Setting up a new tool

I recently made the decision to purchase a new coyote/varmint gun. I decided that something lightweight, relatively inexpensive to shoot, and that could reach out and touch someone would be the ticket. I decided that the savage B-Mag would be that gun.

This is a relatively new rimfire caliber, a relatively new gun model, and a interesting concept in ammo design. The results are a fast - flat flying- lethal round.

Which begged the question, what scope to put on the darn thing? After much hymning and hawing over the matter I settled on the  vortex crossfire II 4 - 12 x 44 w/ dead hold BDC ret.

So far it is a stylish snappy little gun.

Dreaming of what lies beyond the bar....

I went tuna fishing over the weekend. Lovely trip that netted 5 fish for my freezer and family.

Very, very happy about it even if the numbers weren't stellar.

Baby steps

I took advantage of prime day and ordered a incubator. Chickens have been on my bucket list for some time. I am thinking of raising and keeping english orpingtons but am not going to hatch out anything expensive til I get this incubation thing down. So stopping by the grocery store I picked up some local eggs - cracked a couple and confirmed that they were fertile. Project is a go - we'll see where we end up.

About time

This weekend is one of those where I feel blessed and spoiled. I spent 18+ hours on the river in sweltering heat with my brother. Didn't catch a thing and that's ok. The river is a reward.

I spent a lovely birthday dinner with my sister in law and sister. The children played in the street on a lovely summer night.

Last week my country decided that everyone is equal in their bonds putting right decades of oppression and institutional bigotry. It's a small but very meaningful step in the right direction.

Life is mostly good. Good in, good out.

Dreaming of a Summer Run

Gardening season has come, fishing season has arrived, and hunting season will soon be here. There are simply not enough hours in the day for all of this fun. Too bad I have to work.

Vaccinate your pets -

Every year I am beaten over the head by anti vaxxers by tales of woe about dogs who get parvo and die right after getting a shot. They use this as irrefutable proof that vaccines don't work and that big pharma is out to kill and poison our dogs. These people are well intending fools sadly and their dogs pay for this silliness. 

Here's the problem. Their statements have no merit in reality.

First off - a vaccine is not a wand. It takes time from the moment of administration to the moment that the dog's immune system has time to develop antibodies to actually effectively fight the disease. For most about two to three weeks - so getting a shot then going directly to the dog park is a pretty stupid move.

Vaccines cannot and will never give a dog the disease it's designed to prevent a full outbreak of. They just don't work that way.

Vaccines are not full of toxic levels of heavy metals except in ridiculously high doses. In reality there is more toxins in a can of dog food than in a vaccine.

That said over vaccination is just as stupid as under vaccination. Latest studies tell us that vaccines may last 6 years to life for most pets. So if your vet is giving you grief about every year - do yourself a favor and find someone less worried about your wallet's contents being transferred to theirs. A great way to do this is to give your own vaccines where legal to do so.

How to be a good Cat Owner

To be clear - I still don't hate cats but I am dismayed at the sheer numbers neglected as a norm. Just this last week I saw a coyote absconding with some poor pet, a half dozen cat slain birds, and at least three road killed cats on my way to my job.

So I thought I would write about the best cat owner I know which happens to be a nearby neighbor of mine. The first thing you notice upon arriving to her home is a large english garden contained within what looks like a giant wire mesh box. This is in fact her cat habitat for her two cats who she adores very much. Everything within her home is laid out with the comfort of those two cats in mind.

Her two cats are both spayed and neutered. They are fed a species appropriate diet of wet and dry food. They have an access door during the day time to go outside and come in as desired. They are the best kept cats I have ever met.

There is no fear that these cats will be hit by a car, poisoned by some unknown substance, eaten by a coyote, or eating wildlife. Disease is less likely to claim them.They are not lonely and they are loved. This is the standard to be a good pet owner.

A good pet owner values their pet enough to not let it die of preventable tragedy. A good citizen does not let their pet harass and kill wildlife. A good neighbor does not let their pet shit in their neighbors garden. Be a good cat owner and confine your fucking cats.