BrianK

Cloudy and rain low 40s during the day low 30s now @ 2100 with drizzle. More white stuff forecast for early next week. Typical spring in Maine.

Rinse and repeat yesterdays weather. Low 30s with rain. Tornadoes would scare the crap out of me! There are a few things I can say about Maine weather, but one of them is that after 99.9% of our storms everything remains standing. Statistically the state gets one F1 tornado a year. A devil wind came through my land decades ago and lifted 2x4s and such. That's as close as I want to get to a tornado.

Today low 30s and rain, sleet, maybe snow tonight. Miserable weather.

Typical Maine spring weather... mid 50s last week, today in the 20s with snow. I just moved the vehicles around 'cause there's no plowing what we're forecast to get (4-6") because the ground is soft and the plow would just destroy the lawn. So move the car out of the way and get the 4x4 better positioned. In being outdoors I heard what sounded like sleet hitting my jacket. But then I looked down and it was graupel. Sounds like sleet but looks nothing like sleet. Think spherical snow, that's closer. For a supposedly rare weather even we get it quite often. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graupel

Well, yes and no. By the time it got to us in Maine it had been neutered. We got a warmish 50* rain out of it. But that's not benign. The rivers are frozen and by melting the snowpack their water levels rise and there is the potential for ice jams. I haven't heard of any major ones and the videos I've seen show free flowing rivers with some chunks of ice. So we lucked out. But we still have an anal sphincter of a governor due to the woke southern Maine. Down there they think that a male can breastfeed an infant and TDS is rampant. So from bright blue sky and mid 50s yesterday to low 40s, rain and mist today. I was thinking of going to the range but as I age I get more and more wussified.

In the 50s today, and rain from the remnants of that devastating weather that claimed lives in the midwest(?) and down south. So lots of our snowpack melted. Our streams and rivers are swollen and that means ice jams since as winters river ice breaks up it doesn't head out to sea in an orderly manner. No snow in sight and that's good since the ground is thawing and soft (we call it mud season) and if we get any snow there's nothing I can do with it. I can't plow it out of the way w/o destroying stuff..

A case (5k rounds) of match grade .22 rimfire, SK Rifle Match. Fingers crossed that it's as good or better than the brick I tested.

Seriously bright sunny spring like day in the 50s today. All this coming week daytime temps will be in the 40s and 50s. But some rain is on the way. Typical weather for this time of year.

There are ways to label mags to prevent confusion. It can be as simple as camo tape, paint marker, or a purchased option. When shooting I never have both a 5.56 and the .300 BLK available at the same time. It's one or the other.

As it happens every year, the sun is getting higher in the sky and winter is fighting to stay in control of our weather and spring is fighting to wrest control from winters embrace. That means we can get anything, from blizzards* to spring like weather. So far nothing major in the way of snow. We've been getting an inch that melts in the first few hours of daylight. I can deal with that! Fingers crossed that we have an early spring like last year. I want to get shooting! *A few years ago we got 2 blizzards 3 days apart. That was "interesting". That was a first.

I agree. Lawyers fighting lawyers with OUR stolen tax dollars means nothing to these folks. But put 'em in cuffs and shackles and haul them away... that'll get their attention. My hatred for these people grows every day and I think many Americans feel the same way today. They only have themselves to blame for that. Last night the left clapping for the continuation of the war in Ukraine... pure evil. And that's just a part of their obvious disdain for humanity.

Was there ever any doubt? I never thought so. That's what prompted me to say "fuq it!" and decided to start to buy unconstitutional tax stamps to get the firearms I wanted. Previous to figuring out that I was already on "the list" I didn't want to be in the registry. But in for a penny in for a pound. The answer is the same either way.

