Shooting M-1's

On Thursday our family friend and neighbour, Mr. Lewis took me to the Logan shooting range to participate in a shoot they were doing. We all used the M-1 garand, a very common rifle used by American GI's in World War Two, probably better know as the main weapon used in the television series Band Of Brothers, produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

There were a bunch of firing positions, but since it was my first time, I didn't have to do them all though I did do the last one.

In total I shot around 50 rounds-and the scars on my shoulder prove it!

Blog Competition!

As you, the reader, may have noticed, I have not blogged in quite awhile. Well, that's about to change, mostly because my Mom promised to buy the person who blogged the most {either me or Molly} a pizza. The competition ends the end of August, so, I'll be blogging quite a bit! {wouldn't you?}

Andrew

International Learn to Fly Day!

Shabbat was International Learn to Fly Day! At our local airport, everyone eighteen or younger got a free flight on a Cessna! My mom found out about this off of a friend post on 'FaceBook', and after milking, we piled into the van and drove over to the airport. After maybe a five minute wait, we all were in planes and ready to go. The flight was GREAT! My only regret was that you can only do it once.

Yom Yerushalayim!

Wednesday celebrated the unification of Jerusalem during the 1967 war. In English its translated as 'Jerusalem Day'. Besides the unification of Jerusalem, Israel also got the Golan heights, Gaza, the West Bank and the Sinai peninsula. But back to Jerusalem...

Jerusalem is arguably the most fought over piece of land. King David fought the Canaanites for it, the Babylonians fought for it, the Assyrians fought for it, the Persians fought for it, the Romans fought for it, the Ottoman Turks fought for it, the British army's fought for it, the newly formed Israeli army's fought for it in 1948, and again in 1967, and now the Palestinians are fighting for it.


Jerusalem is home to three major religions: Judaism, Christianity and islam.


The modern Israeli armies have always strived to unite Jerusalem. Under David Ben-Gurion, IDF units tried to take east Jerusalem, but failed. During the June '67 war, Israeli paratroopers broke through the Jordanian lines into E. Jerusalem. They fought their way to the Western Wall, the only remnant of the temple. The force had lost close to 90% of their men, but still they pushed on.

The only way to get to the Wall was through a locked gate. Before blasting through it, an old Arab man walked up and unlocked the door. The paratroopers all lined up at the Wall, and began to pray.


And now, with Israel winning and losing Jerusalem many times, the City of David is in danger again. This time from the P.A., or Palestinian Authority. Many people, including American president Barak Obama, are trying to separate Jerusalem again. Please pray these efforts will fail, and Jerusalem will remain the united capital of Israel.

Test your knowledge about the history of Jerusalem here.

Dinosaur Day!

Recently, we went to 'Family Dinosaur Day' at our local museum.

While there, we met the curator of the museum and very famous paleontologist Jack Horner. Molly and the kids got his autograph [I didn't have the patience to wait in line]. We also met some creepy guy in a dinosaur suit called 'Monty', we saw people actually working on live bones, and, finally, got painted like dinosaurs. [Correction: Mom and the kids got painted like dinosaurs, I didn't.]

Ducks and Chicks!

Here are our laying hens.

Here's our roasters.

And there are the ducks.

Wednesday the chicks arrived. They came right as we left for our {Mine and Molly's} Journalism class, so we couldn't really see them. They kids also bought ducks this year, so we have ducks again. {Last time our ducks got et.}

Today we got our roasters. Last time we got roasters we just about starved them and they turned out like Cornish hens, but we'll do better this year.

Israeli Independence Day

Today is Israeli independence day.

62 years ago today David-Ben Gurion proclaimed the Independence of Israel from the British empire.

Less than a day later the newly formed country was attacked by five large Arab neighbours, Egypt, Trans-Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq. The Zahal, or Israeli army, although out manned, out gunned and had little previous experience defeated the Arab army's. The Arabs went back licking there wounds and still remember this day as Nakba day, Catastrophe Day. Israelis have been in war ever since.

In 1956, in response to Egyptian aggression, Israeli troops crossed through the Sinai and took the Suez canal with the British and French. In 1967 Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Egypt, and was attacked by Jordan and Syria. Israeli troops captured the Sinai peninsula, the Golan heights and east Jerusalem.

In 1976 Arab army's invaded Israel, nearly cutting her in half. Israeli troops struck back with weapons that were just air-lifted in by the United States, and chased the Arabs out. Then came the intifada, or uprisings. Palestinian cowards sent their children out and blew them up to kill Israelis.

Their goal?

To have peace. Peace!? What kind of a coward terrorist nation sends their children to be blown up? And we are just going to forget about that and give them Israeli lands? Lands Israeli's died protecting? A two state solution, as the plan for giving away Israeli lands is called, is no solution.

Just as the Arabs rejected giving the Jews a little parcel of land, the Palestinians won't settle until they've taken every last inch of Israeli lands and until ever Israeli is dead. Do we really want to give them land? A military? The ability to purchase weapons?

Terrorists controlling Gaza, known as hamas, would do any thing for WMD's (weapons of mass destruction), and they would readily use these against civilians. American President Obama is demanding Israel stops building in their own land. WHAT!?!? How many times has Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu demanded Americans stop building in American lands? Zero. Zero times. Huh.

Notice how Obama is president of the U.S., not Israel. Then what gives him the authority to demand they stop building in their own land? Nothing. Nothing at all. During a meeting with Netanyahu in Washington, D.C. Obama walked out. What!? We treat our enemy's with greater respect!

Please pray for Both governments, that they will go in the way the LORD wants them to.

Andrew