Added this feature to my site so I can keep you all posted on where I'm going, where I've been and the status of your pictures being posted. See you soon! -Lynne (aka Green Girl)
I've been driving a LOT this year (and last) and I try to pay attention to the countryside as I drive by...like when we went to South Carolina for the US Open in May and as we got closer to Georgetown I kept noticing that the trailer homes...and I've seen a lot of them being from Texas...were the most well kept, clutter free, trimmed lawn trailers houses that I had ever seen. I know, totally random but interesting.
Another thing I notice is houses. Why do people build "city" houses in the country? They are great if you live on a street with lots of other houses but I am amazed how people don't take advantage of the fact that they are OUT IN THE COUNTRY! Like why do you need a front door that you don't use? So when I saw a great "country" house yesterday with a wrap around porch, lots of windows it makes me smile...nothing like a rocking chair, porch swing and a comfy chair to sit on and enjoy the outdoors...or a rain storm. But I guess it's like when my parents were building their house (with a great wrap around porch) and my father said that my input was directly based on the amount of money that I was contributing...I kept my mouth shut. But I am writing this at the Big Red Oak Plantation...sitting on the porch overlooking the lake...very nice and much appreciated.
I was recently asked about everything I see when I'm out on the Sporting Clays Course. I see lots of things when I am camped out at a station taking pictures and generally keep quiet about them. Except at the Houma Oilman's 2012 event.
Certainly a stroke of luck that out of 14 stations I could have been on, that when the wad didn’t clear the barrel and the shooter was just about to shoot again that I got VERY loud and brought it to the shooters attention and also all of the trappers and squad mates that were standing very close.
As it turned out, the wad was about 6-8 inches into the barrel and had to be pushed out with a bamboo shoot. At the time, when it sunk in what had "not" happened, this shooter thanked me several times.
I tell you this as that same shooter came up to me and thanked me again for preventing him from blowing up his gun. I corrected him and said I actually prevented you from blowing off your hand – guns are replaceable, hands aren’t!
He said he tells that story often…as do I!
So I've had a few, okay well several people, want pictures of themselves catching their shells as they come out of the gun. I can do this. It's actually pretty easy to catch...with a few conditions...to you, the shooter.
1. You have to hold your hand up far enough away from the gun for the shells to "travel" to your hand. Many of you have been catching your shells for so many years, you don't think about the symantics of the shot you're asking for. If your hand is just over the opening when you crack your gun open, there is no "hang time" for the shells...I can't get the shot.
2. Ask me BEFORE you step into the cage to catch the shot. I try to capture it on most shooters but if I know specifically that that's what you want, I will focus on getting that shot for you.
As you turn off Route 60 onto 82nd Ave, you pass some little neighborhoods, then the paved road turns to sandy/gravel and after the sand mines and groves...there's the sign for Indian River Trap and Skeet (home of the Caribbean Classic). Driving in past the citrus groves makes you realize that it really is warm down here as the large ripe fruit is making the branches bend downward...with several grounders laying under the trees...and then you remember it's only February!
This is a neat club owned by Mick and Emma Howells and it's a really nice place to come and shoot. Lots of familiar faces from the great white north have descended South again to start the Sporting Clays season. Patricia and Barry Clute from Ontario, Alain and the Frenchmen from Quebec, ME and Louis McMurren from Virginia...just to name a few and we're all in shorts and tees enjoying the Florida sun. Of course, Mother Nature gave us a bit of a chilly blast on Sunday to keep us all in check but it wasn't too bad.
This shoot is the weekend before the big Seminole Cup down at Quail Creek Plantation. I had left my cart here after the US FITASC Shoot at Doug's South Florida Shooting Center but didn't get to return until Saturday morning having driven down from Atlanta on Friday. Several people were wondering where I was since they saw my cart but not me.
I love the shoots where everyone shoots the same course on the same day...and with only 2 rotations, it was really nice for me to work the 12:30 rotation each day! I know, sounds like I'm slacking but two full days out on the course shooting pictures really is exhausting!
I've actually got over 1800 pictures from just this shoot and don't be surprised if you see some new "faces" in my pictures...I think it's really interesting to capture the expressions that you all make just after you finish your shots...sometimes you can tell exactly what is happening but I find also that just because you hit all the targets doesn't mean you smile when you're done...hmmmm...so my experiment will continue...may have to do some analysis on this later in the summer.
Congrats to Bill McGuire on his win in the Main and Ashley Little on her Lady Champ win...I expect to see more of her on the podium this year.
So my New Year's Resolution is to WRITE (well one of them at least) more, and more specifically on my Blog.
I'm in Las Vegas for SHOT Show and I attended Media Day yesterday. They don't ask you what you do...they ask you who you write for...and I was told very quickly that my Blog is out of date! Totally busted thanks to smart phones - and we hadn't even gotten to the event yet. So I'm going to try and remedy that this week and throughout the year on my travels.
Being from Texas, I understand that it can be 70 degrees in January...or 20 so I checked the weather forecast before I came this week. Knowing the high was only going to be in the 30's I came prepared - thank goodness. Along with the cold there was a bit of a brisk wind to boot. I had my coat done up over my 3 layers and scarf underneath and my furry hood over my head most of the time.
There were some familiar faces...
and some neat new products...
One of the uses above is for home protection - slugs that will stop the intruder, but won't go through two more walls and injure the neighbor next door.
Of course there are the targets...I can handle the alien and the zombie...but the clown really creeps me out!
The new Winchester AA Trackers look really neat too. I watched a guy shoot several targets and being able to see the wad travel with the shot could be very effective.
On the Shotgun side, Promatic has a nice compact personal use machine that you can add the wobble to.
But if that's a bit more than you wanted - these guys have a hand thrower that won't throw out your shoulder (most of us have used the age-old thrower - we used to attach it to a golf club for better swing)
This guy barely flicked his wrist and the clay went flying...would be great for any age shooters and everyone would be more willing to be the target thrower when it was their turn.
Saw some more familiar faces - Angela Schwendeman on the left, Judy Rhodes, founder of the (formerly Texas DIVAS) DIVA W.O.W. organization and Cheryl Long in the fur vest making the rounds - all bundled up. Judy of course wanted to see all there was to see...and Cheryl wanted to stop and shoot every gun - she's a shotgun girl, but I think Pistols and rifles are her first love and working at the Gun Counter at Cabela's in Allen, TX it's nice for her to be able to talk the talk.
I got in on the action too and shot the "black gun". Of course the gentleman told me it was designed to shoot about 800 yards and we were only shooting about 25 so I was a bit off. It continues to confirm my belief that the only thing stopping a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun...or girl for that matter.
The inside show starts today and I am nervously excited to see it all again. I think this is my 7th or 8th time to come to SHOT (more than some and way less than lots of others) - started coming in 2003 and had a few years off in the middle - but it's my 3rd year as "the Green Girl". Looking forward to seeing friend and making new ones!