What a weekend. As I sit here having my morning coffee, listening to Orbit Juice and reflecting back on the last couple of days it really seems like we didn’t do anything but were very busy at the same time. All three kids were here so that alone makes it busy around here. And loud at times.

The other day I moved some things around here in the office. Lisa has been wanting to do that for some time so I finally got around to moving the reloading bench. That alone really seemed to make more useable room in here I think. However, there’s a problem with that…..

Since I have moved the reloading bench and have gotten it to the point of being able to be used I have been. Using it I mean. Reloading some rifle ammo that I plan to use later on this winter. Now, here comes the problem. The kids love to help reload stuff. Now while it is true that much of it they can’t help with, some of it they can. So I let them help as much as they can but it has the potential to start a lot of arguing and things of that nature. Since Ben is 4 he sometimes fails to see or grasp the concept of sharing and waiting your turn. I suppose when your 4 it’s always your turn. I can’t really say, it’s been too long since I was 4.

I also learned that Emily does like to shoot. I told her she didn’t and she shot me a funny look and said “I do too.” I was pretty sure that the one and only time I took her she didn’t care for it. But now she thinks she does so I suppose I’ll have to take her out again if we can catch some decent weather. She probably won’t want to go as much as the two boys but still….

I just remembered: It’s trash day. I better get to work on that before they come by. Man I love Mondays.

Last night, Lisa found this Orbit Juice radio page. We listened to it for a few hours and found it to be pretty decent, depending on what you like in music. I’ve never found a radio type station that I could listen to because it always breaks up too bad. This doesn’t seem to do that so I thought it was worthy enough to pass along.

I was just reading that they got snow up north of us. Something tells me that we may actually have a winter like we used to this year. When I was a kid (oh, here we go) it snowed and then snowed some more. It stayed all winter too, not like it does now.

The last few years it snows a little then melts, snows a little then melts, snows a bunch then melts…. It didn’t used to do that as I recall. Actually, I would like to have a little bit just so I can do some hunting and 4x4 a little but other than that, I have no use for it. Sure, the kids like it so I guess they need some too. Might even take one bird hunting with me if/when I go. May not be able to find the time. We’ll see how it goes.

High in the mid 40’s today with a low tonight in the mid 30’s and a 50 percent chance of rain. Tomorrow they say we may get flurries. Sounds like a good time. It was 33 this morning when I got up. October is wasting no time this year and it is kind of making think that this winter may be a good one. We really have not had a bad winter for many years so I suppose it’s about time.

Which reminds me….I need to get a new heater core in the truck before it gets much colder. It’d be kinda nice to have heat in it this winter.

Late yesterday afternoon Lisa, C. and I decided to go do a little shooting. We were getting bored and even though Lisa doesn’t really like guns, she does enjoy watching me shoot “reactive” targets with my KM77VT MKII 22-250. Since we have several hedge trees in the back yard we have plenty of targets to pick up. I sent C. outside with a sack and he came back with 25 or so and off we went.

I took my 22 rifle for C. to shoot too. He’s become quite fond of it since the last time we went out. When we arrived Lisa got out the camera and I put C. to work with the 22 and 2 or 3 hedge apples. He’s pretty good at hitting those things after I showed him how to shoot. He would be so much better if the gun actually fit him. It’s just a bit too long but he has modified the technique and it seems to work well for him.

Anyway, he shot some and with Lisa getting even more bored it was time to get out the 22-250. I have to say, I really love that thing. Lisa likes it for some of the same reasons too. The main reason I think she likes it is because of what it does to a hedge apple. It is pretty fun to watch. Second is that it is just a damn nice looking rifle. Yeah, the scope looks like it might have been made for use by NASA but the wood on the thing is really something to see. Laminated wood looks nice and all the metal is stainless steel. (Okay, enough of the ramble)

So I dusted 4 or 5 apples and then C. decides he wants to try it. I gave him about 5 minutes of instruction and tried to figure out a way that he could get a hold of that thing. He was lining up on a hedge apple out around 85 yards and as I was talking into his ear from the left side he let it go. I’ll tell you, the amount of fire that the rifle belches is breath taking, plus is sounds like a nuclear blast. I was sure he’d miss since that rifle is way to big for him. All I saw was a flash of fire, heard the blast and saw that hedge apple turn into a greenish yellow mist. Impressive. Then he says, “Did I get it?”. All I could say was “Well…if you’ll notice….it’s not there anymore.”

