Orr What?

Weekend activities

2010-07-18T21:21:00.002-04:00

Pike's Peak from Northwest.

Burned area from 2002 forest fire.

Couple of nice rainbows.

Copa Mundial

2010-06-25T22:23:00.003-04:00

I won't bore you with my analysis of World Cup 2010 except to say GO USA!!

I love soccer for a lot of reasons but while kicking the ball around with Mason the other day I realized that soccer is really awesome because you can eat while playing it.

Life has come full circle

2010-04-17T17:25:00.004-04:00

At around age 14 or 15 I remember spending a good half day thinking about how to use all the tools in the garage to make a knife. I spent the second half of the day doing something else and life went on. Nearly two decades later I have learned to appreciate a nice knife and finally got around to making one of my own. I can cross it off my bucket list.

For my first knife I was swinging for the fences but I think I pulled it off. I'm really happy with how it turned out. Now that I know I can pull off the big one I've got some smaller ones ready to go.

3/16" 1095 carbon steel
~17" overall length
heat treated to 57 RC
White denim Mycarta w/ red liners
Brass pins and lanyard tube.
Hand finished blade and handle to 400 grit.

Since I'm hours from good fishing......

2010-03-11T19:28:00.002-05:00

I'm still trying to make knives.

My humble shop. Yeah, it's a mess. I started cleaning it out and didn't finish.

My knives. The top two are back from heat treat. The top one is 3/16" 1095 carbon steel @ 57 RC and the second is 1/8" 1095 @ 60 RC. I cleaned them up a little and put a quick edge on them to see how they cut/chop. I'm pretty happy with them. I need to get them handled.

The bottom four are new ones I ground while waiting for the first two to come back. They are all around 4" blades from 1/8" O1 carbon steel. The third one down is a Kephart style blade, the fourth just a nice drop point, the fifth a spear point and the last I made to be more of a skinner. I need to do a little more sanding and the O1 blades will be ready for heat treat also.

At this point I plan on making the handles with homemade ivory denim or linen micarta with red liners and either brass or nickel silver pins and lanyard tubes. I made these slabs for the big chopper out a pair of white denim jeans I got at a thrift store. I'm making some more for the other knives out of my old church shirts.

SHOT Show

2010-01-26T12:07:00.004-05:00

I fulfilled the birthday wish I've had for the last five years or so. I got to attend SHOT Show; the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Tradeshow in Las Vegas. It's the biggest tradeshow of the year for anything dealing with cool outdoor stuff. In my case it's ground zero for Big D's Trifecta: guns, knives and flashlights. It was awesome. I was in shock and awe. I carried my camera around for 5 hours and had so much fun handling all the new products that I didn't take a single picture. Not one.

Coolest souvenir of the day? GLOCK playing cards!

Best Meal? In-n-Out!

Best Knife of the day? RAT Junglas Machete!

Best gun of the day? Rifle Dynamics MAC-11 SBR w/ Bulgarian side folder or Arsenal Krink.....but how do you pick from so many? LWRC REPR....or M6A2...and on and on...

Best Flashlight of the day? Surefire UB3T or M3LT. INSANE.

I'm also tryind my hand at knifemaking. I've got a couple ready to send out for heat treat.

I'm going to try handling them with homemade denim micarta.

Holiday Pondering

2009-12-21T16:22:00.005-05:00

God created the Earth and on the 7th day he rested, but on the 8th day He made guacamole: and it was so, and He saw that it was good.

The 9th day was flyfishing. Just sayin'.

There's a first time for everything

2009-12-08T19:12:00.003-05:00

I channeled my inner Chevy Chase.

Incidentally, we started a new family tradition called "Christmas Hammer". Can you find it?

The Swedes aren't so bad after all.

2009-12-01T00:33:00.003-05:00

Who knew?

And all this time I just thought they made good fish.

Adventure Flyfishing

2009-09-20T14:19:00.006-04:00

I love flyfishing and I really love flyfishing in solitude. Places I love to fish tend to involve long or strenuous hikes in order to get away from people. I've been to a few of these places lately and was blessed for the effort. First is my flyfishing eden, revealed to me by a trusted friend and revealed by me to only one other person so far. That is all I can say. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The hike down.

Fishing along the clifff walls.

Pretty Cutthroat.

Another nice cutthroat.

Yet another.

The catch of the day. Beautiful fish. Congrats Nate.

Happy Fisherman.

