Timestepper

I stand corrected. My apologies. Methinks I have followed the Three S rule for far too long. Thanks for setting me straight, OS!

And that reminds me of a fancy drink some broad convinced me to try one night - I'm not sure what all it had in it, but it was something about hairy nipples, fuzzy butts and Hot Damn. I thought at first that it was some kind of "snakebite medicine," but by the time I'd had enough to make me want to bite a snake, I was too damned lubricated to find one!

The full "advantage of surprise" comes in doing the unexpected, like standing your ground when you oughtta' be runnin' like a striped assed ape. Or charging a perceived threat instead of running from it. Of course either may get you killed, but so may digging for a gun in deep concealment. (Unless you've got a sleeve hideout, you're invariably going to telegraph what you're doing and when you telegraph what you're doing, it's really not much of a surprise.) And the poker analogy is a cute one, but not entirely accurate. Again the "advantage of surprise" comes in doing the unexpected, not in hiding a gun you're going to have trouble getting to without telegraphing your intentions. No, Glocks blow, Hoovers suck. Heck, for that matter I'm not entirely sure whether gravity works or the earth sucks! That's okay, we hate your 1911's, too!

Hell, do what I did and buy a leaky canoe, that way it never "smells like dead stuff" because, between the leak and the resultant bailing, it pretty much rinses itself every two or three miles!

Hey, at least you've got an idea of what you have to look forward to (provided you can still remember it when you reach our age!)

Agreed, friend Moped. At the same time, if you have enough light to safely travel, then even ridges a few miles away will be visible. And if it's too foggy, or the conditions have otherwise deteriorated to the point where landmarks are NOT visible then, more than likely, the last thing on my mind will be counting paces. In that case, it's easier (for me - not necessarily anyone else) to pick a land mark(s) before visibility deteriorates - whether due to darkness or weather conditions - and then verify said landmark(s) when visibility once again improves. In the end, I guess it's to each his own. Counting paces works, otherwise the Army wouldn't have been espousing its use for so long. But dead-reckoning works too and is easier for those of us who can't count past 21 (and then only in the shower).

I've been transplanted here from a state (Kansas) where open carry is more or less the norm. In fact, the only time a permit is required for handgun carry in Kansas is if you intend to deliberately carry concealed. As I've mentioned elsewhere in these forums, I was carrying a .22 revolver on my hip (for the purposes of running a trap line) before I was old enough to have a driver's license. Consequently, I'm so comfortable with OC and it's so much a part of me that even a LEO I was talking to not long ago admitted that he had to "look twice" to notice I was carrying when the subject turned in that direction. By the same token, given what I do for a living, I go unarmed much more often than not, but I think maybe the key is that I don't act any differently with a pistol on my hip than I do when all I'm carrying is a penknife in my pocket. I'll agree with our esteemed TMF 18B that OC is probably more prevalent in smaller communities than larger cities and the same can be said for my home state. (More permits for concealed carry are issued for the four largest cities than for the entire rest of the state.) There are good arguments for both CC and OC and, all in all, I think it simply boils down to what you, personally, feel most comfortable with. Welcome to Tennessee!

Really (IMO), the bottom line is that the gun is worth as much as you think it is, according to your own uses for it. I've bought guns for less than 50 bucks that I wouldn't part with for ten times that much. Conversely, I've bought guns for several hundred that I ended up selling for much less because they didn't meet a perceived personal value. I've got one now that was "appraised" at $75.00, but it shoots well and it fits me and I love it and to me, personally, it is worth much more than some arbitrarily assigned collector's value. Some of those little .32's were exceedingly well balanced and great shooters, not to mention a ton of fun to own and shoot. If that turns out to be the case with the one mentioned in the OP, then the repairs may very well be worth it at any cost. If not,then maybe it'll make a good trot line weight or conversation piece. Any any rate, the fact remains that value is both relative and subjective.

Problem is that pace counting for distance traveled really only works well if you're on more or less even terrain (i.,e., a roadway, path or flat ground). Otherwise, while you may indeed have walked 10 miles worth of steps, the reality may very well be that, due to uneven terrain and/or obstacles, you've only gone 5 miles as the crow flies. (And few things are more disheartening than to think you're getting somewhere and then discover that, no, you're really not.) Unless you just want to know how far you've actually walked, it's better (IMO) to judge distance traveled from known landmarks marked on a map (if indeed, you're using a map), with the added benefit that this will work whether on foot, horseback or watercraft. ...TS...

Yeah, and I've also noticed that the older I get, the worse my wife's hearing gets. Went to the doc yesterday and he gave me great news - told me to get a hot mama and be cheerful, but my wife claims he said, "You've got a heart murmur, be careful!" ...Sure wish she'd get her hearing checked!

Naw, I wasn't bent until I got up this morning. Wow, slow reader, huh? (Sorry, couldn't resist!) I'd offer to make up for it by letting you have two minutes of my life, but after this, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want it.

