Townsville Annual Shoot

18 July 2022

Working Mums might know this feeling... when you have a day off during the week and you feel as though you will achieve so much during school hours. Perception versus reality can be a bit unbalanced on these days.

Days off during the week used to be a regular occurrence for me. Not so this year. Cody suggested staying home to keep me company on Friday (nice try kid), but I agreed to drive him to school. He looked at my dressing gown and ugg boots and noted that I shouldn't get out of the car if I was going like that. I had no intention of any such thing - it's cold!

I managed to get some work done on my Cert IV assessments, and prepared for (another) drive. I picked Cody up from school and we headed to Townsville. My boy is a pretty keen clay target shooter these days, so I dug out my trap gun and we went to the Townsville Annual Shoot. You know it's been a long time when you have to think hard about the combination that opens the gun case (I managed to get into it without too much difficulty). I haven't shot much Down the Line in recent years. I was getting a stock made before I was even pregnant with Cody, then work halted (because body shapes can change thanks to pregnancy), and it's still not finished. The amount that I use the gun suggests that it's not at all urgent. I managed a win with it six weeks after Cody was born, so we decided it could wait. The egg that I now have on my right cheek would suggest otherwise, but that's more likely operator error and my own stupid fault for lifting my head.

Thanks to Phil Russell of Townsville Gun Club for the photos from the facebook page.

I managed a couple of prizes on Saturday (here I am receiving my "Skeet" bag - it says Big Rack Designs all over it, and I love it!) which added to the enjoyment of the weekend, but the best part was that the four of us (Mum, Dad, Cody and I) were all squadded together.

My early memories of Townsville Gun Club were during childhood, when we would camp on the grounds in a tent. I don't think I remember going there before my brother was born, but I definitely remember having to keep an eye on him when he was little while Mum and Dad were shooting. It's changed a bit since then, but it still feels the same, and we always have a good time there.

Cody's first visit was when he was three months old, and this was his first trip as a shooter. We haven't gone full circle with the camping though. That first trip was when Cody first met Uncle Teddy - thanks for the photo Uncle Teddy. Here's a presentation photo from that same event. Thanks to Carol Betteridge for that one.

I was working on this post along the highway between Charters Towers and the Belyando Crossing. We were parked there for over four hours waiting to get through after the road was closed due to an accident. It makes you stop and reassess a few things. I have no idea what happened (we were way back in the line up), but it was serious enough for the Rescue Chopper to arrive.

It was a bit fresh stopping for fuel at Clermont at stupid o'clock - no need to splash water on my face to stay awake! We eventually arrived home just before 2am, and neither of us moved especially quickly this morning. I made it home from work as far as the lounge this afternoon and I could possibly be in bed with the chooks this evening.

Luckily I had shot a "back-up" image to submit for this week's 52Frames challenge, so my streak remains in play. (As does my Wordle streak, which is currently 56, and I hope saying it out loud doesn't jinx it in some Beetlejuice kind of way...) This week is "A Common Object", which I will give some thought to after a few REM cycles.

Last week was "Negative Space", and I wanted to include something botanical in the subject matter and story. This little girl has made an appearance in a couple of my floristry projects. She has so much presence about her, and there's so much story around her. What I had in my head was a tiny figure walking through a forest of tall trees with negative space above and beside her.
I created something close to that and positioned it in the greenhouse, then lay on the ground to photograph her. I really need to tidy that greenhouse... Add it to the list!

I might not have had as a productive a Friday as I had hoped, but we made it to Townsville without incident, had a great weekend (which included Mexican food and Zarraffa''s coffee) and after which made it home safely (several hours later than planned, but home and safe nonetheless). Someone wasn't as fortunate.

I'll try again this week for a "productive" Friday.

It's been quite a party, ain't it

Purple Fairy