After we set up, Titus and Lefty headed to the range to sign in and pick up their packets and gab with the other cowboys and cowgirls.
That evening we enjoyed pizza, salad and o'derv's at Digger John and Susan's home along with several other shooters who spent the evening with them. It was a nice gathering of folks.
On Friday, June 12th, I got up very early and did a 3 mile walk, showered and then we headed to the range. This was the first day of The Kansas State Championship Shoot in Lenexa, Kansas at the Powder Creek Gun Club. The shoot was called "Prince of the Pistoleers".
It was an overcast day with the forecast calling for showers on and off. Luckily it held off and it was a decent day for the shooters.
Between Ralph's shooting times, I would take a nice walk along the 1/2 mile shooting clubs driveway. It was cool and overcast and I did this several times and managed to get in another 3 miles.
I also went around taking pictures of the beautiful outfits that these cowgirls wear. Not only do they look good shooting, these gals are good shots with their single action six shooters, their rifles and their shotguns!
Again, you will have to tilt your head on many of these pictures. Even though I had up righted them, they still flopped over sideways, dang nabbit.
I loved the pink shotguns shells and bullets
There are many vendors at these big shoots. This vendor is J.G. Wilson and he is a "Carver of Fine Decorative Gunstocks". This was just some of his carvings on display. You talk about being a artist, I was just blown away with this mans talent.
I talked to him a good bit and he actually uses dental tools to carve with.
Of course everyone recognizes President's Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. I wonder what they think of the world today?
Here JG is showing his carving skills. Below is a picture of a stage coach with horses that he has started to carve on a gunstock. He's still working on it as you can see. I only wish the picture I took, could show the fine details.
Here is another vendor, He does engraving on the metal parts of revolvers, rifles and shotguns. It is a slow and tedious process. When he gets done, you would think a machine did the intricate engraving.
I better give some Cowboys equal time, so as most of you know, this is my sweetheart Lefty Rhodes.
This is one of the stages. Here the shooters are listening to the Posse Marshal as he explains to everyone how the stage is to be shot.
This Cowboy is from Cheyenne, Wyoming and his alias is Wild Horse John. He surely looks the part.
I loved this dog. This dog is owned by the professional photographer who was there to take a group picture of each posse. His dog was posed in each one and was quite a hit. After the picture was taken, the photographer called him out and pretended to shoot him. The dog stopped dead in his tracks and fell over dead. He was a hit with the all the cowboys!
Here is Titus and Lefty waiting their turn.
I did not get any still shots of Lefty shooting because the stages were set up in these western building facades and there was just not enough room. I did not want to be in the way of the the three counters, the cowboy that runs the timer and the others.
Now that I am 45 pounds lighter, I wanted some nice western outfits to wear to the cowboy banquets and other dressy occasions. I stopped in to chat with "Fannie Fitter". What an appropriate name. She owns and runs "Work-N-Ranch" with her son and husband. They are from the Nebraska Territory and travel to the big cowboy shoots mostly west of the Mississippi.
From left to right is Fannie Fitter, of course that is me with my sweat band because I had been walking, Lady Finger and Katie Scarlet. They are shooters too, but this shoot they are helping their friend Fannie Fitter with customers.
As all my friends are reading this, I have a favor to ask. Can you please say a prayer for Katie Scarlet. She was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer February 2014. The doctors told her she had only a few months to live. Well, it has been 16 months and her outlook along with her faith is just unbelievable.
We really had a nice talk and I was so touched by what she had to say. Her husband is a cowboy action shooter also and he was on Ralph's posse. Because of her illness she has not been able to shoot but she participates in the camaraderie and that is good medicine for her.
Well I took my black fringe western jacket, and brown suede fringe shawl and another brown fringe shawl decorated with peacock feathers to Fannie Fitter. I told her to fix me up with some outfits and the three of them fixed me up with some gorgeous eye catching outfits. We had a ball all afternoon.
Now, I have never been a "clothes horse" and I call myself "fashion illiterate". My expertise goes this far-"I know not to wear a hot pink shirt with florescent green and purple stripped pants, that is about my limit".
These gals were showing me what colors go with what and piecing together all different combinations. I found beautiful outfits to go with my western fringe jackets and shawls. The one dressy skirt and top will go with my peacock feather shawl. Fannie found the most beautiful necklace and earrings that matched all the vibrant colors of the peacock feathers.
