It was a sunny and warm day as I raised the red range flag to claim my spot. The smaller of the two pistol bays was occupied so I ended up in the larger, but less muddy bay. This bay is wide and deep, but is mostly grass over the gravel which makes finding brass difficult. 

I started out shooting at 10 yards, with the usual mix of body only shots, head shots, and body/head transition pairs, all in sets of 10. I wasn't seeing shots go wide left, but did notice a few starting to drift to the left side of the -0 circle. I put all my focus on that front sight, and also concentrated on my support hand grip. I could see how I was possibly getting a bit sloppy there. and dropping focus as the trigger was pulled. I put up a fresh target and stepped back to 15 hards to repeat the same drills. Again good results, though a few shots were wide or low, but overall satisfactory. 

I decided to test my concentration further by next shooting from 20 yards. I still had a used target up, but was really only concerned with any hits outside the -0 zone. To my delight, no wayward left shots. Of thirty rounds fired, mostly pairs from the draw, 6 fell outside the -0, and those were center but low. I was happy to see better results.

I also forced myself to do some strong hand only shooting. I've been working on that just about every range trip as it comes up frequently in matches. I did not try support hand shooting this time.

About midway through my practice session, a truck pulled up as I was reloading magazines. I figured I'd give up the range for the new arrival. Then I saw the range officer badge, and immediately wondered what I had done wrong! I had heard the person in the other bay shooting faster, with longer strings of fire than I had been doing. It didn't seem overly fast to me, but there's no actual defined standard. Then I realized this was that same person. Well, the rules do state that the definition of rapid fire is up to the range officer on duty. Turns out the gentleman just wanted to chat. We did so for awhile, which gave me a short break anyway.

As I often state, range practice can help, but is no indicator of match performance. I need walls, barrels, and other obstacles, as well as movement. All forbidden here. Nonetheless, I'll hopefully get back to the range another time or two before the next match. Knowing that the capability is still there can only be a boost. Some regular practice can't hurt either.

The Bishops Blend Robusto from Black Label Trading Company, was one of my top cigar picks for 2020. It so happens that I still had two from that year tucked away, though number that is now down to one. I've been itching to smoke another for some time and finally gave in to the temptation.

Bishops Blend is an annual limited release. This 2020 edition was created in two sizes, with only 450 boxes of 20 produced in each vitola. The blend is comprised of an Ecuadoran Maduro wrapper, an Ecuador Habano binder, and a mix of Nicaraguan, Connecticut broadleaf, and Pennsylvania broadleaf filler tobaccos. The smoke gives off rich flavors of coffee, cocoa, and some interesting dark fruit notes. There's a bit of pepper in there as well. Despite having rested in my humidor for three years, the flavor is still a flavorful medium to full bodied smoke.

Barrel Bourbon makes their mark on the bourbon market by sourcing, then blending and aging whiskies that have been initially aged in a wide variety of barrels. Vantage is a blend bourbons aged in Mizunara Oak, French Oak, and Toasted American Oak. The whiskies were sourced from distilleries in Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Further details are undisclosed. This bottle is marked at 114.62 proof.

The aroma is a mix of floral and fruit with light oak. There's little evidence of the proof in the nose. The fruit notes continue, along with some cinnamon and a toasted aspect come forward on the palate. The mouthfeel and finish is creamy and buttery with lingering spice. The match up with Bishops Blend is pleasant and well suited.

I've become a fan of the various Barrel blends. The lineup is quite extensive and of limited availability in Virginia. I try to seek them out whenever I can, especially the new annual releases.

Despite the extreme heat warning our area was facing, I still enjoyed the evening repast on the screen porch. The 5" x 48 robusto supplied a 60 minute smoking time which was just right for the outdoor temperature that lingered into the evening.

Cheers!

The Eiroa Lancero measures 7" x 38 and comes packaged in a tissue paper wrapper hiding most of the cigar. I know it's a marketing thing, but these coverings seem superfluous and serve to mask the natural beauty of the cigar wrapper. But, my forte is not marketing, so what do I know? The Honduran puro has a reddish brown wrapper that features a tiny pigtail on the cap, which I didn't notice until I was cutting it off.

The draw was looser than I prefer. The cigar had a habit of going out with a slightest bit of inattention and I ended up relighting several time. The first few puffs were surprisingly spicy, with the pepper initially shocking my throat and sinuses. A creamy nuttiness joined the mix to buffer the spice a bit. It remained a strongly flavored smoke throughout with an edge of bitterness.

Despite, or maybe because of, the bitter aspect of the cigar, it had no issues standing up the (desired) bitterness of the espresso. I don't add sugar usually to espresso, preferring the strong bitter flavor to the sweet. The treat was a pleasant way to pass a relaxing afternoon.

Perhaps the cool weather was the impetus behind the larger than normal crowd for this month's IDPA match at Cavalier Rifle & Pistol Club -- our squad consisted of 18 shooters. 

