Category Archives: Love My Life

Love My Life

Wild Bunch World Championship

Posted on by kathousekelli70

What an exceptional weekend of weather and shooting for the 2017 Wild Bunch World Championships.

Plenty of action and plenty of rounds down range. It certainly was a challenging match but the stages were fun.

This match definitely called for precision and by the time I got to day 3 I had worked out a better grip, better arm control and keeping my head aligned. What more could a cowgirl want! Just happened at the wrong end of the match! Haaa Haa Haa

Neither Jack or I had particularly stunning matches in the good sense but we weren't the only ones.

 

We had a great Posse with Jim Milker, Texas Tiger, Back Forty, Shell Stuffer, Lawless Lil, Molly Magoo, Rum Walker, Capitan Regulator, Trigger Happy Ted, Beaver John, Billy The Avenger, Wild Horse John, Squibber, Macon A Longshot, Grizzly Peak Jake, Duke City Deadeye, Calhoun Kid, Blaze Kinkaid, Jackaroo and myself.

We also had the 285 Scout troop picking up brass and painting targets for us.

This year we didn't do any side events but from what I heard there was a lot of fun and some great wins!

Costume contest was carried out with EZ GZ taking 1st Place, Dixie Bell 2nd Place and Kathouse Kelli 3rd. Men's was Captain George Baylor in 1st Place and Wild Horse John 2nd.

 

The Wild Bunch awards were held separate this year to the cowboy match. Santa Fe Brewing Company supplied the kegs to the bar, Pizza Barn provided pizza for the dinner (awesome pizza by the way and frequented often by many a cowboy shooter!) and so began the handing out of awards.

Congratulations to all shooters who placed in their category!

Wild Bunch Modern – Last Chance Morales

Wild Bunch Senior Modern – Evil Roy

Wild Bunch Lady Modern – Idaho Six Gun Sam

Wild Bunch Senior Lady Modern – Secondfiddle Sue

Wild Bunch Traditional – Capitan Regulator

Wild Bunch Senior Traditional – Marshal Stone

Wild Bunch Lady Traditional – Lady Jane

Wild Bunch Senior Lady Traditional – Lawless Lil

 

Congratulations to my fellow Lady Traditional shooters 1st Place Lady Jane, 2nd Place Lacey Doyly and myself in 3rd.

Phew! What a match!

Kat xo

 

Now, Where Were We?

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Oh yeah, so last Thursday we were heading here to Albuquerque, breakfast on the way, making a quick stop in Weatherford at the Thomas P. Stafford Air and Space Museum….as you do.

We have driven past it a number of times and it's the usual, 'we should stop and have a look at that place one day'. So this day we finally did!

 

In we trotted. To give some small background General Thomas P. Stafford is a well respected Oklahoman, and indeed throughout the nation, a man who was an author, fighter pilot, astronaut and test pilot. He commanded Apollo missions.

 

Inside the museum there are a number of planes from the Wright brothers days to the Lindbergh non stop Atlantic flight in the Spirit of St Louis, WWI fighters, experimental aircraft and modern day marvels.

 

Then there is a whole section on space exploration including the Russian joint missions during the space race. There are replicas of satellite launchers from around the world and unique information boards to imagine how much 'John Deere' horsepower it would take to fire up just one F-1 engine.

Go on, you're dying to know right? Try 56,000 John Deere 9620R tractors equivalent! The Saturn V rocket used 5 engines so that's enough tractors to reach from Weatherford, OK to San Francisco, CA or 283,800 tractors end to end.

 

Anyway, from the information we read in the museum Stafford was a very influential man both in flight and space, not only flying during service, commanding missions in space but teaching others to do the same and his expertise in these fields earned him the highest honours and Congressional Space Medal of Honor.

 

All in all, this was a neat little museum and is worth a visit, takes about an hour.

 

Now it's been a wild weekend but I'll get to that tomorrow after the Wild Bunch dinner and awards are done.

Kat xo

P.S. Well it's today now as the bugs were finding the light of the iPad in the darkness last night. Wild Bunch Awards and dinner tonight. Will do Wild Bunch blog tonight! 🙂

 

Oklahoma State Wild Bunch

Posted on by kathousekelli70

I guess I should start with a recap from last weekend before I get into the new stuff!

This past weekend the Territorial Marshal's hosted the SASS Oklahoma State – Red Dirt Wild Bunch.

 

We had 36 shooters from far afield as Canada, Florida, Texas and a couple Aussie Okies for good measure.

 

As usual the Territorial Marshal's – Hondo Tweed and friends put on a great Wild Bunch match, dinners, side matches etc. Stages were well written, degree of difficulty was standard but everything was well executed.