I had an amazing afternoon with these three fun ladies! As I wear each outfit, I am planning on sending a picture to Fannie Fitter. Matter of fact as they were piecing outfits together with my jackets, folks walking by admired how beautiful the outfits were, especially when they saw my peacock fringe shawl. Many asked me where I got it and so here is that story:
I got that peacock fringed shawl at the San Antonio rodeo about 5 years ago. I fell in love with it. While watching the rodeo, I would run over to the vendor and just stare at it. Finally I just said "I have to have this!" So I bought it with the intention that if I lost weight, I would buy and nice outfit to go with it. Well for the next few years I struggled to lose the weight I had gained and just could not get in the zone to do it.
So there it hung in my closet! Until this year! Now I have a beautiful outfit! Actually I have the skirt, the top Fannie Fitter did not have it in my size, so it is on order and being made. I will have it in a few weeks.
On Saturday, June 13th, I got up early and did a 4 mile walk, then we headed to the range for the last day of the competition.
I dropped Ralph off and then headed to Weight Watchers across town. Now that I am a "Lifetime Member", I no longer have to pay the monthly fee. It is all free now as long as I weigh in once a month and don't go over the maximum weight that WW has set for me by more than 2 pounds. I lost another 2.6 pounds. I now weigh 158.8 for a total loss of 45.0 pounds! Just 10 more to go for my own personal goal!
The 2.6 pounds was actually for 2 weeks. I did not go last week while we were staying at Titus and Fannie Kickers home because the WW meeting in their town was on Monday night. I like going to WW meetings in the morning because that is your true weight. I did not want to weigh in at night after eating breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Since leaving San Antonio a couple of weeks ago, we have been eating a lot with friends as we travel and eating foods that I would not normally eat at home, nor the portion size. However, I am still walking and riding my bike and even though I may have had an extra scoop or two, I am not scooping three or four scoops!
I arrived back at the range after the WW meeting and unfortunately rain fell on and off most of the day. The cowboys did have cover and were still able to shoot. It wasn't a hard rain and nobody melted.
When the shoot was finished, we headed home to get cleaned up and ready for the cowboy awards banquet. It was held in another part of town at a nice banquet hall.
The awards banquet is special and everyone gets duded up in their Sunday best. I love seeing their beautiful outfits.
Ooops! Not again, so just keep tilt'in your head.
The lady 2nd from the left, made her own dress as she does all the outfits she shoots in.
Doesn't this cowboy look like Wild Bill Hickok? His shooting alias is actually "Tame Bill", the opposite of Wild Bill. I thought that was pretty clever.
Our meal was so darn good. They served brisket, pulled BBQ pork, delicious sides and several flavors of cheese cake! Oh, the CHEESE CAKE! I had a sliver off of Ralph's piece.
After dinner was the awards. Although this wasn't one of Ralph's better shoots, he did get 3rd place with 8 misses out of shooting about 240 rounds. His overall placing for the match was 31st place out of 140 shooters. Left to right is Lefty Rhodes, Valrico Kid and Hondo Tucker.
Here is one of the outfits I bought. I wish the picture showed the decorative lace and design of the ivory cream shirt, It has slightly puffy sleeves and 4 button cuffs. The skirt is actually called a riding skirt and it is a beautiful green. Here is my suede fringe shawl with decorative beading.
This shawl has a funny story behind it. Back in 2008, a group of ladies from the RV park where we wintered at in Texas joined me when I was starting back with WW. That winter I lost 35 pounds and made my WW goal.
Each week when I went to WW, I would stop by Billy's Western Wear, where this shawl was hanging on display. I told the ladies that worked there, that this would be my reward when I made my WW goal.
I mean every week I would go there just to see this shawl and each week I tried it on. The ladies got a kick out of seeing "less of me" each week and 35 lbs. later, that shawl was mine!
You all will see the other 3 outfits as time goes on and Ralph and I get "gussied up" when we go to other cowboy banquets and outings.
So ya' all stay tuned.......................and of course Happy Trails!
Great blog Angie--I will do some research on why your photos turn sideways--you are downloading, enhancing in Picasa and saving into your June folder, right? You look beautiful all dressed up!
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