Laid-Back Busy

Louisiana State is over, and in the record books.  It was one hell of a shoot, supremely successful, despite the weather.  We had drenching rains, gale-force winds, and power outages, yet we continued on.  At one point, we had an entire range blow over.  Yet, the resilience of our shooters shown brightly; everyone pitching in to keep the match rolling.

I've always done an after-action review, to learn lessons from what has happened to avoid issues in the future.  First, logistics matters.  If you don't have spares, you're screwed.  Thankfully, I had plenty of spares and used a few of them.

This is what a lightweight range looks like after a sustained 54 mph gust.

We had some setbacks, but we kept plowing forward.  If you want to see pictures, there are several albums posted at the Cross Branded Peacemakers Facebook page.  Go over and look.

We carried on.  Cowboy Fast Draw shooters are resilient, happy, helpful and ready to step-up..  They are great folks.  We couldn't do this without volunteers.

Congratulations to the winners, those who took home my trophies, and we gave away a bunch of them.   I would be remiss here if I didn't at least show a picture of the Champions.

Louisiana State Champions
Left, Madame K - Lone Star Gunslingers
Right, Delta Whiskey - Big Thicket Bushwackers

So, it's over.  It was a challenge and a lot of fun, but now we move forward.  The home range is reset and the club monthly match is next Saturday.  And I've learned lessons.  This was the third Louisiana State I've done, and I've been whipped by the weather all three times.  With the lead time necessary to put on a big match, it's simply impossible to accurately predict weather, so I have to take weather out of the process.  I'll do other championships, but I'll never do another one outdoors.  In the coming weeks, I will find an indoor venue and lock it in.  Next year, Louisiana State will be done in a place where the weather will be only a matter of conversation.