Gunners!

It's cannon shooting time.

We'll be on the road Thursday for a weekend with our southern California friends at a location just north of Edwards Air Force Base and east of Feinstein's Folly. We are going to an area the locals graciously revealed and authorized us to use after the state fish cops got around to chasing us out of the original cannon shooting venue (Homestead I) that had been the scene of continuous, biannual cannon shooting parties since the mid-1970's. To my knowledge, this last October (Cali was on fire. All of it.) marked the first interruption of the biannual ritual in cannon party history.

(The actual facilities of the state Park are minuscule, but it exists solely because the boundaries were drawn to screw locals out of long-existing prospecting, off road vehicle use, and shooting venues having nothing to do with the canyon itself. It was done as a pander to environmentalists in the same fashion that Clinton screwed Utah with Grand Staircase)There were no facilities the first four years the area was designated as a park, and then it was merely fenced.)



If you live in the SoCal or southern Nevada area and are interested in an opportunity to participate in a three (and maybe more) tube cannon shooting weekend, contact me by email. There will be at least one bowling ball mortar on the firing line, too.

Since we will be in California, I will not be bringing exotic weapons. However, I am bringing a fair spread of my milsurps and enough ammo for all comers to get a good taste o' the boomy goodness. There are two cannon gongs (300 and 500 yds) and a generous number of targets, such as suspended steel gas cylinders, plates, and three foot harrow discs scattered out to 500 yards as well. The shooting area itself is not as extensive as the old line at Homestead I, but the impact and backstop areas are actually better since there is now way for anybody on or in a vehicle to blunder into the danger or beaten zones.

On Saturday night there will be Mrs. Tmj's camp spaghetti, along with campfire garlic bread... and ...AND... Utah State Fair blue ribbon recipe Dutch oven cobbler. This is all dry camping, no facilities and especially NO WATER. A vehicle with decent ground clearance OR a lot of driver patience is required to access the site.

Have a fine day.