Yesterday we had my wife's grandniece Bailey over for the afternoon. She had wanted to come and see our new bunnies and the rest of the animals. For something to do, I taught her how to shoot a BB gun and she took to it like a natural. I have instructed many boys, their fathers, and some girls too, gun safety and how to shoot as a Boy Scout and as a Scout Leader. But I find that teaching girls is much easier and that they become great marksmen faster.
I taught my wife to shoot a .22 when we were dating, and by the end of our first session, I knew that I NEVER wanted to make her mad at me when their was a gun around. She has become a good shot with everything from a BB gun up to and including High powered rifles and a 12 ga. double barrelled shotgun, (her favorite next to a .22 caliber rifle). And my daughters are as proficient as their mother. My son turned out to be a natural wing shooter with a shotgun and is now better at it than I am, and I am damn good. ( I have shamed many an expensive trap and skeet gun with my old hand-me-down Stevens 310 12 ga. side-by-side with store bought shells no less). And he can probably out shoot me with a .22 also.
Anyway, enough self praise, back to Bailey. While I was teaching her to shoot, she would get distracted and nervous by our chickens who would gather around us out of curiosity. So I handed her a flag that we use to shoo the chickens into their pen and she went to town.
HEY! No fair!! Get out of the tree!!!
I am not sure what she found more fun, shooting the BB guns or chasing the chickens!!!
I was using small air inflated water balloons for her targets and when she popped one she would celebrate by chasing the chickens, sometimes while riding my Amigo.
I hope she had as much fun as me and Lynn did watching her.
14 comments:
Gee, I want to come and spend the day your all's house, too...I'm still fundamentally a kid, so that'd be fine, right? I want to chase chickens and learn to shoot...but...what's an Amigo? :-)
farmgirl_dk: You are welcome anytime and we can always use a hand rounding up stray chickens ;) Shooting classes run all summer long weather permitting.(I don't do cold or wet weather anymore)
I used the term Amigo generically assuming that most people would know what it was. (my bad) Amigo is a brand name for an electric powered 3 wheeled scooter used by handicapped people to ride. First widely seen in large stores as a curtesy to their customers and now many companies make a variety of styles available for home use and travel. I have updated my blog with a new photo.
Too cute, my niece's have fun chasing our Muscovy ducks but one mama went after her though since she was a little too close to her ducklings.
Ah...an Amigo. Thank you for educating me - I'm learning so much from you and Angie!!
You know, I think we should totally "soup" that thing up a bit ...give it some bigger tires, lower it it a big, up the horsepower, maybe put a dual exhaust on it, some flashy running boards...you wouldn't be able to get me off of it. :-)
farmgirl_dk: Great minds think alike, my own thoughts exactly only don't forget a good suspension system and a trailer hitch too! and maybe a soft top to keep the sun off my balding head, and an extended front wheel and some "ape hanger" handlebars. Now wouldn't that make a fine "Mall Harley".
pine pod farm: yeah, don't get between a mother and her babies unless your ready to take a beating.
Hmmm, so what if Bailey got confused and shot the chickens instead of the water balloons? hehe
I swear you lead the most interesting life.
And you are the coolest Dad, Grandpa and Scout leader. I find it so refreshing that you are so supportive of teaching girls to handle a weapon.
Most men would not do that, considering it a 'man thing' only.
That was what my own father did actually.
I wanted to learn how to work on car engines and build a house, but my father sent me back into the house to wash dishes with my stepmom instead.
Bah!
What I would give to spend a week at your place having you teach me all the interesting things you know.
~Lisa
Laughing Orca Ranch
New Mexico
Oh! And I almost forgot to tell you that I appreciate you encouraging me to read some of your archived posts. I have been enjoying your writings and some of the fascinating history of your family.
I especially loved reading about Rebel (now I know why you were so drawn to our GSD, Zuni. She's a handful, much like Rebel was, too) and how he loved playing frisbee.
Our original GSD, Cory played with frisbees and balls in the same way...always teasing and playing keep away. I sure miss her.
Our Zuni is starting out alot like Rebel in that she's only 8 months old and breaks all the leads, ropes and lines that we tie her out on. And when we put her up in the pasture, she will go right toward any gap or weak spot and wriggle underneath. As if giving her 3 acres of freedom to run isn't enough. She has to escape to the neighbor's pasture instead! hah!
I so loved reading about Rebel the beer drinking GSD of yours, and how he went a little beserk in the kitchen during the birth of Angie (what an awesome story, by the way! I love that you made history by being the first man permitted in the delivery room at that hospital! And all because you said you could handle anything because you were 'a hunter'! That is book worthy, I'm telling you!)
Just one question: Did you REALLY bring home a coyote or a coy-dog?
