Tag: outdoors

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Faith family focus Life life styles Time management

Strolls through the woods

Batman says:

When was the last time you took a stroll through the woods? For Peach and I it was just today, walking through the woods checking game cameras for activity (470 pictures of cows the last time I counted). It’s always a fun adventure watching Peach freak out over a banana spider that’s 10′ over her head (hehe sorry peach but it is funny), but she is a trooper always wants to come with me and is great company, there is no one I would rather wander around with than Peach, we have such adventures.

Wandering around in the woods looking at all gods creations and just being outside in nature makes you feel alive and grateful you have the opportunity. The day was perfect, blue clear skies, a breeze, the green of the leaves really showing off their colors. Just being surrounded by all the colors and sounds and sensations is worth a pot of gold to me, and having Peach along makes it all better.

Anyways, that’s enough musing along about my woods walk, y’all get out and look and listen to God’s creations in the woods, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

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bible Faith family Fear focus health Life

God’s Armor over Me?

Batman says:

Had an experience that just shows the Man upstairs (God you dorks, not your upstairs neighbor) has ways to protect us every day even though we have no idea he is doing so.

Here’s how the picture attached came about, Peach and I have a son (we have two sons to be precise, but since the other wasn’t involved, I only mentioned the one {if I didn’t clarify all God’s available armor couldn’t protect me from Peach reminding me we have two} as the conversation with him led to this.

I like to hunt, some find this horrible and that’s ok, most people have several opinions that don’t match mine. My son (the one I was originally talking about) and I were discussing the possibility of getting together and going hunting next December someplace we had never been. Research led us to decide a muzzle loader hunt would probably suit us best. Now those who are not gun knowledgeable are going “a what Hunt?” and that’s an appropriate question if you’re not gun savvy. So here is the easy version, a muzzle loading gun (black powder gun, smoke pole, musket, and a host of others) is loaded from the muzzle end (the end the bullet comes out) you put an appropriate amount of black powder (or in my case a pellet of synthetic gunpowder) in the muzzle, a projectile (sometimes wrapped in a patch sometimes in a plastic sleeve called a sabot) and push them down the barrel as far as they will go with a rod. The gun is then fitted with a percussion cap or a “shotgun” primer, cocked and fired (this is overly simplified but should give you an idea).

To unload my style muzzle loader, you can shoot it (which means cleaning it after) or you can take off the primer cap or shotgun primer, remove the breech plug, take the same rod u pushed the round and pellets in with and push them farther in till they fall out the open breech, thereby rendering the gun safe. If I plan to hunt later that day or the next morning I will sometimes just remover the primer cap, put the gun in the case until the next day, and so on and so on.

Anyways, this hunting decision being made convinced me to pull out the old “smoke pole” and give it the once over just because. Now I am pretty gun safe but even I do screw up from time to time and freely admit this fact. I haven’t hunted with the old muzzle loader in two years, and it’s been in a hard case in the safe nice and comfy. Once I get the gun out and dusted off I pull the breech plug out and look in the barrel (black powder and pyrodex synthetic pellets are highly corrosive) to see if there were signs of rust or corrosion. Imagine my surprise, I could not see a thing, it was pitch black. Point barrel at bright light coming in window, still black…hmmmm. Whip out ye old push rod and insert into muzzle and out pops two pellets and a bullet and sabot, Ha! just forgot to unload it I suppose, stupid but does happen, like I said I do make mistakes like all humans, and God keeps pushing us back on track. Now with that done I pull the rod out and look down the barrel, still black and I’m totally confused, I put the rod in, and push out two more pellets and another bullet in a sabot.

You could have pushed me over with a feather (not an easy feat I’m not a little guy) from the stunned sensation I had. Some how I had loaded one complete load on top of another during the last time I used it to hunt. Had no idea, but God did, his intervention then by not letting me see any animal worth shooting, and then in not letting me shoot it to unload it at the end of the season, and finally in making me want to give it a look when I did, all equaled to me not blowing the gun up in my face (Peach wouldn’t be happy with me coming home with a barrel stuck in my face).

You can say what you want, luck, fate, whatever, but to me it was only the hand of God and his Armor of protection that helped me avert a bad day.

…no worries Peach…

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Faith family Fear focus food Life life styles

Looking Ahead

Batman says:

What does the future hold? Pretty sure if we could know our future, we would do something to screw it up, it’s human nature.

Peach and I have started to contemplate our future as retirement from a job I have done for over 20 years will in a short 3 more years be over, the job will always be there, I just will no longer be doing it.

Our future hopefully will include trips around this beautiful country we live in to see all it has to offer, fishing, hunting, trapping included. Photography will dominate a large portion of it as Peach and I both love taking pictures of everything. Visiting the ‘kids’ and their ‘rugrats’ will also be a priority. Mostly though, just Peach and I, going through the future as we have the past, together, in love and having goofy moments, all under Gods watchful eye.

I used to worry what the future holds, I no longer do that, with the love of my life along with me, the future can be nothing but an adventure.

