I have somewhere between thirty
and forty holsters in a variety of styles -- shoulder, belt, pocket,
inside-the-waist-band, cross-draw, whatever -- so I certainly have no need for
another. But, and that is a very big but .... hmmmm .... I have wanted a "chest
holster" for a few years and finally decided it was now or never. A quality
chest holster costs around a hundred dollars or more. The primary reason I
never have bought one is because I am a penny pincher by nature. What you see
here is my latest acquisition -- a handmade, Diamond D chest holster specifically
tailored for a Model 1911 pistol. The Wasilla, Alaska, firm has a reputation for producing the best chest holsters on the
market .... and, they should be the best when the price tag is $175. Only custom-made holsters cost more. That
is nearly twice what I ever have paid for any other holster. Only boys who are
filthy rich or those who spend every dime they make on firearms and related
gear will toss out that much money on a holster. And no, that is not me wearing
it. The photographs are from a Diamond D advertisement. I have been wearing mine
around the house and yard since it arrived, and I believe it would be a bargain
at twice the price. It is the most comfortable and convenient holster I own,
and it could even serve as a concealed-carry holster with a heavy shirt or a
coat. I think I will save my pennies and buy another one or two to fit other
handguns I own.
History
repeats itself .... sort of ....
I
stumbled onto the blogs in August 2008 following a young lady who moved here
from her newspaper blog. I started my own blog in January 2009, about two weeks
before I began this one on January 21, 2009. Today is the anniversary of this
blog -- the tenth anniversary.
My
first blog centered on the outdoors and, more specifically, on canoeing. I dropped
it about two weeks after I began this one, figuring I could include anything I
wanted to write about the outdoors here, but a blog specifically about the
outdoors was rather limiting in scope. I like to talk/write about anything and
everything, as some of you probably have noticed.
Back on point: Ten years here on this blog, writing these posts -- an entire decade -- not even a blink in the concept of time, but a long time in another sense: Think of it in terms of the age of an individual transitioning from a ten-year-old child to a twenty-year-old adult. In that sense, it represents a tremendous change. In the instance of me being here ten years, I cannot be certain what it represents .... lost in space, maybe ....
I know a thing or two I've learned from you
When
I think of the band, the Byrds, I think of Roger
McGuinn, who actually is the only member whose name I do know. When I think of the Flying Burrito
Brothers .... well, I do not think of them because I cannot recall ever hearing
of the group until recently. When I think of Emmylou Harris, I think only of Emmylou Harris. When I think of Ingram Cecil Connor III, I think of .... whoa ....
wait .... what was that name again?
The
name does not ring any bells. Neither does the name Gram Parsons, which was
Connor's stage name. If he had not died in 1973 at age twenty-seven from a
fatal mix of booze and narcotics, his name might well be as recognizable as
those of Mick
Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Charlie Watts who are the primary
ingredients of the Rolling Stones. Parsons was their contemporary and a
particular friend of Keith Richards. The two even performed, "Wild Horses,"
together, a song Parsons recorded before the version by the Stones came out and one some
contend was written by Richards and Jagger for Parsons to sing.
Parsons is best known for his work with the Byrds and
the Flying Burrito Brothers. He popularized what he called "Cosmic
American Music," a hybrid of country, rhythm and blues, soul, folk and
rock. He also recorded as a solo artist and with the International Submarine Band. Parsons
has been labeled the "cosmic cowboy" and called by some the father of
country-rock.
I am not a particular fan of Emmylou Harris, but I do
listen to "her stuff" now and then, and that is how I encountered Parsons. She
and he often sang together. Harris was divorced and Parsons was unhappily
married; feel free to speculate. That is enough about Parsons for
now. Anyone who is curious can easily learn more and listen to more by popping his
name into an internet search pattern. I hope you do. In the meanwhile, here are
Parsons and Harris singing, "Love Hurts."
Also
present is a rendition of a song originally composed and performed by members
of the band Nightwish. The piece is entitled, "Ghost Love Score," but the
performers here are odds and ends musicians from a variety of countries. The singer
is a young lady from Brazil, Juliana Furlani. A complete list of the performers
is at the close. I have grown somewhat attached to this song. It is one of my favorite "chair dancing" tunes and I listen to it
frequently.
8 comments:
Ten years since you started your blog, Fram; time flies so fast. I am glad that you are still writing and sharing with us different topics and ideas. I think I am reading your blog during seven years or maybe longer. I still remember your fascination with the sea of blogs at the beginning. And I remember many things you shared with us.
Well, I was reading your blog and learning how to use English from you, Fram. You always fascinated me with your choice of words and expressions. When I first discovered your blog I was shy to write comments to you, but you always was kind and tolerant of my mistakes.
