Sharpshooter --- thankfully!

While babysitting for my grandchildren on Sunday afternoon I saw a wonderful magazine filled with recipes on my daughter's table.  Since she only wanted one of them she gave me the whole book!  I had my eye on a special cake that looked like something great to make to take to my parent's house for Thanksgiving dinner.  Remember --- my mother is the queen of pie baking so I don't go there -- but I could be safe with a cake!  This picture is the before -- all three layers ready to go into the oven.

Ta - Da!  The final product.  It actually looked like the picture in the magazine and let me tell you -- it was delicious!!!!  It was a carrot cake with coconut and oranges in the batter with a creme center that was cream cheese and orange marmalade with chocolate ganache on the top!!!  Alot of work but more that worth it!

It was a great Thanksgiving day.  My brother from Florida made it home and we were all surprised that his daughter, my niece, also made the trip from Florida!  Seems my other niece and my daughter both knew she was coming but proved that they are very able to keep a secret!  It was great to see both of them and I only wish we had more time together.

Today we were invited to a different kind of Black Friday -- one where we could do more shooting and try and qualify for our Rifleman badge.  I love going out and target shooting!  I never dreamed I would but it's the one and only thing in my entire life that I have found I can do and completely block out everything else going on in my head!  For those of you who know me well -- or read this blog at all -- you know I am a "wordy" person and all those words are always banging around in my brain, rain or shine, asleep or awake!  But shooting is the one thing I have discovered that takes all my focus and attention and nothing else at all is in my mind!  It's so great!  So today we headed back out to shoot more AQTs (Army Qualification Tests) and see how we could do.

These are the targets.  We are placed 82 feet from the target.  The first bell shape is 4 inches in height and we must shoot 10 shots from the standing position and have 2 minutes to do so.
The next 2 targets are 3 inches tall and we must shoot 5 shots in each.  We get ourselves set up while sitting, then we must stand and wait for the command and then sit back down in our positions and load and shoot.  We have 50 seconds to complete all the shots.  We have to load 2 bullets in one cartridge and 8 in another so it means we have to also change cartridges in that 50 seconds.
The 3rd line is shot from the prone (lying down) position.  We once again get set in the prone position, stand and wait for the command, then get into the prone position and shoot 3 shots in the first and middle target and 4 shots in the far right target.  We have 60 seconds to do that.  This one also requires that we have a cartridge with 2 bullets and another with 8 - changing cartridges once again.
The bottom line targets are only 1 inch high and are all done from the prone position also.  This time we start and stay in that position.  We also have 5 minutes to shoot 2 shots in the first 2 targets and 3 shots into the next 2. We get to use one cartridge with 10 bullets so there is no changing them out while shooting.  Each score in this line counts for double points.
My results?

On my first sheet I didn't even score enough to qualify.  The second one I made Marksman. The third I made Sharpshooter and on my fourth (and final) one I scored 189, which is still Sharpshooter and only 21 points from making Rifleman!!!!  I am happy!  I am very happy!!!!

Monty got the change to do some skeet shooting after targets (he didn't do targets with his injured finger but wanted to try the skeets.  He won one round and in doing so hurt his finger so he stepped out (that was his 4th round) and it was time to head home.  He really enjoyed doing this and hopes to be able to do more of it once he's healed.

These are all the men lined up for the skeet shooting.  Monty is the one on the far right.

Yesterday was a great Thanksgiving day and today was a great day after.  We hope you had an enjoyable holiday and didn't get too carried away with the shopping!

Tomorrow we return for another work day at Michael's.  I will be calling him immediately after this blog and checking in to see how much more ceiling insulation needs to be installed.  We are edging closer and closer to hanging sheetrock -- which means we will be closing it in and moving towards it really looking like a home!  We might be creeping along at a snail's pace but we are moving forward!!!!

Until next time . . . blessings to all.                              Susan and Monty