O.K.; great weather and my wife Pat and Maeve the pit and I, made a picnic with Chardonnay, artichoke hearts, lobster spread, cheddar with port wine, garlic & herb cheese and extra sharp cheddar and water crackers with my own homemade smoked kielbasa.
Now that the important part of the day is taken care of, ....now the piddilly stuff. Cannons.
Since this was the much quoted and revered American Artillery Association, I expected to see what we are often admonished to do by their quoted guide-lines. However; only one of the seven cannons on the line, had a crew using a bent rammer.
There were five mortars, including one with a long tube and an owner who was happier than a clam at high tide
and one newly built and mounted on a wheeled carriage. He had ignition problems. The caps wouldn't ignite the charge and had to revert to fuse. The shooter next to him suggested he use "shotgun primers". I offer this as a possible solution, if anyone else has this experience.
In the morning, the dead-on test rounds, landed 10-12 feet to the right of target with the wind blowing pretty hard. By afternoon, the windage adjustment was 3-4 feet.
Talk about impressive gunning
.....look at this target! This crew had the advantage of being able to function with one less person. Count his hands. I was afraid to ask if his name was "Kilroy"