I've been in Colorado at my new job now for a few weeks nursing a broken heart over leaving Montana. But when life gives you lemons you make lemonade for the hike into your new fishing spot. I had a few priorities for my first month here. I needed to find a place to fish. Finding a place to live could wait. My research paid off and the first spot I tried is pretty good. This river is full of monster Rainbows and Browns. Sorry about the poor quality cell phone pictures.

Thickest fish I've ever caught. Took 5 minutes to land it.

Same fish as above. Heavy.

Pretty bow.

Another fatty.

Preparedness

2009-08-09T14:33:00.002-04:00

I am preparing my Primary lesson.

I just programmed Adam-Ondi-Ahman in my GPS.

The address is

Adam and Holders of Keys through all Dispensations
c/o Adam-Ondi-Ahman
23500 Koala Road
Jameson, Missouri 64647

for anyone who is interested.

Sacajawea Peak - Lots of Pictures

2009-08-02T11:59:00.010-04:00

Now that we're leaving Bozeman I'm trying to do the last few things I've wanted to do but haven't had a chance. I wanted to hike Sacajawea, the tallest peak in the Bridger Range. I can check it off my list now. I took a lot of pictures.

Here's the view of the West side of the Bridgers from my driveway looking roughly North. Black arrow is Hardscrabble peak. Green is the saddle you hike up. Red is Sacajawea. Blue is Naya Nuki.

This is the view of the East side of the Bridgers from the the road you drive in on. Naya Nuki on left. Sac in the middle. Hardscrabble on the right.

View from the bottom of the cirque looking (West) up to the saddle. Yep, still a little snow.

Another view of the saddle.

This is the north ridgeline/face of Sacajawea. The peak isn't visible here yet.

View looking back down the cirque (East). My camera couldn't handle the bright morning sun so the picture is kind of dark.

Looking South toward Bozeman from the saddle.

Looking North toward Hardscrabble from the saddle. I originally planned to hike Hardscrabble also while I was there and then come down past Frazier Lake on the North side but I didn't have the time. Download Google Earth and check out Fairy Lake and Frazier Lake at the base of these peaks. Very cool. I also was looking forward to seeing the Mountain goats that hang out up here. I didn't see any on Sacajawea and I didn't spot any looking over to Hardscrabble. In looking at the pictures when I got back I think I might have caught a couple in this picture. Probably my imagination and wishful thinking. Can you see them? Click to enlarge the picture.

Looking North past Hardscrabble from the ridgeline to the peak of Sacajawea. Frazier Lake is in the cirque below the green ridgeline.

Looking rougly North again toward Hardscrabble from Sac ridgeline. I think I got a goat over on Hardscrabble in this picture also. For a size reference look at the trail going down the saddle. If you look close there are two people with two dogs halfway up.

Sacajawea Peak looking South to Bozeman. The wind was raging up there. Pretty cold too. I signed the logbook and took some pictures and video. I spent a few minutes out of the wind on the warm rocks and headed back down.

Sacajawea Peak looking Southeast to Naya Nuki.

Sacajawea Peak looking East.

Headed back down to saddle. Taken to prove I was really there. No pictures from Google.

2009-07-11T14:03:00.002-04:00

While I have no love for "P-Diddy" or Mr. Kutcher it appears we do share a common trait. From this point on let no one attempt to make fun of my geeky flashlight hobby without considering who they are indicting along with me. It may still be geeky but it is no longer uncool.

Mr. Kutcher is a little behind the times with the Surefire E2d Defender. I would recommend he upgrade to the E2dl. Mr. Diddy is a little more current with the Novatac 120 in Desert Tan. He still loses though cause I'm rollin' the original HDS Systems EDC Basic 42 XRGT. Who's the OG now, Diddy?

Fun

2009-07-05T13:16:00.004-04:00

Bead Head Hare's Ear Nymph: 89 Cents
Benchmade Griptilian: $65
Anesthetic: $2
Scalpel: $5
3.5x Loupes: $900
High Speed drill: $600

Spending a very successful evening fly fishing on the Gallatin River: Priceless.

Saturday's Hike

2009-06-15T13:02:00.003-04:00

View from the top.

View looking down.

The RATs!

More of our splendor.

2009-06-06T18:53:00.000-04:00

Life is tough....

2009-06-03T23:48:00.006-04:00

but not too tough. Montana's not that far away so why don't some of you come up here and bask in our splendor.... and catch some of our fish. Ahem.....nate, brock, justin, (edited to add: Kevin too, I know you're looking) you all know who you are.

Camden cheesin' it and Eli eating Cheese Its.

Buyer's remorse yet?