Most of the stages this day featured plenty of movement, including several that involved backing up while shooting, and most presented many options for shooting. That often also meant lots of discussion during and after the stage brief before shooting the stage. Discussions the went on for too long at times in my opinion. Combined with the larger crowd, it made for a long day, with prolonged interludes between actual shooting.

Stage 1 began with the unloaded firearm on a table mid-stage, and all spare magazines on an adjacent table. After engaging the three open targets in front, the next fault line was slightly back and to the left. The shooter then turned and moved further up range to shoot another target. Advancing from there, two more shooting positions were encountered for a total of eight targets. I finished my first stage 0 points down, getting off to a good start.

Stage 2 had us seated facing up range, with the loaded firearm placed on a barrel at the first shooting position. All spare loading devices were left on another barrel at the next fault line. After retrieving the firearm we engaged the visible targets and moved down range to retrieve any needed magazines and engage the targets as they became visible. Alas, not a lot of joy for me here, with 12 points down and a hit on a non-threat. Sadly, that trend would be repeated at several more stages.

The next course of fire had a simple setup consisting of a long fault line and four targets, two open and two partially blocked by barrels. The first target was shot up close and from retention. After engaging the close target, the partial exposed to the left of the barrel, then the head shot only target, I moved down the line midway to get the tuxedo target behind the right side of the barrel. Four or five shots fired, and most of them sounded like they were hitting a barrel! Despite making both the head shots, I still was 10 points down. I was not shooting very accurately at all, and the fun of shooting was being overtaken by frustration.

Okay, let's try this again. Moving on to Stage 4 we saw a rather complex setup that left a lot of shooters confused. The layout seemed to be a closed course of barrels, walls, and chains with no apparent access to several of the targets. The stage briefing explained that we would need to back out and go around the wall to the up range side of the course stage where we saw the final targets. Even after the explanation there was a frustratingly extended period of discussions on "gaming" the stage.

The brief was actually pretty straightforward once read. The loaded firearm was placed on one barrel with the spare magazines on the nearby barrel, and the shooter was seated on a bench a couple yards back. There was an open target with a non-threat directly on front, and most of the remaining targets were visible with small adjustments from the start point, while some could optionally be shot from the final positions. For two of the final targets minimally the shooter needed to make the circuitous route around the back of the bench and around the wall to the right then advance to a chained off area to shoot the remaining targets. Those last two targets, and any unengaged targets were then shot. The biggest caveat was "muzzle awareness" when making the loop. I shot it with only a slightly better result and heard "down 10" for this stage.

Frustration was still on my mind. In looking at my hits, and as was pointed out by the SO, whatever I was "seeing" had my shots falling directly to the left, in tights groups. I wasn't jerking the trigger to shoot low and left, but it looked like I was sighting to the left.

Stage 5 was another standards type stage. Five targets and three non-threats were lined up 10 yards distant with each requiring one hit. I shot the stage without any makeup shots and was -1. Obviously the issue I've been having is not the gun. Seems to be "the Indian not the arrow" as the expression goes.

To finish the day we made the hike up "the hill" for Stage 6. This was another "running" stage, with lots of walls and many ways to go through the course. Depending on how you went through it different targets had to be shot from different positions due to the shooter being exposed to them. There was again a fair amount of discussion before we actually got to the shooting. And yet again I was 10 points down for the nine targets. 

It was a long but fun day of shooting with good friends. After starting a little after 9:00 AM I was finally in the car to head home at 2:45 PM. I was happy that the temperature never even hit 80° until I was on the way home. While it was not an extraordinary long day, it was longer than typical -- and the ride home was another hour and 20 minutes. 

I was disappointed to have shot so many -1 hits throughout the match. That frustration can easily detract from the fun. Upon review I feel like a lack of applicable practice with few matches to put it into practice doesn't help. I struggled with many of the shots leaning around walls, and was probably thinking too much about the next target. This recent aberration of shooting to the left is frustrating for sure. At least these days, it's just about the fun of shooting and spending the day with good people. Still, better shooting will add to the pleasure. It seems the best solution is to shoot more!

I had enjoyed a sunny afternoon with a Sierra Nevada Celebration, one from 2020 that had been hiding in the back of the beer fridge. This annual winter release is always anticipated for its fresh hop goodness. They usually don't last long here, but at least the bottle ensured it retained most of its flavor.

The cigar smoked was Plasencia Reserva Original. Being a Nicaraguan puro, (a blend I have been gravitating to of late) I get the expected mash of espresso, cedar, pepper, and dark cherry notes, all softened with some sweet bread. The cigar is medium bodied, but richly flavored. 

I had some trepidation how the cigar and beer would match up, but surprisingly the flavors melded well. This cigar is something one could enjoy in the morning with coffee, or with an after dinner bourbon. And, obviously, a hoppy beer. 

