Sharpshooters in the Making!!

Cowboy thought it might be good for ALL of his favorite girls to learn how to shoot.  (Are you listening FAVORITES?)  Because of the murder in a small town in Eastern Montana people are becoming jumpy.  For those of you who don't know, a lady was running and was abducted.  They have two people in custody but have not found the body.  This is a small town that has been hit by the oil boom.  We wonder if anyone is "safe" any more.  Thus on to the subject of protection...

  We like our freedom and we want to protect the life as we have known it.  We are talking about locking doors and battening down the hatches when we leave the ranch.  We have been friendly and helpful to any and all that might need it.  It is not unheard of to stop and ask if someone needs help (when Bill is along of course!).  Gone are the days when I gave a hitch hiker a ride.  It gives me the shudders to think about that now!
 

We were wishing that The Farmer had been able to stay and target shoot with us.  Cowboy thought that The Farmer could have given us pointers!  I laughed when Cari took aim and her gun was waving just a little as she took aim.  Well, my dear friends, she had the last laugh as I was a wobbling mess and they both stood waaaaay behind me!  I aimed every time at that darned bull's eye and I would hit high or low and sometimes off the target altogether!  When I was in one of the four quadrants I cheered!  Cowboy did some shooting too.  Cari and I tried two different pistols.  Bill had brought a third but neither of us wanted to try it.  I understand it takes practice.  I have never liked guns but have lived with them my whole life.  I was brought up being taught that EVERY gun is loaded and dangerous.  Cowboy showed us how to check the gun EVERY time to see whether it is loaded, how to load it, how to unload it, and Cari got a lesson this morning in cleaning the gun. 

I know Rosie O'Grady drove with a gun in her car when she drove from Texas to Montana.  I never thought it would get to this, I am a Grandma!  After I get my concealed weapons permit, maybe I will change my name to Pistol Packin' Granny!  No, I don't think so, I don't like the ring to that!  I will be taking Hunter Safety with the young people this year. 

The trick I learned was you mark the person's shots ahead of you and then you can see where YOUR shots go or don't go as the case may be.  I shot left handed, I shot right handed, I shot with both hands on the gun, I shot with one hand on the gun and the other on my elbow, I tried aiming with the left eye (the stronger of the two) and I aimed with the right eye, I am right handed, so it was all interesting.  But I do sweep left handed... does that count?

I tried making the last two pictures larger!  Ugh!  Computers!  Anyway, here is a sharpshooter in the making.  Youth...she did much better than her mother.  I will learn how to do this in case I have to protect any of my loved ones, with God's help, I may not have to.

A word to the wise, be sure to call if you are coming to visit at night and I am alone...