Bottom line, you never know how you're going to react in a given situation until that situation actually transpires. Training helps, but only to an extent. It's nice to think, and it sounds really macho to say, "The first thing the perp will hear is the slide racking back as I jack a round into the chamber - and the last thing they'll hear is my gun going off!" but indeed, the reality may very well be that the first thing they'll hear is you sh!tting yourself or tripping over a piece of furniture that panic/nerves suddenly caused you to forget was there, even though you've been stepping around it successfully for years. Shout a warning? Hell no! My knees'll be knocking and my heart hammering so loudly that the bad guy(s) will probably hear me long before my vocal chords loosen up enough to whisper, let alone shout! You know, we can come on these public forums or sit in a coffee shop or around a campfire and posture and postulate about what bad@sses we are until the cows come home. And we all like to think we'll have no problem protecting our homes and families - and that's a good thing - it helps bolster our fragile egos and adds to our peace of mind. But again, the bottom line is that until one actually finds themselves in a given situation, they really have no idea how they're going to react or what course of action they will take. And to claim otherwise is, quite simply, unmitigated macho bullcrap, because you're gonna' do same thing that I'll do and the only difference is that I'm honest enough to admit that I'll probably step in mine! And if it somehow makes me less of a man to admit that, then fine - I'm not much of a man - but you know what? At the end of the day, I can still look in a mirror... And the reflection looking back is an honest one.

Indeed, very well put!

We Must Stop This Immediately! Have you noticed that stairs are getting steeper . Groceries are heavier . And, everything is farther away. Yesterday I walked to the corner and I was dumbfounded to discover how long our street has become! This extension work was apparently done at night !! Very sneaky stuff.. And, you know, people are less considerate now, especially the youngsters. They speak in whispers all the time! If you ask them to speak up they just keep repeating themselves, endlessly mouthing the same silent message until they're red in the face! What do they think I am, a l ip reader? I also think they are much younger than I was at the same age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old friend the other day, and he has aged so much that he didn't even recognize me. I got to thinking about the poor guy while I was combing my hair this morning, and in doing so, I glanced at my own reflection ........Well, REALLY NOW- even mirrors are not made the way they used to be! Another thing, everyone drives so fast these days! You're risking life and limb if you happen to pull onto the freeway in front of them.. All I can say is, their brakes must wear out awfully fast, the way I see them screech and swerve in my rear view mirror. Clothing manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would they suddenly start labeling a size 32 pair of pants a 42, or medium shirt as 'extra large? Do they think no one notices that these things no longer fit around the waist, hips, thighs, and neck? The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank, but in reverse. Do they think I actually "believe" the number I see on that dial? Heck ! I would never let myself weigh that much! Just who do these people think they're fooling? I'd like to call up someone in authority to report what's going on -- but the telephone company is in on the conspiracy too: they've printed the phone books in such small type that no one could ever find a number in there! All I can do is pass along this warning: We are under attack! Unless something drastic happens, pretty soon everyone will have to suffer these awful indignities. PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO WE CAN GET THIS CONSPIRACY STOPPED! PS: I am posting this to you in a larger font size, because something has caused my computer's regular fonts to be smaller than they once were. (They must be sneaking to my house and messing around with my computer. Probably CIA....!!!) Pretty scary stuff huh?

If this guy isn't an idiot, he damn sure does a world class impression of one... Sheesh!

I also have a Tennessee State Atlas and Gazetteer. But the compass I carry is based upon a design popular in the early 1800's. As a truck driver I perhaps have a bit of an advantage over the average person in having a rather intimate knowledge of the topography and lay of roadways over quite a large large section of the country. Rather than pick up an Atlas and Gazetteer for each state, if I were to leave Tennessee for whatever reason after shtf, I'd rely heavily upon that knowledge.

At times in the past I've eaten so much pemmican that I can't even stand to hear the word. I'll probably make up another batch sometime in the next couple of years, but the gastronomic statute of limitations has yet to expire for the last 40 pound batch I made.

When it comes to the sanctity of my home and the safety and security of my family, I'll take whatever course of action seems appropriate at the time, but I'm not going to go into specifics, i.,e., on a PUBLIC forum.Besides - and I'm sure that I'll go down in flames for this (like I care) - it's been my experience that those who talk the toughest usually aren't. And PLEASE do not invite me to break into your home and find out for myself because that's just asinine and only shows more of the braggadocio typically exhibited by those who talk a good game, but seldom play one. IF this particular situation ever arises I may talk about it a little afterwards (though I rather doubt it), but please don't expect me to exhibit my bad@ssery by bragging about how bad I'm gonna' whoop @ss or what I'm going to do to a potential perpetrator beforehand. Rather, suffice it to say, once again, that I'll take whatever course of action seems appropriate at the time.

Actually, I've researched this and the short answer is: Nope - and the women didn't chew the hides during the tanning process to make them soft, either. There is a leavening agent that can be made using certain types of ashes, but the chemistry involved is considerably beyond the average indigenous stone age American Indian. That said, there are naturally occurring yeasts that were "gathered" for the purpose of leavening. A little library reading - or maybe even some Google magic - can get more into detail than I have time for tonight.

Yeah, the "Ship's biscuit" or "Sea biscuit" is generally much thicker and of a slightly different recipe than the average saltine. As to hardtack, the great thing about it is that you can add anything you want if you're making your own. I generally keep with the traditional recipe, although I'll often use self rising flour instead of regular just because my teeth aren't what they used to be and the self rising flour makes it easier to break into manageable chunks. 'Course you can always soak it in coffee or tea to soften it up, but I hate like hell to ruin a good cup of coffee.

I'll be floating the Nolichuckey after smallies on the 9th. It's going to be a combination fishing trip and memorial for a recently departed friend and fisherman and his best friend and I will double teaming the smallmouth in John's honor - with the aid of some beautiful, hand tied smallmouth jigs recently gifted to me (us) by our own WD-40.

Boy,oh boy - You self-proclaimed bad-@sses scare hell outta' me... and not because I'm a criminal!

What's the home time like and what do you pull (flatbed, dry van or reefer)?