And Then We Have Sticks...

Moonw said:
For some reason, I always thought of you as of a big dude. This story made my day.
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naw, i was late 20's then. i'm still about 5'8", mebbe a bit shorter as my disks compress, but i've put on a few pounds about the time i was in my late 30's. some muscle, some flab. i'm fairly big for here in the UK. i need to lose about 50 lb. always been a mild mannered little skinney fella, till a bigger guy in high school pushed me over the edge between classes & i beat the crap outta him. (he passed out from my choke hold after i flattened his nose a bit). never had to fight again. lesson learned. had enough rep points that i didn't need to. also found if you act like you are confident and just might be able to put up a fight, the bullies leave you alone. being an officer in the military helped later on too.

i had a workmate in decatur. alabama who was 7 ft. tall, somebody asked him if he ever lost a fight. he said he didn't know as he never had to. 'nother lesson learned. had another workmate about my size. found out he was a high dan black belt in juijitsu. anyway, we were in a local gin mill when a big drunk came over and started hasseling him for lookin' at his girl. the drunk swung a beer bottle at him. still sitting down he kicked the drunk under the chin, drunk fell like he was poll-axed, which i guess he was. my friend just kept sitting and finished his drink before we left. i started lessons shortly thereafter. was out shooting some of my rifles, had loaded a few hot 45-70's with 600 grain jacketed bullets. (kicked like a mule) anyway as i finished and was cleaning up to leave, mr. blackbelt drove up, said 'i heard you were a pretty good shot' - i said, see that coke can way over there (about 100 yds.) i pulled out my ruger .22lr auto pistol & popped off a round, hoping to be close. the can jumped up in the air a couple of feet. surprised the heck outta me. i just reholstered the gun, closed the car trunk & drove off. got a few rep points for that too. he's probably still telling the story, like i am. that was a few years before the mall incident. i've been a good boy, mostly, since. just don't push me too far...
 
You sound about like me....perfect size for air assault, more guys, 145 lbs and 5'10" when i went in and 165 lbs when i finished....

I had to learn early on to stand up to guys who had inches and 100 lbs on me and to do whatever i had to do, such as in high school when the football noseguard stole our basketball so i stole it back, and when he demanded it back i gave it to him right in the face, then him having me held down and pinned on gym floor pounding in the side of my face with his class ring so i reached around and broke his little finger....i got in trouble...


But they left me alone...your bar scenario sounds familiar except the troublemaker got an entire shin thrown between legs and while unconscious on floor face up and other chairs of pals scooting back, his face stepped on and nose smashed flat with the twist of a heel which gave the chair scrapers pause enough to get the heck out of Dodge while able....

As for shoots, after competitions, we had many hours fun with drink bottles and balloons from 100-300 yds and who could bounce or pop most consecutive and much sidebetting...
 
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Moonw said:
I really hope so.
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Look at it this way....what manner of heaven or paradise or nirvana would it be without all the beauty of creation perfected?....another way to look at it is to the nature of eternity....which is not and cannot be linear as we experience time in this limited mode of being....it would be all things and all possibilities in one eternal now, which is how we can have freedom here to make decisions of eternal consequence, which no religion (except foggy modern why-bother anti-religion religion espouses to allow total loss of control here) in the world maintains....so, whatever is best in regards to everything would be part of it in one eternal now, and a communion such as would be a sharing so that nothing is lost or missed by anyone or anything anywhere anywhen....
 
This thread is right up my ally. I have over thirty sticks i have made. Its been something I've done my whole life. It is not as easy as just finding a stick. Look for a straight piece of oak just lying on the ground in the woods. You wont find one. I have a couple rules when looking for a good stick. It has to be from a tree that has fallen naturally. It cannot have many knots or branches. It must be strong. I have hornbeam,white,red oak,beech,black walnut, butternut hickory. My favorite wood to work with is hickory. Strong and does not split during drying like oak can. Very nice to see everyone's walking sticks.
 
Mine have all been shoots from stumps (coppiced) or a tree growing where not wanted and requiring removal no matter what, in which case it is not wasted but put to good use, lack of the latter a serious sin against creation and our fellow travelers...
 
mtngunr said:
Look at it this way....what manner of heaven or paradise or nirvana would it be without all the beauty of creation perfected?....another way to look at it is to the nature of eternity....which is not and cannot be linear as we experience time in this limited mode of being....it would be all things and all possibilities in one eternal now, which is how we can have freedom here to make decisions of eternal consequence, which no religion (except foggy modern why-bother anti-religion religion espouses to allow total loss of control here) in the world maintains....so, whatever is best in regards to everything would be part of it in one eternal now, and a communion such as would be a sharing so that nothing is lost or missed by anyone or anything anywhere anywhen....
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Honestly, as a devout Christian I have entertained the same line of thought or logic for a while. Thank you.
 
kronckew said:
naw, i was late 20's then. i'm still about 5'8", mebbe a bit shorter as my disks compress, but i've put on a few pounds about the time i was in my late 30's. some muscle, some flab. i'm fairly big for here in the UK. i need to lose about 50 lb. always been a mild mannered little skinney fella, till a bigger guy in high school pushed me over the edge between classes & i beat the crap outta him. (he passed out from my choke hold after i flattened his nose a bit). never had to fight again. lesson learned. had enough rep points that i didn't need to. also found if you act like you are confident and just might be able to put up a fight, the bullies leave you alone. being an officer in the military helped later on too.