2009-03-31T13:51:00.002-04:00

I think our dear leader is smoking too much Hopium.

2009-03-29T12:39:00.004-04:00

Mason and I decided to go for a little hike up the canyon and do something manly like build a fire using fatwood and a firesteel. We've had a few little snow storms lately so we didn't get too far off the beaten path but we had a good time anyway.

Mason asked if I had the camera so he could take a picture of his knife. Don't know where he gets that from.

We're people too

2009-03-15T12:09:00.002-04:00

D's Pics

2009-02-22T10:44:00.004-05:00

I was collecting pictures to re-enter the photo contest when I became eligible again but the contest has been discontinued so I can open my vault and make them public. Here's some of my favorites.

2009-02-02T17:21:00.003-05:00

Rose: Ok. You didn't maintain a hundred beats per minute. And the ambulance didn't arrive because no body called 911. So you lost 'em.

Dwight Schrute: Ok. He's dead. Anyone know what we do next? Anybody? Rose?

Rose: I have no idea.

Phyllis: We bury him.

Dwight Schrute: Wrong. Check for an organ donor card. If he has one we only have minutes to harvest.

Creed: He has no wallet, I checked.

Michael Scott: He is an organ donor.

Dwight Schrute: [excitedly] He is? Give me some ice in a Styrofoam bucket. [removes a hunting knife from his ankle and cuts open the dummy] We search for the organs! [digging around inside] Where's the heart? The precious heart.

(after Dwight proceeds to remove the dummy's face and immitate Hannibal Lecter...)

David Wallace: Can you tell me why you had to cut the face off the dummy.

Dwight Schrute: I didn't think it was very realistic in the movie, and it turns out, it's pretty realistic.

Best Office scene ever.

Fun with snow

2008-12-24T22:16:00.003-05:00

So Mason and I (mostly) have been having fun with our snow accumulations much to the entertainment of certain other people like my wife. Not only are snow caves fun to build but they can serve a lifesaving purpose as a shelter from the cold and wind. Ideally they should be not much larger than you are to hold in your body heat. I'm not in the business of merely surviving. Why survive when you can thrive? I have put the finishing touches on today's work at least by leveling floors, smoothing archways and removing excess snow from entry and exit points. It looks like the hardwood floors will be installed after Christmas. I still need to put in the fireplace. It will be comfortable enough for now but I have several expansions planned. The next wing will include some extra space for the kids to have a play area and maybe a study. On to the pictures.

This is the view from the mudroom looking through the den and into the arched foyer. I think the arches have a bold yet elegant look. On the right you can just begin to see the master suite and the kids' room.

Here we can see the den and the back door all the way at the other side of the mudroom.

Here's a better shot of the foyer.
A close up of the foyer archway and the entrances to the living quarters.
Back door.
Front door.

Hopey Changemas!!

2008-12-20T11:36:00.003-05:00

In a race to see who can hyper-inflate our currency the quickest and turn America into the new Zimbabwe we had a beautiful (it's bringing tears to my eyes) bipartisan effort in congress to give away hundreds of billions of dollars to those poor banks. Now we're giving a slice of the pie (euphemism for billions of dollars) to the antiquated and uncompetitive car makers. These recipients are the ones who still haven't figured out that Americans don't like cars that look like jelly beans and.......break. Add to that the Trillion dollar proposed "stimulus package" that our American Mugabe has proposed and we're well on our way to our own banana republic. No, I'm not referring to the clothing store.

For a meandering and maddening narrative of what's happening in America check out this column by Mark Steyn. He hits on a lot of material and yet he doesn't even get to the guy who made up the "Office" of President Elect, Barack Obama. Maybe next week.

Oh yeah, Cantaffordya....HA! That's as good as San Franfreakshow or Killadelphia (insert shout-out to all my peeps in Filthydelphia here).

By MARK STEYN

Syndicated columnist

Comments 7 | Recommend 8

"See the USA in your Chevrolet!" trilled Dinah Shore week after week on TV.

Can you still see the USA in your Chevrolet? Through a windscreen darkly.

General Motors now has a market valuation about a third of Bed, Bath & Beyond, and no one says your Swash 700 Elongated Biscuit Toilet Seat Bidet is too big to fail. GM has a market capitalization of about $2.4 billion. For purposes of comparison, Toyota's market cap is $100 billion and change (the change being bigger than the whole of GM). General Motors, like the other two geezers of the Old Three, is a vast retirement home with a small money-losing auto subsidiary. The UAW is AARP in an Edsel: It has three times as many retirees and widows as "workers" (I use the term loosely). GM has 96,000 employees but provides health benefits to a million people.

