Aiming to please

Gunner, that is. The boy loves to be out in the desert and shooting at targets with Poppy. He doesn't mind if the rest of us tag along, and he's amazingly patient with the novices taking so long to aim for each shot. Lauren is a very good shot, likes to take her time, but doesn't take f-o-r-e-v-e-r between shots like I do. Chris encourages me to shoot a little faster, you're going to hit it eventually. And I usually do. :-) I don't mind watching everybody else shoot and load whatchamacallits (oh, right, magazines). The boys are sooo in their element.

When Chris was home for Thanksgiving weekend, we knew there would be a trip out to the desert. Why not bring along friends and make it an adventure? Chris wanted to see his longtime friend Pat O'Toole and his bride, Cristie. Cristie is from Pennsylvania, met Pat when she lived in Chicago and they were married last August. She hasn't been out in the desert much, at all, and she was all for a little trip out there. We thought this would be a good way to do a whole bunch of things at the same time.

The weather was perfect. There is no way it could've been better. What a great time we had. See?

Thanks for the photos, Pat and Cristie!

Setting up the targets:

Can you see Pat in the background? He's setting up the targets for the expert shooters.

Happy guys.


Target shooting fun for all:

Pat shooting and Gunner at the ready.

Cristie got quite good with the rifle.

Lauren reading Anna Karenina. A little Tolstoy in the morning.

This is how it's done, Grasshopper.

You show 'em, Lauren.

Gunner and the shotgun.

And then you push that, and check this and hold it like this, and...