Well, our very first impression of Fridays was a bit of a let-down, as the ball had been dropped by management and, when the Buncombe Rifles began arriving at 6:00, we found the staff just serving food to some other patrons in our "reserved" room. So we milled around the bar and had a drink on the house while waiting for the room to be readied.

After the initial misunderstanding, however, I think everyone's experience with the food and service surrounding dinner was quite good, and as always, it was a blast to see the old and new faces gathered together again.

It being the eve of Allen Owens' birthday, the Fridays staff presented him a chocolate brownie a-la-mode, which Allen stood ready to wash down with a Bass Ale as we all sang Happy Birthday. "Looks like an Irish Dinner to me!" Kasey Tompkins was heard to say.

Dean's year-in-review included the presentation of a pet rat to Kasey Tompkins to commemorate her camping experience at the mud-march of Spring Nationals. (There was apparently an extra unexpected body in the camper!) Rollin Tompkins got a pocket battery powered fan and a small bottle of Glenfiddich for his "fan - belt" experience(s) over the past season. This year's Lumberjack Award was a three-way presentation to Garnell Jackson, Jerry Sloan, and Geoff Tompkins. They had farmed in with the Iredell Blues' B team at the 2003 Homecoming Shoot, and while it wasn't one of our three that shot the frame down, it was their gunnery skills that helped the team go on to finish the event.

Hank Ramsey presented a commemorative coffee mug to Dave Jackson for his untiring efforts in helping Hank construct what was supposed to have been an easily-assembled shelter at the Fall National. The project ultimately involved a lot of aftermarket plumbing and carpentry, to say nothing of the trips round and round Confederate Flats collecting the necessary tools. The coffee cup apparently survived one of these trips on the back bumper of Hank's truck. Which roads at Ft. Shenandoah is he using, anyway?

Allen Owens was the one who remembered an episode at the 3rd Georgia's Labor Day Revolver Match, to which Dave Jackson neglected to bring not only the proper projectiles, but the proper recollection of the size he needed.

As Allen recanted the tale:

"'I have no balls', said Dave, to which various shooters responded, 'here, borrow some of mine!'

'That won't work', said Dave. 'Yours are too big... mine are small!'"

Thanks to Allen, Dave now definitely has the smallest balls in the Association!

Allen also produced a bottle of whiskey clothed in a miniature great coat which he presented to Carl Wilcox to offset the cost of 6 months of care and feeding that Carl had provided for Allen's own great coat between the two Nationals.

And of course the whole party was awash in the usual great spirit which The Buncombe Rifles bring to every team event, large or small. So here on the eve of Robert E. Lee's birthday, we look back on the past skirmish season, another fabulous get-together with our skirmishing family, and forward to all that 2004 can and will bring!

Happy New Year to you all!