M-Taliesin
Regular Member
Howdy Folks!
What started out as a really delightful day ended with an incident that looked like I'd be forced to shoot to kill!
We left home this morning around 8am, and already running a couple of hours tardy to meet LoneEchoWolf down in Alamosa.
But we headed south in the Jeep and made terrific time until we got to Colorado Springs. I decided I should stop and talk with the folks who run the place about our planned OC Meet and Greet next Saturday. They were most helpful and we're set for our meet at 2:00pm, but that's another thread.
With that bit of business out of the way, my wife and I took on sustenance at Starbucks and got back on the road.
We stopped in Walsenburg to eliminate the coffee we'd consumed from Starbucks, and let Gator get out and stretch his legs, which don't actually.
Anyhow, we chatted cordially with some folks at the rest-stop before moving on through Walsenburg and onto 160 westbound.
Aside from being real tardy, we soon crossed the summit of LaVeta Pass and rolled through Fort Garland. Soon enough we were looking at Blanca in the rear view mirrors and closing in on Alamosa.
Once we finally regained use of our cellular phones (not too darn many towers east of Mosa) I sent a text message to LoneEchoWolf in order to let him know we'd be partaking of the world class cuisine found at McDonalds. He was already there when we arrived, and sporting his Glock 17 9mm. He had a friend along with him, but he was unarmed. LoneEchoWolf immediately recognized the RIA 1911 on my hip from the photo I posted on this forum. Besides, wasn't anybody else OC'ing there except him and me, so it was pretty easy for us to figure out who we each were looking for!
After getting our order, we decided to eat outside in the warm sunshins of a San Luis Valley day, and enjoyed some lively conversation that covered everything from Guns to OC to issues about cops, and a whole bunch more. Once our simple repast was consumed and the area tidied up, LoneEchoWolf's friend left us and he joined us as we boarded the Jeep and headed out to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. We visited the gift shop/welcome center, and had to disarm while inside, and we noted they had a sticker on the front door illustrating that firearms were not received warmly there. After doing a bit of looking around, and parting with about 30 bucks, we climbed back into the Jeep and heaed through the park. I shot some photos and we all marvelled at some of those folks who climbed all the way to the top of the dunes. They are a whole lot higher than you'd think. We then travelled part of a 4 wheel drive road, but didn't go too far on that one.
Once we got back to Mosa, LoneEchoWolf joined us as we shopped at a local Safeway. It was the first time our companion had OC'ed in there, so it was new for him. Anyhow, we dropped him off and parted company with a promise we'd be back soon as possible to enjoy another visit with him. He is a really likable young man of about 25years of age, bright and a really nice fellow.
The wife and I along with Gator headed back north intending to travel home by a different route. So we headed off in the direction of Fairplay, but decided to go east on 24 toward Colorado Springs just south of Buena Vista. Before long we were racing across the South Park hitting like 80 mph through there. The thing about South Park is.... there ain't much of anything out there, and few people on the roads.
Once we reached the summit of Wilkerson Pass, we stopped at a rest area to use the facilities and take some more photos.
At this point, I'm going to shorten the story because this has gotten really much longer than intended.
After passing through Lake George, Florissant and Divide, we found ourselves in an incident that got ugly really fast. It looked seriously as if an accident was brewing, and somebody was likely to be seriously injured or killed. My only possible response was to observe the scene unfolding before me, and anticipate the next move. I was certain, based on the facts at the time, that I'd end up needing to draw my firearm with intent to eliminate a threat by shooting to kill. You know how bad that can be. Explaining to the cops why I shot, violating the whole "no discharge of a firearm within the city limits of Woodland Park", all those questions they'd be determined to ask, and me trying to explain that I was there and on the scene with the ability to shoot, while they were.... well... who knows where.
So I'll process the photos tomorrow (probably) and get those up for ya'll to see.
Anyhow, as I mentioned, this is getting really long, and I should fetch in the camera to download the photos I took today of our new friend LoneEchoWolf and get my Irish bum to bed because this Irish bum has a day job to manage in the morning, and I'm plumb wore out!