How do you make that math add up? Not by selling cars: Honda and Nissan make a pretax operating profit per vehicle of around $1,600; Ford, Chrysler and GM make a loss of $500 to $1,500. That's to say, they lose money on every vehicle they sell. Like Henry Ford said, you can get it in any color as long as it's red.

In the 20th century, most advanced nations made automobiles but only America made them mythic: "Drive the USA in your Chevrolet!" sang Dinah. "America's the greatest land of all!" America had road movies. With car chases. Thelma and Louise drove their vehicle off the cliff and, unlike the Old Three, they didn't demand American taxpayers come along for the ride. But, if you didn't want to hit the open road, you could just hang around, being cool. In Chuck Berry's immortal quatrain:

"Riding along in my automobile

My baby beside me at the wheel

Cruising and playing the radio

With No Particular Place To Go."

Not if you were a European teen. Cruising was an American activity. A Saturday night out for a Brit meant hanging around at a rain-streaked bus shelter hoping the night service would show up. Even if you had a particular place to go, you had no means of getting there.

So many areas of endeavor that once embodied the youth and energy of this great land are now old and sclerotic. I include, naturally, my own industry. I loved the American newsrooms you saw in movies like "The Front Page," full of hard-boiled, hard-livin' newspapermen. By the time I got there myself, there were no hard-boiled newspapermen, just bland, anemic newspaperpersons turning out politically correct snooze sheets of torpid portentousness. The owner of The Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune recently filed for bankruptcy protection. The New York Times is mortgaging its office to fund debt repayment. The Detroit Free Press is cutting out home delivery except on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, thereby further depressing sales of delivery trucks in the Motor City.

The newspapers blame the Internet, just as Detroit blames Japan. But the Japanese have problems of their own. One day they'll get theirs. That's the beauty of capitalism. Nothing is forever. The big railroad barons smoking cigars and enjoying pheasant under glass in the dining car on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe thought Henry Ford was a schmuck. Who'd want to ride around in that thing? Next thing you know, everyone's getting their kicks on Route 66:

"You'll see Amarillo

Gallup, New Mexico

Flagstaff, Arizona

Don't forget Winona

Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino."

Ah, California. The Golden State! To a penniless immigrant named Arnold Schwarzenegger, it was a land of plenty. Now Arnold is an immigrant of plenty in a penniless land. What's the motto on the license plates? "Ah'll be back …for more of your money!" In California you don't have to be an orange to have your pips squeezed. The Terminator makes Gray Davis look like Calvin Coolidge. Care to terminate a government program, Governor? Hey, great idea! We'll hire 200 people to do an impact study on terminating the Department of Impact Study Regulation and get back to you in a decade. And when Gov. Girlyman has run out of state taxpayers to fleece for his ever-more-bloated bureaucracy, he'll go to Washington to plead for a federal bailout of Cantaffordya.

California! The state that symbolizes the American Dream! If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere!

No, wait, that's New York. "This is the worst fiscal downturn since the Great Depression," announced New York Gov. Paterson. So what's he doing? Why, he's bringing in the biggest tax hike in New York history. If you can make it there, you'll be paying state tax on it, sales tax, municipal tax, a doubled beer tax, a tax on clothing, a tax on cab rides, an "iTunes tax" on downloads from the Internet, a tax on haircuts, 137 new tax hikes in all. Call Albany today and order your new package of tax forms, for just $199.99, plus 12 percent tax on tax forms and 4 percent tax-form application fee partially refundable upon payment of the 7.5 percent tax-filing tax. If you can make it there, you'll certainly have no difficulty making it in Tajikistan.

Hey, and who needs to make it therewhen you can just get appointed there? Gov. Paterson is said to be considering appointing Princess Caroline of Kennedy to Hillary Clinton's vacant Senate seat. After two and a third centuries of republican experiment, America has finally worked its way back to the House of Lords.

"Friends Say Kennedy Has Long Wanted Public Role," Anne Kornblut assured readers in an in-depth Washington Post tongue-bath. She hasn't "long wanted" it to the extent of, you know, running for dog catcher in Lackawanna and getting – what's the word? – "elected," but, if you have a spare Senate seat, she's graciously indicated that she'd be prepared to consider accepting it. As lady-in-waiting Anne Kornblut pointed out, Caroline is highly qualified, being "the author of several books." It's true! She's an experienced poetry editor. She edited "The Best-Loved Poems Of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis." Jackie Kennedy wrote poems? Of course! She wrote so many poems that some are better loved than others.