The glassware I used was a promotional glass I had picked up years ago at some "Steal the Glass"event at a local pub. With an easy to hold shape, and embossed with the brewery name on one side, and the Celebration on the other, it makes fun glass to use with a fun beer. (And for added bling in the Instagram shot.) Alas, as I was washing the glass the next day, as I place my hand and sponge into the glass, it shattered. Granted the glass was at least a decade old, but I am always careful to not forcibly shove my hand inside.

The glass was one of a pair, and we've accumulated hundreds of logo glasses over the years, so only a sentimental loss. The sharp edge did make a pretty significant slice on my hand. Actually more of a filet than deep cut. I'll spare you photo of the wound or bloody sink. 

I needed another drink after this.

Have a guilt-free weekend.

While there are some limitations, discussed later, I find Cigar Scanner to be a useful tool. A while back the app was pulled from the App Store when Apple declared it a threat to the well being of the public. Like most liberal "woke" companies, Apple deems they knew better than their adult users how they should conduct themselves and what legal activities they should participate in. However, in what might be considered an improvement the developers recognized that the iPhone has the ability to convert any web page into an application. When visiting the Cigar Scanner website on an iPhone one is prompted to add Cigar Scanner to the Home Screen. Doing so creates an icon that runs the website as a standalone app. It's actually quite a handy featured for many web-based utilities. Since it's online, the app can be updated by the developer easily and often. It also gives Neptune the ability to provide links to purchase specific cigars directly from links in the app and to advertise promotions.

The My Cigars tab simply shows a running list of cigars smoked. Any cigar is listed just once, so each time it is repeated the entry is updated to the current date. Clicking through to a cigar presents a screen with pictures of the cigar, user ratings, pricing info, a description, and various specifications like manufacturer and leaf stats, all from Neptune's database. There are also places to add personal notes and ratings, as well as smoking time. The pricing information reflects Neptune's price but can be edited as well if you really want to closely track the cost of your hobby. (Sometimes ignorance is bliss.)

The My Humidors tab is where you create lists to track what is in your humidor, with the ability to set up more than one collection if needed. It is here that I get most of my use of Cigar Scanner. All cigars I acquire are added along with the quantity on hand. I have also started tracking where the cigar was purchased in case I happen to want more later. When a cigar is smoked, I reduce the count and also add the entry to My Cigars. I reference the humidor listing frequently since I prefer to give a cigar at least a month, if not more, to rest at "home" before lighting up. Being able to easily check when a cigar was purchased is useful to deter over eagerness.

If a cigar is not found in the Neptune data, it can be added manually. This is a somewhat convoluted process but once figured out is doable. The search screen offers a place to enter the name of the cigar, and if it's not found then shows a link to "Add your cigar." The next screen requires the name to be entered again and then provides a link labeled "Create custom cigars." On the following screen you once again enter the cigar name, along with a required description. There are also pull down menus to enter various other bits of info. A limit is that only a single choice in each stat is selectable. If a cigar has multiple fillers for example, only one of the listed options is useable. As such, and to save time, I simply put all the info I want to save in the description. Clicking "Create" then adds the cigar to your journal.

If you are adding a cigar you've smoked, you are finished. However, if you need to add the new listing to your humidor list there are a few more steps. Selecting the newly added cigar from your journal list will give you the option to then add it to your humidor list. Afterwards you locate the listing on the humidor page and adjust the quantity as needed. The original entry can then be deleted from the journal list if the cigar has not actually been smoked yet. Cigars that are in the database already, even if Neptune doesn't sell them do not require any of these custom steps, and are simply added to any of the lists right from the cigar's description page. Just remember to update any quantity info in the humidor if needed. Cigars that are purchased online from Neptune can be added directly, complete with quantity info, right from the order confirmation page. There is a also a feature to identify a cigar from a picture of the label, but I have had mixed success with that process.

Over the past few years, it seems like more and more cigars are found in the database, even if Neptune doesn't sell them currently. The application is also updated in the background frequently. The lists can be sorted by date, rating, and name. As your lists get longer, scrolling through them can take time as they load. However, there is a Filter by Name feature that can speed it up if you are looking for a specific cigar. Any one time I believe there was a feature to filter other attributes but that is no longer present.

Despite the limitations, I find Cigar Scanner very handy for managing my cigar collection. I am not sure if the convenience of the Home Screen App feature is offered by non-iOS devices, but the web page functionality is the same. 

Hardly a day goes by when we aren't informed that yet another part of life considered by the woke to be racist, or damaging to the climate, or some other imagined offense. Not too surprisingly, even wildfires are deemed both climate damaging AND racist. 

So I wasn't shocked, amused actually, to find out a German "environmentalist" group is warning about the dangers to our health created by blogging.

Adding to my concern, even this meager blog generated 45,000 visits last month, tripling the alert threshold of the European group.