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This is a long winded story but I just spent 3 days on a river without seeing another person except for my paddling partners. I just wanted to share it with someone. I just got back from Jasper Arkansas after doing a 5 day canoe trip down Missouri's Eleven Point River. Clear emerald green water moving rapidly through a rugged, remote area in the Ozarks. We saw some fishermen the first day and some John boats the last day and didn't see a soul for the rest of the time. We then went to a cabin near Jasper Arkansas and did two day trips down the Buffalo River. I left my truck at the put in on the Eleven Point River for 5 days with fishing rods in the back. Nothing was missing. Luckily my CC permit was honored in Missouri and Arkansas but I drove for 10 miles through Illinois. If I had gotten pulled and they found my handgun, I would have been sent to jail. Isn't that amazing? The photo below is of the Buffalo River near Ponca Arkansas. This river was very scenic but we saw dozens of people. My choice of handguns was my Glock 19. It was kept in a dry bag while paddling. The drive home was about 1000 miles and took me 18 hours. It was worth it. Here is how you do it. First get a canoe that will hold camping gear. It is a 16 hour drive from Durham NC, so split it in half and drive I-40 west until you get to Edgar Evins State Park. They have these wooden platforms that you can park your truck on and set up a tent for the night. The next day you drive through Nash Vegas and up I-24 into Kentucky. You have to go through Cairo Illinois, for 10 miles. They had a Zombie Apocalypse there a few decades ago and the once thriving town is now mostly deserted. Big old mansions over grown with vines and the roof caving in. Stores boarded up. Now that they have the highway repaired you may will miss Cairo. You then cross Big Muddy into Missouri. You will need to find Alton Missouri. That is the nearest town to get supplies. You will take hwy 160 east to get to the river. Cross the bridge over the Eleven Point and turn left into the boat launch area. You will leave one truck here to be waiting for you when you take off the river. I left my truck with two fishing rods in the back and no one messed with them. Now you pile everything onto and into the vehicle that will take you to the put in, upstream. Hwy 19 is the place many people put in. This is dependent on the water level. Park the put in vehicle load your boats and you are off! No fees, no problems. There are designated camping spots that have an outhouse, picnic tables and tent sights above the high water mark. They are first come first served but you can camp on a gravel bar, if the weather says no rain. The river has many springs that flow into the river. Greer Springs is one of the biggest in the state with 350 cubic feet per second of crystal clear water. Greer Springs is about a one mile hike to where it comes out of the ground. Go to the Eleven Point in the Spring before the ticks and skeeters come out. Also, put on the river on a Sunday so you can miss any weekend campers. You can buy a fishing license but after all the fees, you will be paying a dollar a cast. NOTE: I saw more Confederate flags in Southern Missouri than I have ever seen. Damned Missouri Ruffians! They are nice people though and very country. They remind me of my kin. Their fried chicken is off the charts. Paddling the Buffalo is much easier. Just go to Jasper Arkansas, they will help you with the canoes and then get a cabin at Bluff Dwellers Cabins. http://www.ozarkbluffdwellers.com/ This is a secret! These cabins are on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Buffalo River Valley. They face west into the sunset, which can be breath taking. The cabins are isolated, you can't see one cabin from the others and not very expensive for what you get. The put in for the Buffalo is at Ponca. Then you can take out at a number of places down stream. Don't pass the Low Gap Café without stopping in. It is a hidden gem with a great chef, a local guy. I asked him "where the heck did you learn to cook like that?" he said "In the kitchen......" (dumb question) The Buffalo is one of the most scenic places to paddle I have ever seen, with towering cliffs up towards 500 feet overhanging the river. This is a very clean river with clear water and no trash. They have some pretty strict rules about paddling the Buffalo. No glass, all canned beverages must be in a huggy that floats, all coolers must be have the lid secured and be tied to the boat, nothing should fall out of the boat if you tip over and you must carry a mesh bag for trash and there are no trash cans anywhere. You bring it in and you take it out., This is not me in the picture but that canoe is what yours will look like crammed with camping gear. Make sure your canoe is balance and not bow heavy or stern heavy. In a tandem canoe if one person is paddling it, turn the boat around backwards and sit in the front seat. This puts you closer to the center of the canoe and will give you better control. Always get on your knees when paddling through rough water, unless you want to swim with all you gear.

My current "Gentleman's Hotrod." Cadillac CTS V-Sport. Twin turbo V-6, 420HP. 0-60 in 4.4 seconds, 1/4 mile in 12.8 seconds, top speed 172mph. Had to "Import" it in from Texas. Cadillac only makes about 500-600 of them a year.