See the USA from your Chevrolet: An hereditary legislature, a media fawning its way into bankruptcy, its iconic coastal states driving out innovators and entrepreneurs, the arrival of the new Messiah heralded only by the leaden dirge of "We Three Kings Of Ol' Detroit Are/Seeking checks we traverse afar," and Route 66 looking ever more like a one-way dead-end street to Bailoutistan. Boy, I sure could use a poem by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis right now, even one of the lesser-loved ones.

"I feel like I lost my country," the Hudson Institute's Herbert London said the other day, wondering whatever happened to the land of opportunity and dynamism. But I'm more of an optimist. Maybe Princess Caroline will be appointed CEO of GM and all will be well. Or maybe Bed, Bath & Beyond will put wheels on the Swash 700 Elongated Biscuit Toilet Seat Bidet.

And on that cheery note let me wish you a very Hopey Changemas.

©MARK STEYN

52% of Americans are Ignorant and/or Stupid.

2008-11-09T13:54:00.002-05:00

If my title offends you then I guess you are one of the people who should be offended. As poor a candidate as John McCain was he was the better choice. At least Sarah Palin had some true conservative ideals but she was totally demonized by the left and their propagandists in the media. It's actually quite interesting to see feminists eat one of their own because she doesn't fit their mold. The two supposed champions of women's rights, Liberalism and it's cousin Feminism, have proven themselves to be hypocritical and completely irrelevant by their treatment of her.

This article pretty much sums up my feelings of the election.

Barack fools us

Whole world will pay for America's electoral mistake

By MICHAEL COREN, TORONTO SUN
Last Updated: 8th November 2008, 3:41am

A young student friend e-mailed me on Tuesday night.

"Have locked myself in my room because the place is full of little idiots -- who cannot spell Barack Obama's name and could not name one of his foreign or domestic policies -- running around screaming obscenities about George Bush, conservatives and how Sarah Palin is a bitch. I love democracy!"

Even so, the people spoke. A victory for the hysterical Oprah Winfrey, the mad racist preacher Jeremiah Wright, the mainstream media who abandoned any sense of objectivity long ago, Europeans who despise America largely because they depend on her, comics who claim to be dangerous and fearless but would not dare attack genuinely powerful special interest groups. A victory for Obama-worshippers everywhere.

A victory for the cult of the cult. A man who has done little with his life but has written about his achievements as if he had found the cure for cancer in between winning a marathon and building a nuclear reactor with his teeth. Victory for style over substance, hyperbole over history, rabble-raising over reality.

A victory for Hollywood, the most dysfunctional community in the world. Victory for Streisand, Spielberg, Soros and Sarandon.

Victory for those who prefer welfare to will and interference to independence. For those who settle for group think and herd mentality rather than those who fight for individual initiative and the right to be out of step with meagre political fashion.

Victory for a man who is no friend of freedom. He and his people have already stated that media has to be controlled so as to be balanced, without realizing the extraordinary irony within that statement. Like most liberal zealots, the Obama worshippers constantly speak of Fox and Limbaugh, when the vast bulk of television stations and newspapers are drastically liberal and anti-conservative.

Senior Democrat Chuck Schumer said that just as pornography should be censored, so should talk radio. In other words, one of the few free and open means of popular expression may well be cornered and beaten by bullies who even in triumph cannot tolerate any criticism and opposition.

WEAK TOWARD ENEMIES
A victory for those who believe the state is better qualified to raise children than the family, for those who prefer teachers' unions to teaching and for those who are naively convinced that if the West is sufficiently weak towards its enemies, war and terror will dissolve as quickly as the tears on the face of a leftist celebrity.

A victory for social democracy even after most of Europe has come to the painful conclusion that social democracy leads to mediocrity, failure, unemployment, inflation, higher taxes and economic stagnation. A victory for intrusive lawyers, banal sentimentalists, social extremists and urban snobs.

Also a defeat for one of the weakest presidential candidates in living memory.
Why would anyone vote for a man who seemed incapable of outlining his policies and instead repeatedly emphasized a noble but, if we are candid, largely irrelevant war record?
He was joined by a woman who was defended so vehemently by her supporters when it was cuttingly evident that she is years away from being, and perhaps never will be, a serious candidate for senior national office.

Most of all it was a terrible defeat for democracy and the United States. A politician of nothing defeated a nothing politician and a credulous electorate screamed in adoration. I fear we will all suffer very much indeed.