AAAannndd despite a few hiccups along the way (ahem for me, including not loading ALL mags required) everyone seemed to have a great time despite the heat.

Five stages Saturday, the other 5 on Sunday.

Jack and I both placed in our categories and Jack had a great finish overall in 12th place. With both of us taking our categories as State Champions. Oh yes, and Jack won a gun.

 

Thank you to all of Hondo and his crew for putting everything together, for John Elder and his outstanding meals and service.

 

We had our Texas friends Goatneck Clem and Captain Sam Evans stay with us which was a great catch up.

Congratulations also to Captain Sam Evans and Missouri Mae for taking top honours men's and ladie's overall!

Kat xo

 

End Of Trail 2017

Posted on by kathousekelli70

It is June and that means one thing. The World Championships of Cowboy Action Shooting, End of Trail, is on this next week!

 

Well actually we head out today for Moriarty, New Mexico. The van is loaded to the hilt! It will be a full day's drive with the occasional stop on the way.

Tomorrow we will head out to Founders Ranch to pick up our packs and check in. Dropping gear off to other Aussie's and catching up with a few friends.

Saturday will be the start of the Wild Bunch 3 day championship so will be back in touch then!

Travel safely those who are heading that way as well, all 600 of you!

Kat xo

 

Smokin’ Guns At Rabbit Ridge Part 2

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Okay, so after the exceptional opening ceremony yesterday, we shot 5 stages, got a little more suntan, had a blast with our posse and finished on a high note!

Friday I think as previously mentioned, was Wild Bunch, side matches, and a chilli dinner with joke night. THAT brought out some of the best and worst from all ages (might I add).

Saturday after the exceptional opening ceremony (see Smokin' Guns At Rabbit Ridge Part 1) we went through 5 stages of the main match which was pretty good and then we had a range dinner of catfish, shrimp and hush puppies with coleslaw and fries – of course a cupcake, and chicken tenders for Jack and others that didn't want catfish!

We had the band play last night but we retired reasonably early.

Throughout the night the thunder and lightning kept some of us awake and when it was time to see in the new day this morning it was still raining at a reasonable rate. Yuck!

Breakfast was had and by the time we left for the range it was very very light.

When we were ready to start shooting, all rain had ceased and we were blessed with spectacular cloudy, or cloudless weather for the rest of the day. It was particularly water logged and muddy – to say the very least!!!

 

Our group of shooters, Posse 1, (which included Annie Hicock, Fast Fingers Green, Billy Broncstomper, Belle Vaquera, Jackaroo and myself, C.S. Brady, Trail Agent, Slick McClade, Harpe, Jackalope Jeb, Red Jack Morgan, Okie Buck, Outlaw Bill Wilson, The Arizona Ranger and Three Sheets) finished in spectacular style, sliding into the very muddy Train Depot stage.

 

The clean match winners were announced and given a guncart hand towel. A neat idea and something different.

The veterans from each division (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard) were presented with a special challenge coin. I didn't know they had an area on the entry forms to state service, Jack had put his service down too and was pleasantly surprised to be included in this honour.

I present to you the 'Veterans Posse'. Everyone gave a standing ovation to these men and women. We thank you for your service.

 

Category awards were handed out with Jack and I both winning ours. Congratulations to the Lady Wranglers; Dew R Dye 2nd and Belle Vaquera 3rd! To the Silver Seniors; Three Sheets 2nd, 3rd and 4th!

 

We worked out 12 of the 16 in our posse placed!

The Mississippi State overall champions were Blackfish Kid for the Men's and Lady Gator for the Ladies.

The overall match champions were Slick McClade and Slick's Sharpshooter (not related, she belongs to a different 'Slick' family! 🙂 )

 

Well done to the Mississippi River Rangers for a fabulous and memorable weekend.

Kat xo

 

Smokin’ Guns At Rabbit Ridge Part1

Posted on by kathousekelli70

……I'm an American soldier, an American, besides my brothers and my sisters, I will proudly take a stand, when liberty's in jeopardy, I will always do what's right, I'm out here on the front line, so you can sleep in peace tonight….. (yes, sing along, Toby Keith's American Soldier) well, what a heart rendering opening ceremony as Smokin' Guns at Rabbit Ridge is known for. The presentation of the Color Guard is the highlight to this match which usually falls on Memorial Day weekend. Thank you to all those who have served and are serving, be it here or across the world.

Sweetwater Sage riding Quervo trotted down the range with the Christian flag and Tumbleweed riding Sunny with the American flag ready to hand to Col. Benjamin Grierson and Sgt. Hampton for raising. This is all whilst they have Toby Keith's, American Soldier playing in the background. Man, just brings tears to your eyes. Just truly sensational! Go to Facebook to see the video.