I had no idea that coyotes could breed with dogs. But I suppose they could.
But wow! You had a coyote in your house? wow!
Like I said before. You lead one interesting and exciting life. What an adventure. You really should consider writing a book. :)
~Lisa
Laughing Orca Ranch
New Mexico
twinville: as I said to farmgirl_dk; classes are open all summer long and you are welcome anytime. I am sorry for you that your dad left you out. I firmly believe that any home that has a gun and children, care should be taken to teach them about gun safety and how to use a gun. I believe that it keeps curious children from having accidents with firearms. AND NOT TO KEEP ANY GUNS LOADED. I had many firearms in the house and never had any instances of my children playing with them or using them without my being there. I kept lots of ammunition and I tried to let them shoot the guns as often as they wanted to when I was home to supervise them.
Twinville: yes it happened just as I wrote it. I would have loved to have kept that coy-dog, it was very tame and had the beginings of training and listened to me well. And Rebel was my wonder dog, and I still miss him. the second part of my Rebel story is in the works and I hope to publish it soon. Glad to hear Zuni is ggiving you so much fun. She sounds very intelligent and needs to be worked and trained as often as possible to keep all of that intelligence focused on what you want her to do. And don't forget the play too!
Also did you know that it is an old Chinese curse to wish someone an "Interesting Life"?
Thanks for the great advice on Zuni. I agree. GSD are super intelligent and get bored (and into mischief) if not challenged and given lots of attention. Zuni is pure GSD, too. haha :)
I appreciate the Open Invitation and will consider it if we make plans to travel to your area. I have a great respect for your wise philosophy regarding guns, too.
So, should I take away my comment about your 'interesting life' and just leave you with 'exciting'?
I don't want any curses to befall you. :)
hehehe
~Lisa
Laughing Orca Ranch
New Mexico
Twinville: With all that I have experienced in life...I think your too late...the curse has been there since birth and will continue to the end of my days. My family has had generations of "Black Irish Luck" and my grandfather was the seventh out of seven sons and he had "an interesting life" and passed it onto his children, and my father continued the tradition and I am afraid I passed it on to at least 2 of my three children. My "BORING" daughter as she calls herself, seems to be doing her best to stave it off, but best to ask Ang herself about that! LOL
And you might try this with Zuni. I used to walk the borders of the yard with Rebel on a leash and whenever he tried to cross the boundry I would tell him in a stern voice "NO"! Including the driveway as a no enter zone. It worked very well for me, but I started it when he was a 5 week old puppy and reinforced it everywhere I took him where he would be let off the leash and to the many places we moved to. I also had a German phrase that I used only when he had done something bad and would use it in a "VERY" scolding tone, and he absolutely hated it because I wouldn't pay any attention to him after I used it for a little while. I also used a variety of training words in various languages that had little resemblance to any normal English words so there could be no confusion or mix-ups by me or anyone talking or even trying to give him a command. Even his name was well thought out so as not to sound too much like any other. Also Rebel was his training name and when it was play time it was shortened to Reb, so he always new the difference between work and play. And believe me he got away with a lot during play time that wouldn't fly during work time and at times I had to take a "worktime" break just to get him settled down before we would continue play.
Gee, here I am writting Part 2 just in the comments to you.
I bet she did have a blast! I love shooting 22 and so do my kids!
twinville-yup, I can vouch for it all. My dad's an amazing guy!! :) Seriously though, he did include my sis and I in the gun training whenever we were willing. I grew up with guns and knives everywhere, even stored in my closet. It never even occured to me to take them out and try to handle them or anything w/o my dad. I guess I just always knew what they were, how/when why they should be used and dad was always there and willing to answer any questions I may've had about them. Still is! ;)
Hey Grey Wolf,
I sure enjoyed reading Part 2. I have a feeling if I were hanging around with you I'd be soaking up your vast amounts of knowledge and wisdom like a sponge.
Thanks for the advice for Zuni, too. We will work on some of that.
Right now our biggest issue is her picky eating habits. She refuses to eat anything by canned dog food, but it makes her sick (vomiting), so we give her dry dog food (we've tried several brands over the past couple weeks) and she turns her nose up at all of them....refusing to eat for several days even! It's so frustrating.
Our previous GSD also had a sensitive digesestive system, too. But she'd at least eat the dry dog food.
Oh and by the way, for both you and Angie, I know you'd prefer to be 'boring', but if you have a blog and get as many happy readers as the two of you do, then you must be interesting. So deal with it.(Yikes!) heheh :)
Oh and Angie. I'm giggling with the image of seeing you stepping over and tripping over the maze of guns and knives strewn around your house as a child. Too funny.
What an 'interesting' life you've had! :D
~Lisa
Laughing Orca Ranch
New Mexico
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