Blessings,
M-Taliesin
What started out as a really delightful day ended with an incident that looked like I'd be forced to shoot to kill!
We left home this morning around 8am, and already running a couple of hours tardy to meet LoneEchoWolf down in Alamosa.
But we headed south in the Jeep and made terrific time until we got to Colorado Springs. I decided I should stop and talk with the folks who run the place about our planned OC Meet and Greet next Saturday. They were most helpful and we're set for our meet at 2:00pm, but that's another thread.
With that bit of business out of the way, my wife and I took on sustenance at Starbucks and got back on the road.
We stopped in Walsenburg to eliminate the coffee we'd consumed from Starbucks, and let Gator get out and stretch his legs, which don't actually.
Anyhow, we chatted cordially with some folks at the rest-stop before moving on through Walsenburg and onto 160 westbound.
Aside from being real tardy, we soon crossed the summit of LaVeta Pass and rolled through Fort Garland. Soon enough we were looking at Blanca in the rear view mirrors and closing in on Alamosa.
Once we finally regained use of our cellular phones (not too darn many towers east of Mosa) I sent a text message to LoneEchoWolf in order to let him know we'd be partaking of the world class cuisine found at McDonalds. He was already there when we arrived, and sporting his Glock 17 9mm. He had a friend along with him, but he was unarmed. LoneEchoWolf immediately recognized the RIA 1911 on my hip from the photo I posted on this forum. Besides, wasn't anybody else OC'ing there except him and me, so it was pretty easy for us to figure out who we each were looking for!
After getting our order, we decided to eat outside in the warm sunshins of a San Luis Valley day, and enjoyed some lively conversation that covered everything from Guns to OC to issues about cops, and a whole bunch more. Once our simple repast was consumed and the area tidied up, LoneEchoWolf's friend left us and he joined us as we boarded the Jeep and headed out to the Great Sand Dunes National Monument. We visited the gift shop/welcome center, and had to disarm while inside, and we noted they had a sticker on the front door illustrating that firearms were not received warmly there. After doing a bit of looking around, and parting with about 30 bucks, we climbed back into the Jeep and heaed through the park. I shot some photos and we all marvelled at some of those folks who climbed all the way to the top of the dunes. They are a whole lot higher than you'd think. We then travelled part of a 4 wheel drive road, but didn't go too far on that one.
Once we got back to Mosa, LoneEchoWolf joined us as we shopped at a local Safeway. It was the first time our companion had OC'ed in there, so it was new for him. Anyhow, we dropped him off and parted company with a promise we'd be back soon as possible to enjoy another visit with him. He is a really likable young man of about 25years of age, bright and a really nice fellow.
The wife and I along with Gator headed back north intending to travel home by a different route. So we headed off in the direction of Fairplay, but decided to go east on 24 toward Colorado Springs just south of Buena Vista. Before long we were racing across the South Park hitting like 80 mph through there. The thing about South Park is.... there ain't much of anything out there, and few people on the roads.
Once we reached the summit of Wilkerson Pass, we stopped at a rest area to use the facilities and take some more photos.
At this point, I'm going to shorten the story because this has gotten really much longer than intended.
After passing through Lake George, Florissant and Divide, we found ourselves in an incident that got ugly really fast. It looked seriously as if an accident was brewing, and somebody was likely to be seriously injured or killed. My only possible response was to observe the scene unfolding before me, and anticipate the next move. I was certain, based on the facts at the time, that I'd end up needing to draw my firearm with intent to eliminate a threat by shooting to kill. You know how bad that can be. Explaining to the cops why I shot, violating the whole "no discharge of a firearm within the city limits of Woodland Park", all those questions they'd be determined to ask, and me trying to explain that I was there and on the scene with the ability to shoot, while they were.... well... who knows where.
So I'll process the photos tomorrow (probably) and get those up for ya'll to see.
Anyhow, as I mentioned, this is getting really long, and I should fetch in the camera to download the photos I took today of our new friend LoneEchoWolf and get my Irish bum to bed because this Irish bum has a day job to manage in the morning, and I'm plumb wore out!
Blessings,
M-Taliesin