…what exit is it again Peach???

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bible Faith family focus health Life life styles Uncategorized

Outside

Batman says:

Outside, the place not inside, not in your house, car, office, tent, bus, camper…you get the idea (if not, leave now, you’ll be bored). God created us outside, we have always been apart of the outside world, and most people, if they are honest, will admit they are happier when outside enjoying Gods creations.

When I was young (go on, make the jokes, but I was actually young, of course that was before cell phones and more than 3 channels on the tele) I spent every waking moment outdoors, traipsing through the woods, running barefoot everywhere, doing fun stuff. I actually had working trap-line before the hunters with dogs whined and got steel leg hold traps outlawed (if u can’t kill a deer without chasing it with dogs till it’s exhausted, then shoot it, maybe you need to rethink your hunting prowess).We kids ran all day, outside and pitched a fit when it was dark and Mom called us home to get a bath and go to bed. Never in our wildest dreams could we imagine sitting in front of a television screen and ‘playing’ games all day (we had Clue, Sorry, Monopoly board games and others for rainy days). Video games, even had they been around back then, I’m willing to bet would not have done as well with us as this last couple generations. The problem is the parents, they allow the television to be a fix all baby sitter. Parents do not take responsibility for their kids (I’ll give you the few rare ones that do, but in my job I see it daily) actions, they don’t set firm limits and when their kids act out they blame everyone else but themselves. Read a quote from an actor, don’t remember who but it goes “Respect is taught at home,If a child is disrespectful, it’s your fault, It’s not societies fault or a video games fault, it’s Yours”We were taught respect or we got a belt period. Think we grew up ok getting a spanking that we deserved. Anyways I got off on another post for later, this was headed in the right direction then a squirrel ran by and I was distracted.Outside, anyways back to that, I cannot imagine a more harsh punishment to a child of my time than to be told he or she could not go outside and play. It was as if the world turned upside down. Today, and today’s parents, their punishment consists of repeatedly telling their kids over and over not to do the same thing they keep doing. When the punishment is much simpler. Make them go outside and play, not to a friends to play videos, but outside in your yard or park and actually spend time outside in God’s masterpiece creation. I’m willing to bet that if you do this enough, video games will become second fiddle to being outside and physically having fun with their friends. As for the adults, don’t care what you say or do, you to need to get outdoors as much as possible, to rejuvenate your soul. God made this planet not only to live on, he made it for us to enjoy being out on. I am a firm believer that every time I go outside, even for a short period, that it takes worry and stress off my mind and body. If this were Peach’s post she could find a scripture instantly to match this ramble, sorry if have to look for one it will take a week.I will leave you all with this thought, think back, when you were young, on a trip or walk with your parents. Then think where you were when you had the most exciting and interesting fun together, I’m betting you were outside someplace. Folks, God made it for us, don’t waste it by staying inside looking out, go Outside and experience it.

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family Life life styles

Upgrade

Batman says:

Peach and I have decided to upgrade our ham licenses from Technician to General, which will like I explained in an earlier post, allow us more frequencies to converse on when we pass the test. “There’s a Test?? You know I stink at tests!!” to which Peach does as she always does, rolls her eyes and tells me to be serious, which kinda leads to the reason for this post (the test part not the me trying to be serious, which if you ask Peach, I rarely am).

I have often wondered what twisted personalities develop questions for Ham tests, I mean, if you look at them on the face they are a mixed jumble of technical jargon that the normal person has no clue what the meaning is (I’ll give a few examples in a bit). Now before all you Ham enthusiasts get all uppity, finish reading. There are two types of Ham operators, generally, I believe (leaving out the preppers, not because they don’t count but, because they mostly are using Ham for preparation for society collapse, good on ya for being prepared.) My two types are people that just want to turn on a radio, find some people talking and have a fun conversation, making new “contacts” and hopefully lifelong friendships. The other type also enjoys the same things, but these are the technical ones, the ones that desire to use computers, tinker with new equipment, find new ways to do things, which generally improves Ham radio for most others (except when it comes to tests).

The first user type is a young child or adult introduced to Ham at school or by a friend of the family or at a field day etc. They become excited to talk to people around the world (yes it’s possible to do) and enjoy doing so. This type does not care how the radio works, does not care how many volts equal a millivolt, kilovolt, volt cola or whatever. They just want to be able to talk and make friends. They will probably never open a radio up to fix a bad diode or bulb, won’t build or adjust antennas, will buy what’s best and use it based on what’s in the instruction manual. They want to know the rules, so they can follow them and be good Ham operators, and generally are happy with the knowledge they have.

Type two, the tinkerers, question everything, look for ways to talk farther, improve speed, make antennas easier to adjust (tune). These are the people that over the years, have improved Ham radio two-fold over what it was capable of doing in the early days, and they continue to question and try and improve each time they have a moment.