 

After the Color Guard, National Anthem and Pledge of Allegiance, was a very moving tribute to Easy Lee who passed away just a short time ago. Fellow cowboy's from the Mississippi Rangers led a procession with the painted pony bearing a set of cowboy boots back to front in the stirrups, his rig, pistols and hat astride the saddle. May he rest in peace.

 

With the fire of multi shotgun blast, the ceremony was complete and after having the usual group photo beside the paddle steamer facade everyone departed to their assigned Posse and we are ready to throw some lead down range!

 

Five spectacular stages completed under light cloud cover with intense humidity….,yeah that's probably a good way to describe it, although I think the humidity hit its peak earlier this evening when the sun came out and we were all hanging around waiting for dinner and the band.

A visit with vendors, chatting with folks, drinking beer. Yep, sounds like a whole lot of fun!! When the band, Drivin' Sideways, got on to play with our resident star guitar player Fast Fingers Green from Oklahoma, we were rockin' out to the good Ol' tunes. (He played with the likes of Jerry Lee Lewis and Conway Twitter when teenagers! Just imagine! I was so born in the wrong era, love this music!)

 

We called it a night, been a long day, got another long one tomorrow (yes it was only 7.45pm when we left the range 🙂 ) and just too sticky to stay out longer.

 

Night y'all!

Kat xo

 

Mississippi Bound

Posted on by kathousekelli70

We head out today for a trip to Byhalia, Mississippi. Home to the Mississippi Rangers and the 20th Anniversary of Smokin' Guns at Rabbit Ridge.

Will be a good catch up with lots of friends on a beautiful green grassy range, great facades and a well put together match.

Yee Haa!

Kat xo

 

Surprise! Go to their website and there is us from the last time!

www.mississippiriverrangers.com

 

The Week That Was

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Not much exciting this week at all really but still a full week.

Last weekend we had cowboy on Saturday and Wild Bunch on Sunday wih the Territorial Marshal's. Pretty good run on stages and getting the 1911's working ready for State and End Of Trail.

A lot of cutting out, ready to get Pearl's outfits done, corsets a plenty, have even managed to throw a few pieces my way. Looking forward to later doing some little dresses for three tiny cowgirls.

Practice this week was good, throwing lead down range is always a good day anyway!!

Weather has been exceptional with the occasional tornado watch thrown in but hey! That's what you get when in Oklahoma! 🙂

Yesterday we hit a few shops, lazed in front of the tv and watched a movie with coffee and danishes. No work, no phones…..I'm sure each of us dozed off at least once.

Then to top it off it, went to the Dr's for Jack to get the stitches out of his thumb and head to Louie's (same car park, like we hadn't planned that!) for cheap beers and burgers!

Got to talk to a few kidlets and the grandbaby boys! FaceTime and Skype are awesome!

Now it's time to get up and get moving, enough of this laying around, bacon and eggs are calling and I can hear the geese on the pond!

 

Have a good one!

Kat xo

 

Convicts and Crimes

Posted on by kathousekelli70

Well we all know that Australia was colonised by convicts in the late 1700's for some (my ancestors included) for as little as stealing a loaf of bread!

So getting on with it, we were introduced to a wine called 19 Crimes in Oklahoma of all places. A South Australian wine that I hate to admit, have never experienced in my native country of Australia!

Yes you heard it right. I have never seen this in Aus, although I will look for it when I go back because it's bloody nice! Our bottle-o (aka liquor store) up the road has 3 versions in stock. Red Blend, Cab Sav, The Warden Reserve. Thanks to San Jacinto Joe, Jack and I regularly partake in a tipple of 19 Crimes now.

THEN I get to the hairdressers this week and Jenny says “have you tried 19 Crimes?” and we have a whole discussion about this wine.

So wanting to confirm and find out more about the corks and the crimes listed I hopped over to google this arvo and checked out their site. Go have a look for yourself, even tells you about the convicts pictures featured on the bottles.

The corks have a number and the corresponding crime on it. For example #14. Counterfeiting the copper coin or #1. Grand larceny, theft above the value of one shilling.

Pretty neat! So I've been helping San Jacinto Joe finish collecting his 19 and Jack and I have started collecting ours.


Then I opened the reserve tonight to find #2. Hyde Park Barracks. Now I know this is in Sydney so this gets me to thinking that the Warden Reserve must feature the prisons that the convicts were sent to!?

Anyway, delish wine! Loving it! Check it out!

Kat xo