Gunpowder and Lead and Cathy by cdonohoue

Gunpowder and Lead and Cathy

Since this is my journal this has to be the shot for my day. I did something today that I never dreamed that I would ever do - or even want to do. I went to the range. My good friend Melissa - from church, no less - has always owned guns. She grew up with them and they are no big deal to her. I am 61 years old and have never held a gun in my hand before today. We have been kidding about doing this for over six months and today was the day. She picked my up this morning and we went to the range. All you have to do is show your driver's license and you are allowed to pull a trigger. We had on safety glasses, ear protectors and we bought booth time and ammo - no cheap outing. I fired a Colt revolver, a Glock and a .44 something. I actually hit the bulls eye twice! It was a lot of fun because for about the first 45 minutes we were the only women there and certainly the only folks over a certain age. I don't know if I will ever do it again. I just wanted to do it once. I read about it all the time and see it on TV. Curiosity. But I still don't know how I really feel about them.

We went to lunch and laughed for about an hour and a half. Then we cleaned them. That is not near as much fun and pretty meticulous work.So she taught me that also. And all day she talked gun safety. All in all it was a really fun day and I guess I marked a little something off of the bucket list.....
Good job on your bucket list Cathy - I really like the expression on the "targets" face!
June 5th, 2012  
Wow,Cathy! I am so impressed! Good for you for going outside of your comfort zone! If that is your target you look to be a pretty good shot too!
June 5th, 2012  
Must have been an amazing experience Cathy & something that I know is quite a usual thing for some people but you sound like you had fun & something you can say you did...don't mess with me kind of thing !!!! I think there are gun clubs in the UK but it's something most people wouldn't think about doing as we have much stricter laws on guns in the UK although our gun crime has increased but ordinary 'jo public' wouldn't begin to know how to shoot a gun! I am reading a very good book at the moment called ''The Good Father ' by Noah Hawley & that is about gun crime in the USA. Good for your friend to be so careful & teach you well & a fun day too !
June 5th, 2012  
Ya hoo!! I like that!! Good for you, you never know, we may all need these skills someday! I used to do outings with pre-1840's weaponry. I shot black powder and it was so fun!! Love your picture, and your target would be a "Dead Fred"
June 5th, 2012  
You appear to be a pretty good shot! Glad you had a great time - laughter with a friend is simply the best, no matter what you're doing.
June 5th, 2012  
Wow!! You sure have good aim and a steady hand!! I'm very impressed!! This is also on my "bucket list" as I have never held a real gun before. Some day.....
June 5th, 2012  
LOL! Great job, Cathy! I'm proud of ya! Cool shot in more ways than one! Ha ha!
June 6th, 2012  
Vee
Good for you! That activity is definitely on my "bucket list" :)
June 6th, 2012  
You go girl!! I've always found target practice exhilirating!! Nice shooting :)
June 6th, 2012  
Thats awesome!!
June 6th, 2012  
Very cool… I've never touched a gun either…
June 6th, 2012  
always fun to try something new...good for you!!! I love this shot...did you notice that you have an antenna going out of one side of your head? LOL
June 6th, 2012  
Glad you had an adventure today.
June 6th, 2012  
Great story Cathy, glad your okay and what a picture.
June 6th, 2012  
Lyn
Wow, what an unusual way to spend the day. . now I understand your gun reference on the bird picture! ;->
June 6th, 2012  
My kind of fun! I've been trying to get my spiritual mother and group of friends (all about 20 yrs older than I am ) to go to gun range for one of our Wednesday night get togethers :)
June 6th, 2012  
I love it! I have my CHL and love to shoot. Good shot! :p
June 6th, 2012  
GOOD FOR YOU. What a wonderful journal entry. I have never even held a gun.
June 6th, 2012  
That sounds like a fun day! Great shooting!!!!
June 6th, 2012  
That is an unusual thing to want to do; good for you in having the nerve to do it.
June 6th, 2012  
It will never cross my mind to sneak to your house now. You massacred that man on your first shooting outing, what will you do on the second time. I'm sure it was lots of fun. Love the capture.
June 6th, 2012  
@kellc The targets were very funny.
@grammyn It was way outside my comfort zone.
@happypat My experience has always been whatever I am reading so I wanted to see what a .44 was really like.
@rmkgreene Thanks Ruth. My husband says I am preparing for the apocalypse.
@timandelke Elke that is exactly why I agreed to go. The person I went with is my favorite "laughing" friend. We laugh all the time that we are together.
@chauncygirl Yesterday was a first for me. I would have told you that I would never touch one.
@marlboromaam Thanks Maggie. I really couldn't believe how much fun it was.
@vskolnik Go do it. You just rent booth space and even a gun if a friend of yours doesn't have any.
@jillmstruss It was definitely exhilarating. A person like me living sort of "dangerously"
@nlaurie Thank you Laurie.
@vickisfotos Vicki I do now. I had a teacher last year that said to watch for that. But I don't even care right here. Just makes me look a little more alien than my kids think I am right now. Mom did what???
@janets It was adventure from start to finish.
@granny7 My friend took it on auto and I lightened it up a bit.
@lyno It was the most unusual way that I have ever spent a day. But fun.
@worthitall Tell them to call me and I will put in a good word for you. I had a blast, pun intended, and never in my wildest dreams thought I would ever do something like it and have such a good time doing it.
@clmiller Caren is a CHL a concealed carry?
@yonnie It was easy.
@wannabe Not half bad. I hit the bullseye two or three times.
June 6th, 2012  
@girlie Thanks. It took some nerve but I decided to go for it.
@sangwann Be very, very careful.
June 6th, 2012  
@cdonohoue Yes, it a concealed carry handgun license.
June 6th, 2012  
What a great experience! It sounds like you quite enjoyed it and are a bit of a natural with that grouping of shots!
June 6th, 2012  
Go girl!! Well done for trying something new :) Love the shot!
June 6th, 2012  
How cool! I went to a gun range once and the flash of the gun after it went off startled me so much that I dropped the gun (real safe, huh). I haven't gone back since. You did well!!
June 6th, 2012  
@aleksandra It was so surprisingly fun.
@filsie65 It was new alright. I'd like to try again.
@amandalomonaco That is pretty scary. I think that is part of why I wanted to go - just what did it feel like. The more surprising part to me was the brass ejecting backwards - and over top of the booth from the guy next to us with some kind of rifle. Burnt my cheek!
June 6th, 2012  
Great shot (in more than one way). Hope you never have to use this ability in real life
June 7th, 2012  
@cdonohoue I hope you don't think I was making fun of your shot...i think it is funny to find things like that...well, as long as it is not a super important shot.
June 7th, 2012  
@vickisfotos I also think it is funny - and never even noticed the antenna. I just was so excited about wearing the gear and pulling the trigger. We all should do something that we think we sill never do.
June 7th, 2012  
@cdonohoue there are a few things I know I need to give a try...but I have done of few of those type of things...like I made myself rock rappel and zip line on a vacation a while back...now I found out that it is not so scary after all. now guns...my Dad was a hunter and even though I never hunted, he made sure we knew all about guns and shooting...I can do a pretty good skeet shot, if I do say so! My husband has a pistol and made sure that I know how to use it if the need ever arises. I think it is great you give it a try and now you know how to use it! What is next for you????
June 8th, 2012  
Good for you! I need to try that.
June 8th, 2012  
@vickisfotos I'm not sure. The good part is that I know there will be something new. That is certainly how photography started out a year ago.
@grannysue It was fun.
June 8th, 2012  
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