I believe both types have their place and both add something to Ham radio, and now the reason for the ramble:

Who writes these tests? I mean seriously??!! Why does a person need to know how many nanofarad’s equal a picofarad just to talk on a radio to someone?? Why do I care how the efficiency of a RF power amplifier is determined? Answer is “I don’t” except to upgrade my license, based on God knows who’s idea of what knowledge I need to be licensed to talk on Ham radio legally. This is where the two sides butt heads, the one side could care less, the other thinks everyone should know.

It’s my blog post (when Peach lets me call it that) so I’m gonna go out on a limb, why not make the test relevant to what you can and cannot do? Questions about the rules, would in my humble opinion, better serve the Ham community and teach what’s proper. By all means, if your type 2 then go forth and prosper, keep up the good work, but that’s no reason to expect the average person to learn how to calculate how long a wire antenna needs to be to be resonant on 80 meters (use the online calculators out there it’s easier).

Peach and I will wade through the technical crap that we will never use, and we will pass our tests (confidence is key) even though we believe it’s not relevant to why we are doing it. It has gotten “easier”, they took out the Morse code requirement (CW) which is weird because it would actually be relevant to a lot of people.

Anyways, I have to go learn what a discriminator, a mixer and other things I will never use are, the test is next month and my mind doesn’t like being crammed with useless knowledge, even if I only have to retain it till I pass the test.

Y’all take care

The pic above is all Peach and I use to talk on the air, it’s all we need.

Oh, when you write to give me heck, please use decent language, sometimes little kids read these posts to

73 y’all

Categories
Faith family food life styles

Opinions 

Batman says:

Most people comment or post blogs (I believe) to express an opinion, or to give some type of information (good, bad, useful ect) that they feel others might like, want, or need. There are those that are trying to make money at it, but I think the others are the majority. They then wait and see others reactions.

My pretty girl “Peach” for example, with the calming ways, bible and religious knowledge, and the Grace she shows, could blog and make money without doubt. Peach isn’t like that, she shares verses, inspirational stuff, and anything to help anyone find God and find their way, she does this without asking for anything, just the type person she is. I read the “opinions” posted to her blogs and I’m not amazed to see how many people she reaches. Our little blog thing here is fairly new, not large on followers, but I’m sure with her posting it will grow crazily.

And now to me (squeamish, prudish, anti-fun, anti-hunters may as well stop reading right now) the goofball of this 30+ (going stronger daily) relationship. I’m more scatterbrained about this blog stuff. I just blurt out random things that honestly I’m amazed that anyone reads (you have to Peach, it’s in the contract). I am an outdoorsman, I trap, I hunt I fish I photograph, and I do it all with Peach. She has always been a part of everything I do, willingly too! and enjoys my silliness as much as I do. I find being out in Gods wilds one of the most relaxing and peaceful things one can do. Take trapping for instance, you find a place that looks like it has the type animal your looking for, you scout it, set up some cameras maybe, then you set your trap trying to fool wiley creatures. Trapping has been around forever, and to me it is fun and relaxing, alleviating stress and worries all the while enjoying being outdoors in Gods creation.


Here comes  the opinions, I’m sure, everyone has a few, and we all give them freely without being asked most times. This is the price we pay for blogging, and it’s ok. If you don’t like my posts that’s ok, if you don’t like me because I hunt, trap, fish,etc that’s ok. The world is full of different types of people, in my full time job I see most at their worst, some at their best and others in between. I have learned not to judge (Gods privilege, not mine) anyone based on appearance, likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc. Here in blog land (small island overcrowded with people) if I give a comment to a post it’s not hateful, judgemental, or condescending (at least I try not to be, we are human and all have faults). It’s not my place to convince someone with a difference of opinion who is right. Funny thing is, it’s not anyone’s place, blogging, with the exception of the money making ones, are, I think, just supposed to be sharing stuff, maybe I’m to old fashioned.


Anyways I posted this to let you have a peek at what batman does when not at his full time job, he spends it with Peach, outdoors as much as possible, admiring Gods handiwork.

Y’all tag along if ya want, should be a fun ride (at the least you can laugh at my goof ups).

Have a great day everyone

God bless ya

Categories
life styles

Range day

Batman says:

Today was range day with two clients, both who are new to shooting. Lively personalities these ladies are and great to have as students. Neither is over confident nor are they to meek, both are curious to learn and willing to try new things.

As an NRA Instructor, amongst other shooting instruction certifications, it is always a pleasure to teach students like these two and there are benefits not related to shooting.

We are outdoors in God’s world enjoying all the interesting things he created. We are moving, therefore we are getting the benefit of exercise. I dont teach standing still and shooting once the student has the basics down. I teach to be as hard to hit as you can, this means movement while your shooting.

These two ladies are just beginning their training and already are pretty skilled at target shooting, so the rest won’t be hard for them to pick up.

I teach the shooting skills because it’s becoming a lost art, and it gets Peach and I outdoors, and we get exercise and meet the new people we want to help.

Anyways, go shooting it’s fun and it’s exercise and it’s fun… did I mention it’s fun?