Train up a child in the way he should fish: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

2008-09-29T13:41:00.006-04:00

When Mason turned 6 I took him on a quick fishing trip with his own little spinning rod. I ended up breaking out the fly rod since nothing was taking his spinner. I was fishing for a while and Mason started complaining that he wanted to go home. I really wanted him to reel in a fish so we stayed a while longer as he was eaten by all the mosquitoes. We did land one fish but ever since he's told me he really doesn't like fly fishing. I realized the other day that he didn't understand the difference between "fly fishing" and "fishing while flies(mosquitoes) bite you".

I took him out again Saturday evening. There were no mosquitoes and we caught some nice fish. We both had a great time. I'd hook 'em and walk to the bank and let him reel them in. We caught 4 Rainbows and a Brook Trout.

As we were walking back to the car Mason said "Dad, this is the best day of my whole life". Usually Mason's hyperbole is a little more cryptic. Something like "Dad, this is the best day I never had" is more typical.

On the ride home I was telling him that Brook Trout are my favorite fish to catch because they are so pretty with their spots and orange bellies. He said nonchalantly, "Yeah, my favorite is sharks".

I'm hoping I'll have a bona fide fishing partner soon.

2008-08-08T22:22:00.003-04:00

While unpacking all our stuff we came across a little gift from a good friend. They appeared no worse for wear after being in storage for a month and then traveling cross-country in an ABF trailer. Maybe somewhat dehydrated but nothing a little TLC couldn't fix. No odor. Well, maybe a little. Well behaved. Not even a peep out of them until we found them. I'm happy to say that Speds has a new home.

Here are some of the activites that Speds has learned to love in Bozeman.

Going swimming with the family at Bogart Pool.

Here a nice close up of Speds and my calves.

Watching Footloose on the Love Sac.

Speds is learning the art of fly fishing. Here they are on the Gallatin.

Speds LOVES tuna casserole.

We are pleased to have Speds as part of our family. I guess some blessing just come unlooked for.

West is Best

2008-08-02T13:55:00.003-04:00

The Spruce Moths have come to the Gallatin River canyon. I went out early this morning in attempt to satisfy the request of one of my faithful blog readers by getting a picture of some fish. This is Storm Castle Mtn. Elev. 7165 at sunrise with the Gallatin running below it. This is one of the many views I see three days a week during my commute. It beats the Schuylkill, no?

I've never fished a Spruce Moth "hatch" and it was awesome. Right on cue just before the sun hit the water the moths started falling out of the pines like snow. The fish went crazy. I caught a couple nice rainbows but only got a picture of this nice little Brown, ,my first Brown since moving back out here. I saw a few heavies gorging themselves just as the light hit the water but I couldn't entice them unfortunately. What a great morning.

The next Carlos Hathcock? (go ahead, google is your friend)

2008-08-01T18:11:00.004-04:00

I've been looking at BB guns on every trip we've taken to Wal-Mart in the past year. Since taking the family out for a meal costs the same as a BB gun I decided the kids would starve one meal and we'd have some backyard fun. I'm continuing Mason's firearm education from our back porch with a gun he can shoot a little easier than my .22. Incidentally, Amy thinks she's quite the sharpshooter which is odd since she gave me "the look" everytime I mentioned getting a gun for Mason to shoot.

This is our WT video according to Amy. Shootin' guns frum ar parch haf nekkid. Wer gonna git us sum 'coons next, thats fer darn tootin'.

2008-08-01T00:38:00.000-04:00

Coming soon:

Skills, like Napoleon but different.

2008-07-24T14:04:00.004-04:00

After moving to our new place I discovered that we have to share our porch with a neighbor. I took it upon myself to take care of it. My long dormant snaring and trapping abilities were awakened by the smell of pines and visions of mountains. The old figure four (google it, you'll see) worked like a charm and now I have a very scared neighbor who still shares my porch with me. We still see him from time to time. He's lucky it was only a cardboard box I had land on him.

Rob Wood wherever you are, I hope I've done you proud.

My Man Mason

2008-02-22T20:41:00.004-05:00

I am very proud of my kids. For the most part they are very polite, kind and they do what we ask of them. I had a moment the other day that made me especially proud though. Mason had seen me use my Byrd Cara Cara many times and was always asking for his own knife. I finally got him a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife for Christmas. He uses the various tools on it frequently for little tasks often in ingenious ways. He also frequently misplaces it since he doesn’t always have pockets. A couple days ago he looked at me and said “Dad, I wish my knife had a little clip on it like yours does so I could put it right here” as he pointed to his waistband. Appendix carrying a folding knife is actually very comfortable and handy, you all should try it. Well, my chest swelled and I savored the moment of my son’s first mod. He wanted a pocket clip! On his SAK! We undertook the modification this evening. The results were stellar. We used a clip from a Pilot V5 Roller ball pen, a dremel and some epoxy. Behold Mason’s Mod.

