What are you doing this weekend?

What is your family favorite activity for Memorial day? Watch a parade, nice family dinner, perhaps visit a park, or go for a hike, maybe take the 4 wheelers for a spin? Sounds like a great all American weekend to me. But as with anything, you have to make sure you remain safe, and can deal with most of the situations you may encounter.

So you have packed a first aid kit, compass, maps, sunscreen, a hat, copious quantities of water, a phone, spare phone battery, and you've let someone know where your going, and when you are expected back. But hang on, is that all you need?

There are a variety of animals out there that see you as their memorial day dinner! It also seems that the immigration problem is spreading from normal border areas, further North towards the valley. This has lead Pinal county Sheriff Paul Babeu to issue a warning to anyone hiking, camping or exploring the desert wilderness in the Western part of Pinal county, that they might want to consider carrying a a firearm.

There have reportedly been a number of gun battles between drug and people smugglers in the southern part of Pinal county over the last few months. There are apparently drug smugglers, people smugglers, other 'crews' looking to rip off the 1st 2 groups, look outs and assassins all there just waiting for the opportunity attack each other.

While I completely and totally 100% agree with Sheriff Babeu, and for the record, every time I have been out exploring, I have been somewhat prepared in case there was an issue, I am left with the image in my head of Mr and Mrs Average, from number 12 Acacia Ave, hunkering down behind their 2015 Cadillac Excalade, loading up their shiny new DPMS AR15, with the 4 magazines of PMC they bought with the rifle, looking through the as yet un zeroed EoTech site, and dutifully taking on the massed ranks of the finest hit-men, smugglers, drug traffickers and other assembled masses of the criminal underworld that exploit Arizona's open border, certain in the knowledge that their CCW, and Introduction to Rifles P100 class will see them victorious!

Now, as I said at the start of this piece, I 100% agree with Sheriff Babeu, always be prepared if the worst should come your way, and I would certainly be armed if off to the wilds of the Arizona desert. But remember this, having the right equipment does NOT mean that it's a great idea to use it when a better remedy is at hand. When faced with the cream of the illegal border crossing underworld, I know what I would do, seek a way to turn 180 and depart at speed, and do pretty much anything to avoid an entanglement with them, unless I have literally no choice what so ever.

What I am trying to say is that is this, and many other situations in life, know your limitations, know your abilities, and do everything you to can to stay within them. That really is the brightest and best choice every time.

Darwin awards

Sadly I did not come up with that title, but it's a fine title for an occasional section I shall put in when the news story is just to good to miss.
So the police in that quiet backwater of Guadalupa were called to what they thought was a house fire. When they arrived, they discovered it was a man on fire.

"It's something we don't see every day especially in the town of Guadalupe," said Detective Doug Matteson with MCSO. It transpired he had been examining a flaregun, and it "went off" in his face!

It is said that the gentleman was intoxicated, no, I find that hard to believe! Lets remember that old saying, some of the best stories start with "here, hold my beer"!


Lets all be careful, and remember the 5 rules of gun safety!



Interview with Paul Babeu on ABC15 news.