We are going to have to load some more ammo and do this again. Lisa took some pictures trying to capture the fireball but it’s just too fast. Oh well, maybe next time.

Catching up on the news this morning with CNN I can across a story about the sister of Kevin’s favorite Homecoming date. She’s 11 but has the maturity level of a 15 year old. Apparently that’s a good thing.

I was also reading about a bombing in Bali in which they said they can’t decide if it’s a criminal or a terrorist attack. What? Excuse me people, it is both. Stop trying to slap a label on these ever increasing incidents. It does not matter who did it, the end result is the same. Calling it one thing or another does not make it any better, worse, understandable, justifiable or forgivable. It is what it is: insane. (end of rant)

In other news: It was 32 degrees outside here this morning when the first adult’s feet hit the floor. Yes, it’s October in Iowa. Time to be getting stuff ready for winter. I already treated everything that has gas in it and will be spending the winter outside. I really should have done that last year but I didn’t. The only thing left is the boat and I still have not figured out where I’m going to park that thing this winter. Some place inside would be nice.

Here in a few minutes we will have a house full of kids. More on this later I'm sure.

It’s been an interesting week. Last night in particular was pretty busy, even for the city. I was a few blocks away when this deal started to unfold. About an hour or so later I was down there talking to some of the officers. It was a mess with all the traffic being re-routed around the scene and all. There was a guy walking around that really wanted to get thru the barricade tape. I asked him what he was doing and if he was with Des Moines. He said no but he thought that he could see his friend’s vehicles down there in that mess and nobody would tell him anything. We ran him off but still I’m wondering if he was right. I’ve had that happen before, someone showing up at a scene because of a friend of relative being involved. It’s never a good time trying to convince them to stay back. It’s much worse if you know they are right.

The other day I was downtown and a “residentially challenged” individual guy yelled at me from about a block away. He was walking towards me and so I waited until he got closer to see what he wanted.

Me: What can I do for you?

Butch: Hey…where is Churches United?

Me: The shelter? Right over there. (pointing west) See it? 1 block that way.

Butch: Thanks. Hey.. would you do me a favor? Seriously, would ya?

Me: Well I would have to know what it was I suppose.

Butch: Seriously bud, er…., officer, would ya?

Me: Again…I would have to know what it was.

Butch: I worry about you guys out here. I do. So would ya?

Me: How about you just tell me what it is first, then we’ll see.

Butch: Eat something.

Me: What?

Butch: Yeah, eat something for me.

Me: Ah, I get it. Your trying to say I’m too skinny or something.

Butch: Bud, er…officer, seriously. You need to eat more. I worry about you guys.

Me: I appreciate it. Have a good evening.

Butch: Ah, another thing. Where can I build a fire around here.

Me: Why don’t you ask them once you get down there. I’ll see ya later.

Butch: Okay, thanks. The name’s Butch by the way.

Me: It’s been nice talking with you Butch. I’ll see you later.

Butch: Be careful. (walking away) And eat something. I’m gonna call your mom.

That’s one thing that I enjoy about downtown, there’s always something or someone interesting down there. I was going to say "I bet I eat way more than you do" (standard answer) but then I thought "Well of course I do" so I didn't. Didn't want him to take it the wrong way.

For some reason my links are not showing up this morning. Hmmmm. I'm going to have to look into this further.

Ok, I’m late with this but Ben just turned 4. He wanted a “real fishing pole” and a remote controlled car. We got him the car and I was going to pick him up from one school and drop him off at the other one but he was sick and didn’t go. So I missed my 30 or so minutes that I would have had with him on the big day. He called me and said:

Ben: “Guess what I got for my birthday?”

Me: “What?”

Ben: “I didn’t get the fishing pole but you know what I did get?”

Me: (you better not say a remote controlled car) What?

Ben: Chicken Pox

Me: Nice. I bet Emily gets her birthday present early then

Ah the joys of being 4. I was a little older than that when I had “the pox”. In fact, I still have one left, just as a reminder.