Check this out.

2008-02-18T20:16:00.002-05:00

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/077/2/e/Animator_vs__Animation_by_alanbecker.swf

The joy of modern materials

2008-02-18T18:33:00.008-05:00

Kydex rocks. I tried my hand at it for the first time a few days ago and it rocks. It's an extremely versatile material. No special tools are required. If you have a pillow, a board, a stove, a pair of scissors and a bic lighter you're good to go. (Well, ok. I used a pop riveter but they are cheap) Anything can be made with it. A person could make a Christmas ornament or a utensil organizer or some such thing. I, however, made a new knife sheath.

Get your kydex here.

Look what G&R will do to your kids.

2008-01-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

My kids are hellraisers. They are rebellious and self-destructive. They are rude and disrespectful to their parents and those around them. I'm so sick and tired of the sideways glances and whispers when I'm around other kids' parents. My kids have completely turned away from the path we tried to keep them on and it's all because of the music kids listen to these days. This video is a perfect example. Here we are trying to have a quiet evening at home as a family. They had Zac over to play. I used to think he was a good kid but just look at what my children have done to him. The body gyrations... the sneering at the camera... that look in his eyes. Camden is back there acting all innocent, "strumming" her mic. Mason is another story. There he is blatantly "strumming" his sword. What, is that some sort of threat? A "parents-you-better-watch-out-'cause-I'm-rockin-and-I'm-not-stoppin" kind of threat? For his own safety I think it's best if Zac Attack is not allowed at our house for a while until we rein in our kids a little.

5 Dangerous things you should let your children do

2008-01-09T18:41:00.000-05:00

I'd like my wife and the rest of my detractors to take special note of #2. #4 leaves me scratching my head a little so I'll replace it with my own. From now on #4 is "learn to properly use and handle a firearm". Ooh. Scary. And dangerous. #3 is fun but could just as easily be throw rocks or even more specifically skip rocks. I couldn't throw enough rocks as a kid. I'd say the list is a good start but is far from complete.

Those of you with short attention spans probably won't watch a nine minute video. I just don't want to hear any bellyaching about it.

2007-12-21T17:36:00.001-05:00

Sorry folks, the video is gone and I'm not going to fix the link.

Finally. A holiday I can really enjoy. It's the longest night of the year folks. Are your flashlights in working order?

2007-12-19T17:42:00.000-05:00

The mighty Chupacabra was found to be only a dead coyote suffering from mange. Read more here. We still have Sasquatch.....but that's a whole different story.

Don't face the facts, deny them!

2007-12-11T19:41:00.000-05:00

Mika Brzezinski in denial

A volunteer security guard in Colorado Springs ended Matthew Murray's attack on the New Life Church by using her personally-owned firearm to kill him. Fact: Citizens with guns can save lives. Fact: Criminals hate armed would-be victims. We rarely hear reports of law abiding citizens using their lawfully owned firearms to protect themselves even though it happens all the time. I guess we can thank Mika, et al for that.

Camden gets upset

2007-09-24T13:07:00.000-04:00

Camden wanted to leave with Amy. She was not able to do so. She was not happy. Those are Camden's new favorite socks even though it makes her look like she has Big Bird legs. She's sitting here as I'm posting this and she thinks it's really funny to watch herself cry.

Here she is on my lap as we are posting this. You'll notice the dirt on her face and the generally disheveled look about her. This is what happens when mom is away and dad is in charge. Actually she was just outside "picking berries". The local shrubbery has a small red berry that the kids are fascinated with. They pick them all the time. They LOVE to "pick berries". The downside is that they spend most of their time standing, kneeling, or crawling in the mulch placed on the ground around the shrubbery which is 60% wood chips and 40% dung. I'm going to go wash her face now.

Old kid pictures

2007-09-08T08:40:00.000-04:00

Camden recovering from her second surgery.

Mason kissing a scared Camden at Valley Forge.

Camden happy at Valley Forge.

Mason being cool after crying and being forced to make this cool pose.

Mason and his girlfriend, Abrie, at our beach house in the Outer Banks. They plan on getting married.