Update... Saw my eye Dr yesterday and she started the ball rolling to get my eyes fixed. I had an ophthalmologist who retired and his replacement seemed to think he was God so I got rid of him. But my present Dr says that he does really good work and strongly suggested that I go to him (there are others locally, she has seen his work and says that he's the best). So that's what I'll do. Just waiting for the record of yesterdays visit to get to his office, then if his office doesn't call me within a week to set up an app't I'll call them. I still don't know if I'm a candidate for the UV light adjustable lenses.

too funny!

That was time very well spent! Thanks Doc!

Knowing nothing 20/20 is what I lean to also. It would be nice to wake up, look at the clock and read it without looking through a pinhole that I make with my fist. I've been doing LOTS of reading online and see that there are many types of replacement lenses, including one that focuses similar to the lens that will be removed worked. I don't know prices and really need to talk to someone in the know and that'll happen soon. But I don't want to make the wrong choice and screw up my shooting. Shooting is what I do. My wife had it done and she chose to keep her nearsightedness and continue to wear glasses. But I think I'd like to not be forced to wear glasses. Right now I can't read road signs on the interstate until I'm right on top of them, and I like to see the night sky and right now I can only see the brightest stars and planets so I can't navigate the night sky. And of course it's screwing with my shooting. I was blaming the scope, and it was partially to blame by throwing a cone of light onto the cataract. Aging sux! I used to be superman but not anymore. Tell my brain that! It still thinks I'm 18 years old.

Yesterday my wife had an app't with my eye Dr (we use the same one) and I wanted to briefly discuss the cataracts with her (my Eye Dr. . And she agreed that it sounds like it's time to get the cataracts taken care of. There's a 2-3 month wait then it happens for both eyes in 2-3 weeks. I've been wearing glasses since the 3rd grade and I know that they can give me 20/20 vision if I want that. But there are other options. If anyone knows what they are and the pros and cons I'll be a sponge for the knowledge. FWIW, I think I'll need to wear safety glasses 'cause an eye Dr decades ago told me that my eyes have lost the ability to blink if something contacts them. I also have bifocals so I guess it'll need correction for close in work. But I'm certain about none of that. I'm speculating. I'm nearsighted so right now my close in work is excellent. But anyway, if you're knowledgeable I'd like to read the pros and cons.

Our weather has been moderating. One night it got down to the minus teens. Today in the sun it was 48, but the wind is the killer; makes it much worse. Other than that it's a pretty nice day. Come on spring weather! It can't come fast enough. 2 more months.

Exactly. I saw it as a sort of insurance policy. That's why I can remember that idiot officer who'd have done the job w/o a sidearm so vividly. Totally clueless as to what a shift could hold. To make matters even more screwed up... The full timers who couldn't shoot were allowed .357 Mags in their handguns. Part timers, of which I was one, could only put .38 Special in theirs. But I handloaded. The physical difference between a .38 and .357 is the brass of a .357 is .1" longer to prevent the .357 from being put into a .38. If the revolver can take .357 pressure there is nothing stopping a handloader from loading .357 loads into .38 brass. So that's what I did. Externally it was a .38. But no one ever asked to see my cartridges. So I could have used .357 brass. The thinking was that if a full timer who couldn't shoot (some definitely could) needed more ammo we could throw them ours. Yeah, he wasted his ammo to no effect so I'm going to throw him mine? I don't think so. Just stay under cover and I'll get the job done. Back then the ammo load was 18 rounds. I was waiting for an opening as a full timer. When it came up, for political reasons they had to hire a woman. My 2nd DEI middle finger in my direction. Back then (50 years ago) it wasn't called DEI, but it was definitely a political hire and everyone knew it. Even I knew she was going to be hired. FWIW. I absolutely love seeing women who know their way around a firearm. I see it all the time in competition today. That's changed a lot in the last decade..

