Guns On The Farm and the NRA

My Mom's side of the family, the farm family, always owned guns. I got my first gun, a bolt action .22 (which I still have) when I was 16 and used it for hunting small game and target shooting.  That gun taught me a lot.  Since I was only 16, I had to take a hunter/gun safety course before I could get my first hunting license.  I learned about safety and responsibility when handling firearms.

We will have a few animals on our little place, and so we will attract wild animals.  Common in the Adirondacks are bears, foxes, coyotes, skunks, porcupines, and to a lesser extent, lynx, bobcats, and wolves.  Yes, wolves.  They're supposed to be extinct in the Adirondacks, but one was mistakenly shot as a wild dog a few years ago in nearby Edinburgh.  I'll need to supplement my .22 rifle and 12 gauge shotgun with something with a bit more punch, like a .223 Ruger Mini-14 or a 30-30.

I really never gave the ownership of guns much thought until recently, with mass murders seemingly in vogue, gun violence at record highs in inner cities, cries for gun control from some, and similar cries about gun confiscation, the 2nd amendment, and government tyranny from others.  Guns are headline news.

Being an inquisitive sort, and the kind of person who tries to understand all sides of an issue, I've done a bit of research over the past few years. One conclusion that I've come to is that, in my opinion, the NRA is a sham. It is no longer the worthy gun education group it once was. Nor does it lobby lawmakers on behalf of gun owners, but rather gun manufacturers. The NRA is all about corporate greed.

In advance of our move back to upstate New York to build our little farmstead, I recently looked into joining a rifle club. One requirement of membership is joining the NRA. I will not be joining the rife club.

This is a good video. Please get by the remarks about things like hollow point bullets (these folks obviously aren't hunters), and focus on the organization of the NRA and it's funding, and how it operates by instilling fear, uncertainty, and doubt in both its members and the general public.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7cWv0qmIhjk

Company Is Like Fish

Company is like fish.  After three days, it stinks.  Old saying.

We need to figure out where we're going to live until our little house is built in Bleecker.  We could stay with Pam's folks, but see old saying above.

We could rent an apartment, but with three large dogs, that would be difficult, even for Fulton County NY.

We could buy a travel trailer and live in that.  We'd have it to use for vacations once the house is done.

We could buy a used mobile home, deliver it up to the land, and live in that until the house was done, and then sell it.  But the cost to deliver and set up a mobile home can run in the thousands.  Still, it would be more comfortable than a travel trailer.

The way I used to plan the programming of large computer systems was to itemize every program, every menu, and every minute step needed for completion.   Carefully estimate the time to complete each.  Then double it.  What if it takes me two years or longer to build the house and get the certificate of occupancy?

Any other ideas?  Get the basement done quick and become "cellar dwellers"?

Dreaming of Bleecker

Thorp, one of our followers, asked if I'd get off the dime and write something about our plans for our Bleecker homestead.  Being here in Georgia, many hundreds of miles away from upstate New York, there's not much we can actually do but read about things we need to learn, like how to build a house, and dream.

Pam and I enjoy sitting on the aft deck of our boat (which is for sale!) to enjoy the sunset and a glass or two from a fine box of wine.  We often talk about our plans for our little homestead and what we envision for it.

First, we have to build the house.   We want it to look rustic, with natural rough cut wood siding, plank floors, pine paneling, and so on.  Our main source of heat will be wood.

Next to be built will be a barn.  Pam would like to have a couple of horses.  She's also been reading about raising bees and chickens.  There may be a few other critters as well, perhaps a goat or two, maybe a few sheep.  I think having a few llamas would be fun.

My daughter, Becky, goes to Gore Mountain with friends every year, and one of the stops she makes is someplace that has llamas.  I wonder how they see?