I have heard negative reports on Rem Golden Bullets. My experience is just the opposite. S&W compact, S&W 22 AR, Sig Mosquito to name a few all run fine.

It's RINO scum like Governor Mary Failing and Governor Rick Snott that inspired me to leave the Republican party and not look back. In my opinion, the Libertarian party is truly the only real pro-gun party in America. Many people are seriously deceived to think the Republican party was a historically pro-gun party. In fact, the Republican party was staunchly anti-gun and politicians like Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Rudolph Giuliani were some of the most vehemently anti-gun politicians in the history of our country. In fact, we can thank people like Reagan and Bush for helping push our first "Assault Weapon Ban". The fact that the Republican party magically became pro-gun after the Clinton era was more about opportunity to gain votes rather than a deep inherent moral belief in the 2nd Amendment. So, once these Republicans got your votes secured and have a strong grip on their political office than their true colors come to the surface and they will push their agenda of increasing the power of the bureaucracy, which so many Republicans and almost all Democrats support. There are many so-called Tea Party Republicans who support Extreme Risk Protection Orders at the federal level. So much for the 2nd Amendment, as ERPOs basically make the 2nd Amendment null and void. Many Americans are pretty much brainwashed sheep who don't believe they can support any other party and must keep voting for the same liars with all their bold promises and smooth political discourse, only to be disappointed again and again. Until people are ready to become a bit more open-minded, make some sacrifices and fight the status quo of the two-party bureaucracy, we will keep having more and more of our rights compromised and removed. The Democrats are pretty straightforward with their anti-gun/anti-freedom agenda, which actually makes them seem like less of a threat to me than the Republicans who pretend to support our rights and freedoms. After these Republicans gain our trust, they rip all those freedoms they swore to protect away from us under our feet. I am not stupid to think that in an election that I must only vote for the Libertarian candidate. So, my next best advice is to stop looking at the party names that so many of these lying, crooked, double-talking politicians like Rick Snott, Mary Failing and the rest of them have next to their name. Instead, look at their voting track record, the causes they support, how genuine of a person they are and political alliances. If they were staunchly anti-gun and then just a couple years before the election suddenly believe in the 2nd Amendment like a patriot, you may want to think deeply if they will still be so freedom loving and pro-gun once the marbles are all in their hand. I will say that gun rights come before almost all others for me, as the freedom of speech and religion are essentially tied together with the 2nd Amendment. My feelings are that only a small minority of Republican politicians are worthy of my vote. Although, staunchly pro-gun Blue Dog Democrats like Conor Lamb would get my vote over RINO scum like Mary Fallin or Rick Scott any day of the week if the election was between these two candidates. Like I said, we need to stop looking at the party names and start looking at the individual politicians. THe more aligned a politician is to America's One and Only Constitutionally sound party, the Libertarian party, the more likely we can be assured that this person will defend our freedoms and liberties. As of now, I think Rand Paul is one of the few Republicans I could even support anymore, although maybe there is a few others who I think won't turn on us, but it seems more and more of these so-called pro-gun politicians are turning on their voters once the pressure is applied and other factors like screaming liberal soccer moms and state finances (Constitutional Carry would have cost the Republicans in OK a lot of revenue, e.g.) are put into play.

First meet of the season, her second time with her new Sport Rifle. I am running out of room.

I have a Bersa .22 and really like that little gun but it is very finicky when it comes to ammo. I’ve had poor results with Federal bulk which is very odd, as that’s generally excellent ammo. Even stranger is it loves Remington Golden Bullets, which is pretty crappy ammo. It runs 100% with them. You might try some of those. I recall running into someone at the range one time who had similar results. i can’t get enough of the Victory. Have put over 1000 rounds through mine now and it always goes to the range.

This was my coolest car, I guess fast is relative... Daily driver from 94 - 97, sold it to a good home, no regrets 1968 250SL, referred to as the Pagoda top from the hard top roofline. 4 speed inline 6, very torque-y and nimble in the curves thanks to a unique hinged rear suspension.

If you lost it IN the MGB, you're a god amongst men.

Some variation of the above seems to come around every year or so, it never pans out. As it is, there is no substitute for time in the barrel.

I don't believe it's an everyone kinda thing. Just length of time since your last photo. In my case I've had my TN Permit for 12 years since my last photo. Makes sense to me I needed to have an updated photo.

Thanks folks I’ll keep you posted with any updates.

That may be true, but they’re much better after a Mr. Fusion upgrade.

I had to walk his dog and supply my own baggies!!!!

I had to do chores at David's house for a weekend.