Cops can be firearm knowledgeable, but not all cops are. And they are a cross section of society and there are morons everywhere in society. I was a LEO at one time. I knew cops who could barely qualify with their handguns. Some needed "special" qualification when no one else was around as a witness. One officer stated that if he wasn't forced to carry he wouldn't. I never qualified with less than a 298 out of a possible 300. "Please get out of the car so that we can remove the handgun for your and my safety.". Right. He wasn't shooting and he was compliant so leaving everything alone where it was was the safest way to handle the stop. What a jackass. The officers outside the vehicle could see everything and had the added ability of free movement while the drivers movement was restricted. Yeah, moron cops. And they wonder why they can have bad reputations? OK, we saw the downside. So what was the potential upside from any actions the officers were suggesting? The driver was compliant. Sorry, but that video just pisses me off. I really hate DEI hiring instead of hiring from merit. I've been screwed over by DEI hiring more than once. Then there's this classic display of "I'm the only one professional enough to carry a Glock .40". I have a nephew who's an officer in Deal, NJ. . When he was a child we tried shooting, and immediately after the safety talk, he fired a magazine safely then turned around and swept everyone with the gun not 2 minutes after the safety talk. End of shooting for the day (actually forever) with me. But he's a cop and his mother wanted a handgun. I discussed her needs with her she then listened to her idiot son, and did I mention he's an officer in Deal, NJ? That vast repository of firearm knowledge. She bought what he told her to. Then she, knowing nothing at all about how to even hold a handgun, he loaded it for her. I asked if she knew how to unload it or handle it safely? Have you taken the course that I suggested so that you can use it safely? The answers were no. "Then have the person who loaded it for you unload it and make sure the chamber is also empty.". Did I mention the idiot who loaded it for her is a cop in Deal, NJ? And she wanted me to teach her how to use the handgun. "No thank you. Get someone in NJ to teach you.". I wasn't getting anywhere near that accident waiting to happen. I could hear it now if she had ever had to use it..."But Brian taught me...", even if I taught her the exact opposite.

Yesterday Pink Floyd, today Blue Jays then John Denver.

My wife told me it was -17 this morning. I didn't check, I just knew it was cold. But today got into the low 30s in the sun. It's going to cloud over tonight and get a bit warmer as the night progresses with show showers tomorrow.

I like that wood smoke smell too. Unfortunately our newish wood stove burns so clean that it doesn't have that smell and the smell it does have out the chimney is unidentifiable as being from wood. But I get the wood smoke smell from the neighbors. This morning at 0730 it was -4 and right now it's 2 degrees. But the forecast is for a colder Wednesday morning than today (-8). Throw another stick of wood in the stove.

Yeah, the temp is dropping here also. At 5ish it was 12 degrees and it's expected to gey to near zero by morning. So I lit the wood stove. That only happens if it's going to be <20 degrees for at least a day. We're expecting to keep that fire going until the end of the week. Of all the ways we can heat our home, heat pumps, oil, or wood I far prefer wood. The heat is steady. The dog likes it too since she can curl up in front of it, where she is as I write..

Very unusual winter so far (Maine) just another of many. The left will claim man made global warming and I don't deny the climate is changing. BUT and that's a big but, we're between glacial periods (aka an inter-glacial period). No one left a written record of what happens during these so we have no idea what to expect. Plus the output of the sun also changes and we have that going on now as well. And the left is on what, the 3rd "We have 20 years before we all die!" the sky is falling predictions. (Do they even still do them after the 1st 2 failed predictions?) But anyway, it took forever for the ground to freeze. Very little snow so far and what we have gotten has melted due to warmish rain. Today in the sun it was in the mid 40s. Not bad for mid January. But that is going to change. We're headed back into the deep freeze. Not like 40+ years ago where we'd get <-30 degrees but cold for today. We also might get up to 8" of snow but the ground is frozen so I can move it. I'm likin' this weather. Screw the polar bears. They'll find something to eat. Plus we need the Territory of Greenland to thaw so that we can drill and look for minerals. Approx' 2 1/2 months until it's warm enough for me to even consider shooting again. I hate wishing my life away, but "Come On Spring! "