A Family Trip To St. Augustine Before Christmas

This Christmas we decided go to St. Augustine for the day with as much family as could make it. We wanted to walk around, look at the sights , see the lights, spend some time with each other, and then have a nice meal together.

This is a modern day copy of what the city wall fortifications used to look like when St. Augustine was young.

The gates to the city.

The oldest wood school house in the USA.

An old ship's anchor next to the oldest school house.

The family minus the photographer.

A shop located next to the water wheel.

A view down the street to the South from the water wheel.

A tourist with his blankee.

The view down a side street.

Inside a ceramic shoppe.

Reading one of the informational signs posted along the street.

My Blushing Bride and also one fantastic Nana.

A shop in a period building.

A street entertainer playing various instruments at the same time. The foot he has off the ground is attached to a drum on his back.

More posing tourists.

Christmas Poinsettias in full bloom.

Tourists sitting on an old cannon barrel.

Handsome grandson number 1.

Handsome grandson number 2.

Handsome grandson number 3.

Handsome grandson number 4.

The only granddaughter.

Grandson number 4 in his "sneak up" position. He assumes this position when told to sneak up on someone.

On our way to eat. Unknown to all, someone's "Bunny" had fallen out of her stroller as we crossed the street just before we entered the A1A Alehouse. I overlooked the bunny on my way out so I ended up at the other end of the park before I turned around and headed back to the Alehouse. Luckily, I found "Bunny" leaning against a light pole just outside the Alehouse. Bunny was most likely picked out of the street and placed there by a sympathetic passerby.

The A1A Alehouse in St. Augustine. We ate there, the food and the service were both excellent but pricey.

There were lights covering the trees throughout the park.

She thought this pipe would look good as a prop in the family Christmas photo her Mom wanted taken. Her Mom thought "not so much".

It's getting a little tired out.

The boots are slowing down.

Sitting under the Christmas Tree at the park.

Resting on a park bench.

Swinging the chain.

Checking out the graveyard in the dark, a good place to not be alone.

Christmas lights in the background.

A quick shot.

Go over there, I want to take your picture.

Checking it out, whatever "it" is.

To make a run you first have to sink uprights to hold the cable run. I used 10' 4x4s treated for ground contact. They are set 3 feet into the ground into a 4 inch diameter hole with a bag of concrete added at the base. They were then allowed to sit for a week to ensure the concrete was well hardened.

The cable is 1/4 inch steel. The cable is attached to the post with a 6X1/2 inch eye bolt through the post. Between the eye bolt and the cable is a large stainless steel turnbuckle. Two steel cable clamps are used to clamp the cable ends. Both ends of the cable run are attached to the uprights with the same arrangement.

Steel cable clamps were installed to limit the travel of the pulley up and down the cable.

A steel pulley is used as a trolley to support the chain which will be attached to the dog's collar.

I started with a 16 foot chain which turned out to be excessive. The chain was shortened to 10 feet which seems to give her plenty of room to move. Time will tell if I need a swivel in the chain. So far the swivels I have found are two lightweight for this dog.

This is an overall view of the run. It is located under the oak trees for shade.

HD Shotgun Project Continues

After multiple shoulder surgeries I have decided to try this Knoxx CompStock by BlackHawk from http://www.opticsplanet.net/blackhawk-knoxx-compstock-shotgun-stocks.html. Their theory is the stock will absorb much of the recoil. I will let you know how it works in the future.

As you can see, at this point I have removed the buttstock and replaced it with the Comp Stock. Time freezes here because I now need a special wrench to remove the forend tube nut so I can attach the new Knoxx forend to the shotgun's action bars.


This is a Menck Mark III Forend Wrench. It is good for various Remington, Browning, Mossberg and Winchester shotguns so perhaps I will be able to use it more than once.

Forearm replaced, the project continues, more parts on order, stay tuned.