Asshat Attorneys

These folks give ambulance chasers a bad name. Just the audacity of them already jumping to setup to sue the race organizers or anyone else they can to try and get money because you or they feel you deserve it regardless of the facts really chaps my hide.

Layer of Editorial Oversight

I am sure the copy writer just pulled a stock image of a helicopter to paste with this story. They could of at least pulled an American Military Helicopter. I can't get a clear image blown up of this but it looks vaguely like an Aussie logo. Not really sure but it is most definitely not an American Coast Guard Helicopter.

One Crashes, Another Takes Flight

While tragedy struck in Reno with the crash of P-51 Galloping Ghost, The Millie G was taking flight from Easterwoood Field. Almost same time, at least by local times. It is tragic whenever one of these fantastic machines crashes. However, it is equally or even more so exciting when one of them takes flight. I have been on hand for countless warbird takeoffs and flights, one for it's first flight after restoration (P-38 Scatterbrain Kid II). Each and every time it sends chills up my spine to see a piece of history take to the air. Art has a fantastic post up explaining that if you need an explanation, you wouldn't understand.

Tragedy in Reno

The details of the tragedy are starting to trickle out. I have a dear friend on the flight line crewing for one of the racers who saw the crash and fortunately he and the crew of folks form central Texas are OK. My thoughts and prayers are with all teh folks out there and back here at home effected by the tragedy.

This makes me think of "Acceptable Risk" I have a post of rambling thoughts rolling around but not right now.

I have no doubt that an actual investigation, as opposed to the Monday morning quarterbacking sensationalism that is already going on, will show this to be a tragic accident. I also have no doubt that Jimmy Leeward did everything he could for as long as he could to minimize the damage caused at terminal risk to himself.

Again, I pray for all those directly and indirectly effected and hope and pray for recovery of all those injured, peace for the few killed and sanity for those who had to witness this.

Long term Fire Danger

Take a GOOD look. This tree was in the fire zone of the Dyer Mill Fire. 3+ months ago!!! Last Friday the VFD got called out because the tree was smoking and a new fire had started. Turns out the tree has been smoldering internally for the past 3 months. All it took was a small increase in wind and a broken branch as a way for the fire to get out and another fire was started. We are all going to have to keep a close eye out for some time to make sure none of the trees involved in the latest fires catch back up as weather conditions change.
Stay Safe People!

Latest Random Aircraft Sighting

This absolute beauty came in yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately, I was seriously occupied so I wasn't able to get out there as it was coming in or running.

Post Fire words of wisdom

So, just to let you know, Hank Flemming (Master Gunsmith in Austin TX) has made an offer to those burned out by the fire to bring in replacement guns at what amounts to cost for him.

This combined with pictures from a friend who has a stack of burnt barrels and actions in the back of his truck leads me to a big cautionary word of advice.

DO NOT SHOOT a gun that has been through a fire. Take it to a competent gunsmith and have it checked out. If they say don't shoot it, it is totaled and needs to be destroyed never to be shot again. You r life isn't worth risking on a burned gun. Heat from the fire does good and bad things to metal. Fortunately. there is a good understanding of what effect which temperatures and times have to what metals. Unfortunately, there is no way to measure what temperatures for what times your gun was subject to in the fire. That means the heat treat on the material is compromised.

Just a helpful hint from your uncle Geek.

Fire Watch Too close to home

So, I came home sick today. Coughing up crap. Was at home in bed asleep with the cat laying on me when the house started shaking and noise from the airboss flying circles around the fire. Next up was hearing the sirens and seeing the smoke right outside the house. It doesn't help that the smoke and soot in the air added to my having trouble breathing. So, In looking outside and listening to the radio, the fire was 3/4 mile to our west. I called misbeHaven and told her to drop everything and roll my way and started our load out plan. I called our neighbors to let them know what was happening. Emptied the document pack out of the safe and loaded meds in that BOB. Then pulled the cats travel crates and their BOB. Loaded the docs, meds and a few boxes of family pictures in the truck and then settled in for a breathing break and to try and settle the cats. By then the SEAT's (Single Engine Air Tankers) had arrived. I talked about them couple months ago when the Dyer Mill Fire was raging.
Sorry, no dramatic pictures of the flames above the trees or the smoke column, I was too busy trying to get the essentials loaded and ready to roll. Next in following the SEAT's were the HeliTankers.
The two heilcopters started making quick drops on the flame front and knocked it out very quickly. Fortunately, there is a small lake that is not completely dry right on the south edge of the fire. If needed, the Gibbons Creek Power Plant lake is just a couple miles away and the Navasota river is 5 miles out. Once the fire was knocked down to hot spots, the helicopters took off for the Walker County fire that has been going on and off for a couple months. The fire was so close, the fire Boss was making orbit outside our house and the helicopters and SEATs were turning over our house to get back to the fire.


Lessons Learned, one hole in our evac plan was the flat tires on the horse trailer. I had the absolute essentials loaded out in just a few minutes even slowed down. Adrenaline is a wonderfull thing. I am still trying to come down off it. That's why I am typing. Can't unwind enough to relax just yet. Besides, the VFD is still out there fighting hot spots. Once misbeHaven got home, we loaded some clothes and a few other valuables and sat back and looked and thought, "Damn we have a bunch of crap!" Anyway, stuff is still loaded, the cats are unloaded but weird-ed out. I am coughing up crap still and took a couple hits off the rescue inhaler so that has me a little wired too. Need to rest and unwind.