Father knows best

2007-09-06T21:16:00.000-04:00

I was trolling the Drudge today and saw that Luciano Pavarotti had passed away. I'm no opera aficionado but I know who he is and I know he's good at what he does. I am also slightly familiar with Nessun Dorma from my Ricks College humanities classes. I did not know that Nessun Dorma was Pavarotti's calling card and I had never heard him sing it. I followed the link on the Drudge and all I can say is Wow with a capital (and bolded) "W". If that does not move you then I can say unequivocally that you do not have a soul. I think I even shed a tear at the end.

Dad probably knows all the dates and times that Mr. Pavarotti performed this song as well as where it was performed and with whom he sang it. He maybe even told me but I probably wasn't listening in History of Opera 101.

Incidentally, Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma was used as the theme song for the 1990 World Cup which apparently was a fantastic Cup. I didn't watch it back in 1990 but it makes me like the song even more.

I tried to figure out putting up the video as a post but my settings aren't working so Luciano will permanently greet you at the top of my blog until I get it figured out. Also, Luciano has demonstrated synergy in the past with people like U2's Bono singing "Miss Sarajevo" but I don't think he melds well with the Beatles, John Denver, or S & G so you may want to turn them off before you view the video.

Sunday Morn

2007-09-02T13:02:00.000-04:00

Here we have the orchids ready for church. Mason has his game face on and his Transformer clutched firmly in hand. Camden is just happy to be here with her new transparent pink plastic purse (scattergories, here I come - that's a three point play right there) and her unclothed baby in tow. She left it outside last night on the lawn. When I came out to get them in the car this morning she was in full Search and Rescue mode.

It is my firm belief that little girls were made to wear piggy tails. The argument for my stance on this issue is my little Camden. Piggy tails were invented for the sole purpose of being placed upon my daughter's head once she had enough hair to make it feasible. All previous piggy-tailers looked forward to the day that this would come to pass. She knows I love them too. She eagerly runs out of the bathroom once her hair is done so she can show me. If I ask to see them she does a little spin and she always puts her hand up to touch them. She also like to spray "apples and cherries" in her hair after her bath every night. It's some detangling stuff but she loves it. She runs urgently into the bathroom to get it if we ever forget. Between her purses and hair products she'll be surpassing Amy soon in required cabinet, closet and shower ledge space. There just ain't room for a man and his single, solitary bottle of shampoo. I'm going to have to start keeping my shampoo and razor in the storage unit.

Goatsucker

2007-09-02T00:17:00.000-04:00

The mighty Chupacabra. Aye aye YIP YIP ayeeeeeeee! Ole' ! That looks a little too much like Spuds McKenzie. Read more about it here.

Look, second post already.

2007-08-28T23:15:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd at least put up some pictures so there would be something to look at until I make a new post in a few months. Here is the latest picture I could find of Camden. I don't know what Amy put in those brownies but they sure look good!

Here's a better picture of Camden playing pin the nose on the clown at Mason's 5th Birthday party.

Mason's infamous (that means it's MORE than famous. Name the movie) sword picture. Mom and Dad got it for him in Germany and he can't let it out of his sight. Would-be nighttime household attackers beware!

Better late than never.

2007-08-28T22:29:00.000-04:00

So everyone has a blog. In other words, almost no one doesn't have a blog. So what do I do? I resist for a while and then I give in. Just like in marriage. I can't help it. That's what I've been trained to do. Amy would never say this to anyone but I am the perfect husband. I resist long enough to make the conversation interesting and then I give in.

Anyway, back to my blog. People blog in order to keep in touch with family, practice their creative writing, show off their pictures, etc. etc. etc. I don't know what I will do with my blog. I don't know when I will let anyone see my blog for that matter. As for the purpose of my blog I'll break it down Mythbuster's style: 40% chance that it's to keep in better touch with family, 25% chance that it's to show off our amazing kids (I'll have to take some pictures of them now that they're both walking), 10% chance that I'm doing it so that the crushing amount of time I spend on the computer will be somewhat productive, 10% chance that it's because I'm bored tonight, 8% chance that it's because I might actually have something to say (shock! my neighbors don't even think I talk), and 7% chance that I really, really want to make it on the Drudge by next June.

Reality check. By next week I just might have forgotten that I even started a blog. Two years from now when I try to start a blog called "Orr What" I'll get a message telling me that that profile already exists and it will all come flooding back.

Here's some background on my blog name. I can't even tell you how many times I've introduced myself and upon hearing my name the person says "or what?" with a sneaky grin. It's done. Put a fork in it. When my blog "Orr What" gets on the Drudge next June it'll really take the wind out of those people's sails.