Cleaning My Redhead Premium 20 Gauge

Every other week we go shoot sporting clays at the Flying Rabbit Sporting Clays in Mt. Crawford, VA. This has been going on for several years, and is an outing enjoyed by our husbands and we sisters.

The fun starts with a delicious lunch which we take turns preparing. But because the real treat comes after our shooting, we do not eat too much. This real treat is Smiley’s Ice Cream located in Bridgewater, VA. Oh my! One really has to try it to know just how yummy it is.

We have a blast (pun intended!) at the range. Have you ever shot sporting clays? Some days we shoot better than others, however practice pays, as I can tell we (girls) are getting better. Like it or not, our husbands always outshoot us. No matter for we cheer on every hit!

Even fun has its own work involved with it in some form or another, and my 20 gauge Redhead Premium CZ over/under needs a good cleaning. I do have a question. Why is my husband so willing to help me clean my shotgun and nothing else in our life? He even gathered all the cleaning supplies and set them out on the table. Just don’t ask questions, just smile!

So with his good help and loads of advice, my shotgun is cleaned, shiny and ready to go out again.

Time to do the work of cleaning. HoneyPie is watching!
My husband gathered all the cleaning supplies and set them out.
He was full of help and advice.
Clean and shiny!
My gun and I are all ready to hit the range again!

Five Minute Friday Writing Prompt—Preserve

We have just returned from a 4-night vacation with extended family at Kiptopeke State Park on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

This is the eighth year of this most delightful, special family time. For many of us it is the only time we get to see/visit with cousins and all the wonderful children. We work hard to preserve our family ties. Not all my children come, but those of us that do have precious memories to preserve for their lifetimes.

I am thankful beyond measure.

Preserving family ties ❤️

Remnants of Family Summer Fun

I grew up in the tourist industry. Memorial Day through Labor Day started and finished the busiest time of year for us. It was tourist season, summer time, school break, taking folks through the caverns, working in the campground, and best of all taking tourists on horseback trail rides through the mountains where we lived at Endless Caverns in New Market, VA. Could not get better than that for me.

I have used this reasoning to help understand my sadness at the end of summer and beginning of fall. The season is over, everyone has gone home, it will now be quiet I would think to myself. For years we rented the horses for our livery and they too had to leave. This only added to that empty feeling inside.

We sold the caverns way back in 1976. One would think I’d be over that feeling of summer being over. Guess that’s not going to happen. What I have learned is to enjoy the remnants of summer fun and family visits as I work to get things back in order after all the family visit fun.

As I was cleaning up after three weeks of great family times, I found myself taking photographs of all the evidence of the fun we enjoyed together. It made me smile and filled my heart with thankfulness.

Can you can see what I mean with these fun, silly photographs? All the evidence of family summer fun?

Loads of dirty laundry.
Beds that need remaking.
A little garden posy for guests.
Flyers from places we visited.
Little memories purchased.
Left over wine.
Photos of the visits.

I hope as this summer winds down you too have some remnants of family fun around your house as well. Good by summer, fare thee well and…

Happy Labor Day weekend to you, dear reader.