i had a workmate in decatur. alabama who was 7 ft. tall, somebody asked him if he ever lost a fight. he said he didn't know as he never had to. 'nother lesson learned. had another workmate about my size. found out he was a high dan black belt in juijitsu. anyway, we were in a local gin mill when a big drunk came over and started hasseling him for lookin' at his girl. the drunk swung a beer bottle at him. still sitting down he kicked the drunk under the chin, drunk fell like he was poll-axed, which i guess he was. my friend just kept sitting and finished his drink before we left. i started lessons shortly thereafter. was out shooting some of my rifles, had loaded a few hot 45-70's with 600 grain jacketed bullets. (kicked like a mule) anyway as i finished and was cleaning up to leave, mr. blackbelt drove up, said 'i heard you were a pretty good shot' - i said, see that coke can way over there (about 100 yds.) i pulled out my ruger .22lr auto pistol & popped off a round, hoping to be close. the can jumped up in the air a couple of feet. surprised the heck outta me. i just reholstered the gun, closed the car trunk & drove off. got a few rep points for that too. he's probably still telling the story, like i am. that was a few years before the mall incident. i've been a good boy, mostly, since. just don't push me too far...
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Just love these.
 
Moonw said:
Honestly, as a devout Christian I have entertained the same line of thought or logic for a while. Thank you.
Click to expand...

From a Christian perspective, Paul said all creation groans in expectation of the perfection to come, as a woman in labor.....this is the end toward which all things were made....having a rational soul has only to do with the freedom to choose between that perfection, or separation from it, both here and eternally....not as to whether anything else may aspire to perfection....
 
mtngunr said:
You sound about like me....perfect size for air assault, more guys, 145 lbs and 5'10" when i went in and 165 lbs when i finished....

I had to learn early on to stand up to guys who had inches and 100 lbs on me and to do whatever i had to do, such as in high school when the football noseguard stole our basketball so i stole it back, and when he demanded it back i gave it to him right in the face, then him having me held down and pinned on gym floor pounding in the side of my face with his class ring so i reached around and broke his little finger....i got in trouble...


But they left me alone...your bar scenario sounds familiar except the troublemaker got an entire shin thrown between legs and while unconscious on floor face up and other chairs of pals scooting back, his face stepped on and nose smashed flat with the twist of a heel which gave the chair scrapers pause enough to get the heck out of Dodge while able....

As for shoots, after competitions, we had many hours fun with drink bottles and balloons from 100-300 yds and who could bounce or pop most consecutive and much sidebetting...
Click to expand...

And these. Breaking any small appendage haas quite a psychological effect.
 
Pioneer Valley said:
This thread is right up my ally. I have over thirty sticks i have made. Its been something I've done my whole life. It is not as easy as just finding a stick. Look for a straight piece of oak just lying on the ground in the woods. You wont find one. I have a couple rules when looking for a good stick. It has to be from a tree that has fallen naturally. It cannot have many knots or branches. It must be strong. I have hornbeam,white,red oak,beech,black walnut, butternut hickory. My favorite wood to work with is hickory. Strong and does not split during drying like oak can. Very nice to see everyone's walking sticks.
Click to expand...

Nice. Could you share some of your collection?
 
mtngunr said:
From a Christian perspective, Paul said all creation groans in expectation of the perfection to come, as a woman in labor.....this is the end toward which all things were made....having a rational soul has only to do with the freedom to choose between that perfection, or separation from it, both here and eternally....not as to whether anything else may aspire to perfection....
Click to expand...

Gotcha.
 
Left to right. Blue beech aka hornbeam, hickory, beech with a small white oak burl on top that i plucked off a tree like a grape, hornbeam with walnut top,finally white oak.
 
Them's some mighty fine sticks you got there Pioneer, and a nice little watering hole too! Nice too see a fellow MA resident around these parts; I thought JW was closest up in VT. With that scenery, I'm guessin you're out in the Berkshires somewhere?

Clearly I ain't been keepin up with all you wood workers, carving up bows and walking sticks and such. Who's gonna post the first "Building a Trebuchet with a Khukuri" thread?? I'm on the edge of my seat!
 
SingleGrind said:
Them's some mighty fine sticks you got there Pioneer, and a nice little watering hole too! Nice too see a fellow MA resident around these parts; I thought JW was closest up in VT. With that scenery, I'm guessin you're out in the Berkshires somewhere?

Clearly I ain't been keepin up with all you wood workers, carving up bows and walking sticks and such. Who's gonna post the first "Building a Trebuchet with a Khukuri" thread?? I'm on the edge of my seat!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words. These are the first pics i have ever posted. I have a lot more walking sticks maybe i will post some more.
 
Beautiful scenery....i would need drive 4-5 hrs to find anything similar and another 12 past that to get anywhere near yours...perfect for a nice stick or staff.....made even more perfect if you had a trusty staff bearer such as kronck's to frighten off the natives....
 
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