to save my life, I was satisfied that I COULD handle a shotgun. Maybe after some more practice I can accompany Jim on a hunting trip.....then again, maybe not. The thought of shooting live animals definitely does not appeal to me. In addition to the shotgun, Charlie brought along a few pistols. Okay...so I shoulda' been a cop! (or not!) Words cannot express the adrenaline rush that overcame me as I wrapped my hands around this little piece of power. Jim has agreed to take me out to the pistol range on my day off next week....I can't wait. I think as women, we should all know how to handle a handgun just in case...
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Glad you got the opportunity to do some target shootng! On the several occasions I have been shooting, whether with shotguns, rifles, revolvers, or automatic pistols, the male companions I have accompanied have been "blown away" (no pun intended!) by my accuracy and the fact that I outshot them, hands down, from any distance! Women often have excellent hand-eye coordination - guess I'm one of those that do. It would be fun for all of us to go out target shooting sometime and have some fun! Hope the butter comes out of your shirt!
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