Next is to pull wheels off horse trailer to wag into town and get new shoes on it so we can evac the horse too. As it was, misbeHaven called one of her grad students who lives close and has horses to see about getting her and her trailer over for Twilight. So that is where we sit. Loaded, anxious and ready for some serious rain to happen.
Safe for now.

Buy gun parts for a good cause

In case you have been living under a rock, a major chunk of Bastrop County in Texas burned to the ground. One of the houses that burned belonged to Virgil & Shari Tripp of Tripp research and STI fame. Their shop survived but the house is gone.

My suggestion is that you go buy a part from them. Keep them so busy they don't have time to think about their house burning down. Besides, haven't you been looking for an excuse to buy a bulletproof 1911 mag?

Just to ad, While John Moses Browning designed the 1911, Virgil Tripp designed the 2011 bringing this gun into the next century. Literally. He has done quite a bit of studying of the design and created the logical extension of JMB's work. I am fortunate enough to have not only an STI but a Tripp research 2011 and am proud to have it and know the man who designed and built it. Those who live in Texas should know the extended Tripp family as Alice Tripp is the TSRA lobbyist. As well, go to ANY USPSA/IPSC match in the world and you will masses of his design either in Tripp Research, STI or SV manufacture built by them or by a custom gunsmith on the original Tripp designed frame and slide.

UPDATE: Thanks much to Uncle and HSOI and JayG and No Lawyers Only Guns and Money.

So much for High Dollar Rifles

Got to watch a Sig556 disassemble itself on the line at class today. 25 rounds into the morning and the bolt handle took a flight along with an op rod failure as well. Not a pretty sight. Student had a back up gun and continued class with that without further problem.
Had a very good class that picked up concepts well and shot very well. Scenarios in the "house" went interesting as usual. Had a number of the usual responses and a lively discussion afterwards ab0ut justifiable use of force.

Bastrop Complex Fire Happy Ending kinda

So, I have gotten word of something that will likely not make the front page news but warms my heart.

One of the horse stables in the Bastrop Complex Fire got evacuated. While they managed to get the horses out, the tack had to be left behind in the limited time available. Some of this was quite expensive including some very high end saddles ($10Kish). the tack was secured in a concrete walled tack room that survived the fire, unlike the barn and other structures in the area. When owners returned to scope out the damage once it was deemed safe, they found that the tack room had been broken into and emptied.

(/siderage)I think the persons responsible for this should be tied to a tree in the path of the fire and left to burn in it. After the horror and damage caused by the fire, to find out you have also been targeted by looters is the ultimate insult.(/siderage)

Well, one of the owners found listings on Ebay for items stolen from the barn. Calls to Ebay and the sellers information was then parsed by folks at a local high tech firm who contacted the local ISP and then passed on to the APD leading to the arrest of the perps and recovery of the stolen items. All within about 9 hours or so of the discovery. While it is still a hassle for the owners, there were people who cared enough to put out the work to make this happen. I am willing to bet that those involved with the hunt and recovery were pissed off by the act that these pieces of shit perpetrated.

Call your Congressman...

... and tell to vote against H.B. 2061. This ain't Hell has the story of Congress' latest move to diminish the honor of our military by presenting all civil servants killed in the "line of duty" with a flag.

How STUPID do you have to be

to burn trash while there is not only a burn ban but half the state is on fire?

While Bastrop county is on fire and is now the largest fire in Texas, it is just one of many. There is a fire in Leon county that has most of the Brazos Valley choking. I am contemplating sending the Mrs away because her asthma and the soot and smoke do not mix well. Smoke was so think yesterday on the drive home that we had to slow down as if the fire was right there on the roadway. There is a fire out of control along the Montgomery/Grimes/Waller county line. Call just went out for all available tankers and brush trucks in the area to report to the command post in Todd Mission for the morning attack. Followed five minutes later by a dispatch of SO and FD to an illegal burn outside Navasota!!! What kind of a moron would even contemplate doing such a thing?

Quote of the decade

I usually try to stay away from copying and quoting too much. HOWEVER<
Tam hits one out of the park with the most important question that EVERYONE should be asking themselves.

Ten years after Pearl Harbor, we had reduced Japan to a glowing pile of radioactive cinders and then rebuilt it and were buying cheap Japanese consumer goods by the shipload. Ten years after New York City was attacked by foreign enemies, all I see as evidence around Indy are a maudlin memorial being erected downtown, TSA probulators and porn-O-scans at the airport, and the occasional young man with an empty sleeve or trouser leg.

Dude, where's my country?

Where indeed?

Gingerbread Pancakes

So it wasn't breakfast at the Omletry West, but that doesn't happen any more. Couple weeks ago the Mrs found Kerby Lane Cafe Gingerbread Pancake mix at HEB. So, that's what I made for breakfast this morning. Mmmmmmm. Could have used some bacon though but couldn't everything?