But this has to stop

Zombies. Zombie targets? ZOMBIE FRICKIN’ TEDDYBEARS?Call me old- fashioned but I would rather my grandson did not play with the facsimile of a rotting bear corpse. I’d almost rather the real thing. Oh and– they have “cute” vampire teddys too. With dreadlocks.

Front Page

The local (not bad) paper. It is probably A Good Thing that the biggest above- the- fold news is that a dog killed another. But that damn COLON…. I am getting old…

A Few George Photos

Joel’s (where he stayed), our ruin, the range, the bar, the library– as James McMurtry sings “what else do you need?” The library shot, also by George, is of me with another old friend on his first visit; Montana fine gunmaker and writer Steve (Steven Dodd) Hughes. Much good book and gun talk ensued, about …

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Boston Speak

After thirty- some years in New Mexico I must confess I find “Burqueno” more natural than Bostonian. But during George’s visit, both accents provided a lot of amusement for all involved. Annie D, who spent many years there (we met at the fabled Childrens’ Zoo– use search bar for “Real Zoo” tales)– sent a long …

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Links

Some smart atheists (and one brilliant one, John Gray, who really doesn’t fit that or any easy definition) defend religion against “fundamentalist atheists”. HT Vic Venters. Local naturalist John Wilson, followed by many other friends, sent in a link about the ancient cultures of Central Asia. Makes me nostalgic. Jonathan Hanson sends a link on …

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Illustrations

The kind of things I might use in the book of 100. Covers are obvious, and will obviously be the majority, but here are a few other ideas. From the top: a couple of “twofers”; a letter from Angus Cameron to Jack O’Connor, both in it, on Jack’s New Yorker review (for the Rifle Book!), …

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St Patrick’s at the Spur

Cowboy-Spanish St Paddy’s at the bar, with Montana’s excellent band “86’d Again”(thank God Linda at least did not have a green beard.) From top: Montana Pettis and Luke Martin (hat); Mary Jean Zamora Rains and Catherine Aragon tend bar; Chelsea Armstrong takes video as Bobby (Bad Dog) Contreras, owner Darryl Pettis (Montana’s father) and ranch …

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Figured Maple

Everyone (who reads this blog anyway) is familiar with figured walnut. But figured maple has even prettier patterns if not warm color, and only needs staining. It was used in Pennsylvania- Kentucky rifles and at least one early Purdey. A friend back east is currently stocking a Ruger #1 with an astonishing piece: