Christmas Get-Together in the Boondocks

So I was invited to meet some neighbors this afternoon and pop a few caps. D&L would be there, and J&H, and maybe a couple of others. We met at J&H's hacienda, then convoyed a few hundred yards to the very nice range our cop neighbor had built. The "couple of others" turned out to be Dave the UPS driver - who I expect pretty much everybody in the nearby little town knows - and his wife.

D the UPS D does a lot of delivery business with J&H, who run a business out of their house. He'd planned a series of surprises for her, starting with a horseback ride in the boonies. She didn't know why he was dragging her to the back of beyond and he wouldn't tell her until they got to J&H's, where they've got a bunch of well-trained horses. She was happy as a well-fed elf as she mounted one of H's beautiful little mares. H had the mean-ass stallion that she rides on endurance races, and together they went off down the wash. We wouldn't see them again for a couple of hours.

The rest of us were pretty much done shooting when they met us at the range, where she got her next surprise, a cute little S&W LadySmith revolver. Again she was the picture of delight, blazing away at our resident JBT's reactive targets. Altogether a sweet scene. I've known D the UPS D for a couple of years now, and a nicer fellow never lived. It was very pleasant to be able to play a part in his gifts to his wife.

So I spent a pleasant afternoon away from the ridge today. The weather cooperated, and a lovely time was had by all. I'm tired and hungry, and looking with dismay at all the clean-up I've got to do. A little disorder goes a long way in the lair, I'm afraid, and I've got guns to clean.