Monday, January 09, 2017

Two Years

I was piddling around in the shop today, working on a target for Cowboy Fast Draw.  Suddenly, I realized, it's been two years.  Two years since I started this game.  It's been a wild ride.

Small Target for CFDA shooting. This one is 17 3/16"
It was January 2015 when I was first invited to Thorn Valley to try this sport, and in February, I bought Belle her first rig for Valentine's Day, and by March, we were hooked.  Little, at that time, did I know what we were getting in to.

Since then, I've bought nine guns, at least that many holsters and belts, I've bought target electronics, made targets, constructed a home practice range, bought clothing, jewelry, hats, we've gone whole hog.

We've traveled to several shoots, planned a couple, slept in hotel rooms, traveled around,eaten strange things.  And, we've met a lot of people.  Good people, salt-of-the-earth people.  The people is the reason that we've continued on this journey.  These are folks worth knowing, worth shooting against, worth worrying about.

This is the only shooting organization I've ever been in where the competitors sincerely want everyone to have a good time.  Where they'll take a minute to coach a competitor, someone who might meet then on the line during the next round.  Where equipment is loaned freely, to help another shooter,

Two years of making friends, and laughing, and shooting, and sharing equipment, and sharing stories, and winning a few trophies, and educating young people on safe gun-handling.  I am convinced that the Cowboy Fast Draw Association is one of the premier organizations in the US today.  For organization, gun-handling, education, and connecting with members, the organization is simply un-paralleled.

It's been quite a ride.  I hope it goes on for a long, long, time.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I've said this before in a comment on this blog, & I stand by it: sounds a whole lot like motorcycle enthusiasts. Always some good-natured kidding about how my model/style/manufacturer is better than yours, your skills are mediocre compared to mine, etc. The commonality is in the folks who are enthusiastic about the pleasure of what they do, & their desire to share it with as many others as possible.
You're a fortunate man, Pawpaw, & seem to be passing it on to others. Good on you, & good for those around you. Bravo Zulu!
--Tennessee Budd