What does ten years writing on your blog mean? I don't know either but I believe that the virtual reality is very close to reality in many ways. We talk, we share, we express ourselves.
Happy Anniversary the blog "Sort of San Francisco Club"!!! I wish you, Fram plenty of new ideas and inspiration!
I like music you chose for this post but I have never listened to these groups. You know so much about singers and groups, Fram.
Have a nice week!
Hei Fram!
Nice post!I wonder what are you using the holster for?Is it just for fun or is it work??I like it..but i need a gun to place there:)))
Show us a private shoot of it I would love to see it:)))
So you have been here a loong time...That is a rare thing you have been here so long..You must like it..!!I think myself also has been here for a long time..May be to long..But for me its a kind of diary--I am not going to delete it..Rather refresh some of the blogs ..as the Art blog..How is it with a the young girls you happened to know?Do you still have contact?
I also like the two pieces of music..the first one I recall was a.bit faster with Nazareth but this one is really good!
Ghost Love Score - Nightwish.Still -i am not so found of Floor singing it But it is allright as well:)))
Ok today I have been out side Snow shoveling ))It isn't fun, but I had to do it it because its so much snow and ice over here--also put salt (Which funks no good it is away in a blink)and gravel on the little track and for the cars down the little hill..Have you any experience with what to put on the ice so we dont slide our cars downhill?It is pich black here in the wood where i live.I am not going out unless I have a torch with me after Four in the evening..Ok have to do something with my aching muscles after the shoveling -- a warm bath may be or Yoga..and later watch True Detectiveon Netflix season 3 apisode 3 :)))love that now becoming alzheimer investigator
MAHERSHALA ALI,where he plays a former VIETNAM WAR PATROL SCOUT.LRRPs represent a special unit of the armed forces that had a particularly high body count. The teams usually consisted of four to six specially trained soldiers, who would perform deadly missions in enemy territory. While there were segments of the military that included specially trained personnel to carry out immensely dangerous missions before the Vietnam War, little is known about LRRPs beforehand, according to the Long-Range Reconnaissance Association (LRRA()Copy from Newsweek)It is a very good serie and got 9 at IBDNb.
See you around :)))Anita
I forgot--Happy Anniversary the blog "Sort of San Francisco Club":)))
I usually say time flies no matter if you are having fun or not, Kaya, and I think that is an absolute truth. In this instance, it has been an extremely fast ten years. It occurred to me today that during those years I have lived at eight different addresses, and too long at my current one. Time for a change, at least in that regard, and possibly in others, as well.
I was very enthused about the sea of blogs for a time, but that infatuation has ended and I am overdue for moving on to a new experience. I do agree with you "that the virtual reality is very close to reality in many ways. We talk, we share, we express ourselves."
I often have said people I know on the blogs are comparable to people I have worked with at newspapers and in the department of corrections. The only real difference to me has been that we do not go out for drinks after work or have office parties during the holiday seasons, although I am aware of some bloggers who have met and done things together. You might recall I spent a few months in Poland, going there to meet a young lady I initially met through the blogs. That was in 2009-2010, so it may have been before you and I encountered one another here. Anyway, sometimes some of us actually do meet, if that is part of our destinies.
There is no reason for you to be shy about your language skills, Kaya. You have an excellent command of the English language. You might note that I do not attempt to communicate in any language other than English. I know a bit about this one and that one, but have no ability to make myself understood in any language but English. In English, too, I am lacking in many ways.
The people in the second video are not part of an organized group per se. One of them apparently got the idea of a multi-national collection of musicians performing a well-known song together, gathered the people to do it and organized it. I frequently am amazed at the talent and the intelligence to be found in the youth of today, and I truly hope they will find ways to work together to achieve a far greater harmony than exists in this world today.
Thank you, Kaya, for coming and for writing and for the anniversary wish. Take care, be safe, be happy .... I always am pleased when you come to visit me here ....
Initially the holster will be used for fun and games, in a manner of speaking. Whether it will be used for "work" depends on what work should come my way which the holster is suited for and how proficient I become with it. Proficiency only comes through repetition, no matter if the project is physical or mental in nature. It would require much time and practice for me to become more proficient with this holster than I am with those which I have been using for a long time. Your question is one which only can be answer by the words, "we shall see."
I rarely practice during the cold weather months, but, maybe, next summer I will produce a few photographs of a "private shoot" for you.
I have no regular contact with any "young girls," Anita, past or present, other than the exchange of holiday greetings.
