OPERATION DEATHSTICK 3.2

(Or, Happy Birthday to Lee and Raven)

    07 April, 2007

    Camp Stasa, Michigan

    Saturday, April 7th, 2007, was as fine a 40th birthday as I could have wished for. It was also my daughter, Raven's (code named: Baby Chops) 7th birthday. There is nothing like having some serious daddy-daughter time at Camp Stasa for our birthdays.

    We rode up with Thumper, who had a rather important job to do. A lot of the work had been done on March 31st, at the first 2007 Death Stick. There was more clean up to be done, the road needed to be raked, and a green mesh screen installed on the backstop upon which we can clip targets. If this gets frowned upon, we have standby cardboard to mount there, as well.

The poop got burned.  

    A small bit of remaining debris was disposed of in the burn barrel, and the annual "fecal inferno" was handled ably by Thumper and and able-bodied assistant (code name not available yet). It takes a dedicated patriot to burn the outhouse every spring. For this, Thumper has our gratitude. If you think this is easy, fun, or nice, then feel free to come out and do it next time. 

The outhouse crew. Brave and happy...

    Bishop, Mak9, Hunter, Militiamedic, D-day and crew handled the clean up and such, while Weapon M, Code name undetermined from ECVM, and Camp Commander Stasa tried to bring the heavy equipment up online. The back-hoe was experiencing battery problems, which was a bummer, but we got the tractor running, and raked the road a bit. Our normal tractor driver, a former tanker, was not present so I got the fun fun job of driving it, after a very brief class from Mr. Stasa. It was a nice birthday present, getting to drive a tractor for the first time in my life. It also is very terrifying to see Weapon M, a certified city-dweller, driving a large farm implement.

Weapon M gets a class from Mr. Stasa. Be afraid.

   As it was Baby Chops' 7th birthday (yeah we put her to work, ferrying hand tools back and forth), I had presented her with a pink Crickett single shot .22. She was able to load and operate it after a short class.

Above left, Baby Chops lugs the pruners. Right, she charges her rifle.

    D-day was kind enough to feed everyone, as Thumper was not allowed to feed anyone while doing his dirty deed. Thanks, D-day!

D-day stepping up and heating the stew.

    So the poop got burned, the debris cleaned up some more, the backstop adjusted, and the road raked. We are ready for MFD 2007. See you there!

    -Weapon M

Baby Chops gets a rifle for her 7th Birthday.