The Niece goes shooting!

Our two delightful nieces from Pennsylvania have been visiting for the last two weeks.  The younger of the two expressed an interest in going shooting which she has never done before.  All I can say is that she asked the right uncle for that!  The night before  we went over the safety aspects of shooting and the rules of the range.  We examined the Chipmunk .22 youth rifle that the other Grouch kids learned to shoot with.  Our niece, being the very intelligent girl that she is, grasped the technology of the rifle and its functioned very quickly. 

 The next morning we were off to the range!  Since it was Monday we had the place almost to ourselves.  We started at the shooting gallery range with the metal targets at a safe distance that make a nice 'ding' each time they are hit.  After some time there she decided that paper target shooting was in order so she could see exactly where the bullets were going so we spent another couple of hours at the pistol and small bore rifle line.  I finally had to call it a day.  After 3+ plus hours I was tired and hungry but she was still going strong!   We stopped on the way home for the traditional donuts after the range and arrived home tired but triumphant.  Another shooter is born!

Getting ready to start.  The shooter examines her rounds before loading her rifle.

What a stance!  You'd think she had done this many times before.  Her third shot hit the target and after that she rarely missed.  Her comment was "once you figure out the sight thingies, shooting is easy!"

The shooting gallery is fun.

Now for the paper targets.  She should be on a rifle team!

Time to try the kneeling position.  She did well.



Marking her target.  She was very methodical and recorded what order she shot each target and what position she used when shooting.

The proud rifle-girl

A pretty good distance from the shooting line to the target.  We started a bit closer and then moved the target further out.   Nice shooting!

4th of July Part 2

Young Daughter enjoys taking pictures of her dogs at Grouch estates on the 4th of July.  This time the Missus took pictures of Young Daughter taking pictures of the dogs! 

Dottie and Pie posing.  I think Pie is getting a stick in the eye from Dottie.  Revenge for some past slight?

Pie looking both patriotic and fierce at the same time!

None of that holding flags nonsense for Fancy!

Kerby wondering what the heck is going on here

Mollie, Kerby, and Roscoe enjoying their close-up

4th of July part 1

Fourth of July at the medium sized town that the Grouch family lives in is always a fun time.  As we do most years, we started at 7 a.m. by claiming our spot near the beginning of the parade route and then went to the Lions club pancake breakfast just down the street.  Three couples joined us for the parade experience.  In years past we walked in the parade with our kids who were scouts but for the last several years we've been able to relax and watch the show.  These are only the highlights, there were many, many groups and individuals in the parade.  There is a different parade theme each year and anyone who signs up can be in the parade.  If you want to just walk along as a participant, go right ahead!

Here we all are, ready for the parade.  The Missus is at the far right knitting while watching which some spectators though was almost as interesting as the parade

The Forest Service and Smokey Bear were there

Nice tractor!

One of several antique car groups

Miniature horses were popular this year

Scouts on bikes!

Another miniature horse, this one did tricks!

Yay Saugus!!

The Army National Guard was a hit

Watching them get started on the bike was interesting

There has to be beauty contest winners to be a real parade

Our Congressman in a jeep

Another Jeep

Yet another one!

I think the flag bearer should have been dressed like the rest of the group but maybe someone didn't show up in time

Modern cars too - plu vintage T birds, Corvettes, and Mustangs

How low can they go?

About that low!

I think it is a cooler, but it is certainly cool!

For all of you Bush haters out there...

http://www.voanews.com/content/george-bush-africa-cervical-cancer/1363615.html

LUSAKA — Former President George W. Bush has kept a relatively low profile in the United States since leaving office. But in Africa this week he is publicly promoting his institute's initiative to prevent and treat cervical cancer. While Bush is following a familiar post-presidential path in supporting humanitarian causes, he would prefer to focus on quiet service, to lead through example and hard work.

He worked alongside other volunteers in Kabwe - Zambia's second-largest city - to renovate a health clinic which specializes in the early detection and treatment of cervical cancer


W will be rehabilitated in the coming years much as Harry Truman was - a much reviled and hated president during his time in office.  

Mr. and Mrs. Grouch go to Hollywood

As I mentioned previosly (or as always think - 'Previously on L.A. Law' - don't ask) the Missus got lucky and won two tickets to see Million Dollar Quartet at the Pantages theater in Hollywood.  so, a couple Wednesday's ago she picked me up after work and we headed to Hollywood to walk around a bit and kill some time before the show started. 

In case you are wondering the show was fantastic and I would have paid real yankee dollars to see the show.  We had a great time! 

http://www.milliondollarquartetlive.com/

Anyway, there we were walking down Hollywood boulevard with the out of town tourists, the pan handlers, the runaways and the working girls and after we walked by the Jimmy Kimmel show being taped outside one of the theaters I thought that someone, somewhere might be interested in what we were seeing so I started documenting it with my blackberry.  Hence, the crummy picture quality. 

Hold on to your hats because we're going on a whirlwind tour of Hollywood!

Gaumann's theater where the stars leave imprints in the cement.  These days instead of stars you get people dressed up like the movie stars along with transformers and the Master Chief from the Halo XBox game so you can get your picture taken with them.  In true Hollywood fashion sometimes the characters brawl with each other or mug the tourists.  Art imitating life!

The Missus at the gateway to Hollywood boulevard and the walk of stars.

Off we go!

Young son was in a play (for pay even!) called 'Dead End' and he was one of the kids in the play so we figure that makes him a Dead End Kid so here is his star.

 And, here is a link to an article about the very play that he was in, imagine that!  

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/31/theater/newsandfeatures/31dead.html

No, young son wasn't one of the kids jumping in the orchestra pit, he was too young back then.  Instead he hung out a window and ran around the streets.  He did get to understudy the snooty rich kid one night and did a great job!

Next to the Moody Blues, this is my favorite group and here is their star.  Yay!

 

The Missus appeared in a movie with ol' Ray of My Favorite Martian and South Pacific fame.  We think the movie was some sort of tax dodge or payoff because it had to be the stinker of the century but hey, she was in a movie and can list 'movie actress' on her resume!  Go to the link and see the list of people who starred in it including my favorite country singer.  What were they doing in this?  Someone had pictures of them all doing something that they didn't want the public to see.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444979/

Here are the real stars on the walk of fame!

A favorite of the Grouch kids- Ripley's Believe it or Not museum

Capitol Records building. Does anyone under 50 even know what a record is anymore?

An icon of the cold war - a '50s air raid siren.   These things are everywhere in the city but they no longer work.  They show up in many a SF movie as L.A. gets flattened by A bombs or Martians

At last, in the Pantages theater!  The cell phone camera didn't work too well inside without the flash so this is the best I could do.  It is a beautiful place.

Happy Birthday Mrs. Grouch!

Happy birthday to the Missus who is only a Grouch by marriage and association but never (well hardly ever) a grouch in person.  She is my wife, my best friend and the sergeant major for the family.  She keeps me rational and tries to stop me from being so judgemental.  She is the compassionate one of the partnership except when she has to be tough and she can be when it is time.  My life didn't start until I met her and I bless the day that she was born which coincidentally is today!
Happy birthday to my little hedgehog who definitely doesn't look like one or act like one!

The Missus with her grandmother and mother