"Love Hurts" is one of those songs which has been recorded many, many times over the years. The Everly Brothers were the first to record it nearly sixty years ago and the band, Nazareth, made it famous. I listen to as many variations of it as I am able to find, and like most of them. Actually, I had not heard the Gram Parsons / Emmylou Harris rendition before a week or so ago. At least, I do not recall ever hearing it. I do not think I could choose my favorite / preferred version. Here is one I like .... try it: https://youtu.be/xhv4f6FjWNM
I could tell you some real horror stories about driving on icy roads, Anita. There was a time I had a car do three complete turnarounds and stop pointed in the same direction it originally was going. I had a monster hill to get up when I lived in Dakota: It was about two hundred yards long, began with a forty-five degree turn at the bottom so it could not be approached at great speed and the grade itself was even steeper. There were many occasions I only got about two-thirds of the way up the hill before my car / truck came to a halt. At times when the road was solid ice -- which was sort of often -- my vehicle would slide back down the entire way, sometimes turning completely around one or more times. Eventually, I turned the process into a game so that I would laugh about it.
LRRP stands for Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols and is sort of an army operation. Norway has such units, too, in case you were not aware. The Marine Corps has battalion and fleet reconnaissance units. Force Recon is pretty much the same thing as the Navy SEAL units, but do not get the publicity. They are parachute and scuba trained. Marine Recon teams typically are twice as large as Army LRRPs and more heavily armed. The Corps also has its own Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). I could write more (much, much more), but it probably would end up to be a book.
We are supposed to get a bit of snow tonight and Tuesday, then plummeting temperatures. It would seem January finally remembered who and what it is. So, I think I will wrap this note up with that.
Thank you, Anita, for coming and for writing and for the anniversary wish. Try not to shovel too much snow and stay toasty warm. I send you wishes for good fortune and good weather ....
Congratulations, you've blogged for ten years.
I started blogging in July 2010.
I found your blog when I was looking for information about Finns who lived in Michigan in the 19th century.
You wrote a snowy winter in Michigan.
I remember from childhood when there was a shotgun and a rifle at home.
At that time, the father hunted the birds and the hare.
In Finland, it is more difficult to get a weapons license than in America. I can be wrong.
In America, people have more weapons at home than in Finland. More general.
Here mainly in the countryside hunting and handguns on the shooting range hobby.
Today it seemed good to listen to the more tranquil music of the first video. Thank you!
Nightwist felt uneasy. Sure, it's a great presentation.
Listening to music varies according to mood.
It will not be much longer before you have reached the decade mark, Liplatus, and when it happens you will, no doubt, wonder where the years disappeared to .... thoughts about how rapidly the years come and go make me shudder.
Yes, I recall your initial inquiries and my searches for information. Even though I had lived in the Upper Peninsula and written a history column for the newspaper I was at, I was unaware how many mining accidents there had been over the years. Goegibic County, which is where your relatives were from, if I remember correctly, had a number of accidents and obtaining the names of the fatalities was / is difficult. I did find two or three potential sources of information, but I never got around to going back to examine them.
The fact that you did not provide a name due to privacy concerns made the task equivalent to looking for a needle in a haystack. If I live long enough (speaking factiously), I will try to search again. It really would help if you would supply the family name .... hint, hint ....
I also recall you mentioning that your father hunted. I do not know how laws and regulations affect firearms ownership specifically in Finland, but my assumption is that they are similar to those in most other European countries and very restrictive. That is one reason I could not permanently live in Europe. Firearms laws and regulations vary here in different states, too, which complicates matters. Some states allow concealed carry of handguns without a permit; some with a permit; some do not allow it at all. Some states allow open carry, just like during frontier times. The laws which exist in certain states are a major factor in my decisions of where I live, even here in the U.S. Guns have been an important part of my life since I was a boy -- perhaps their role has been overly important to me, but that is what and who I am ....
Music has differing meanings for me. There are times I am in the mood for hard rock, other times soft, yet other times for classical, sometimes for film soundtracks. Other times I will play a certain style of music if I want to initiate a particular mood. I have no list of my ten favorite songs in a particular order, but the song, "Love Hurts," has been among my top preferences since the day I first heard it. I have other songs in the same category and it is possible that if my feelings about, "Ghost Love Score," are as enthusiastic a decade from now is they are today, it may enter the realm of my "preferred songs."
Thank you, Liplatus, for coming and for writing and for the anniversary wish. I send my wishes for everything that is good and fine to be your constant companion ....
Having been a journalist once upon a time, and still dabbling with it, unlike many so-called reporters and editors of today, I try to stick to the facts and make corrections to any errors. I wrote in my post that Gram Parsons died at age 27. Actually, he was 26 and 47 days short of his 27th birthday.
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