Iowa National Guard Deployment

The largest deployment of the Iowa National Guard since World War II has escalated in the last week.

Following is the schedule of past and future send - offs , there are seven more ceremonies before the largest departure is concluded on August 9th.

Friday, July 30

Algona
Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 45 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 1511 N. POW Camp Road, Algona

Boone
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team (approximately 110 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Des Moines Area Community College (Boone campus), 1125 Hancock Dr., Boone

Eagle Grove
Detachment 1, Battery B, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 40 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 216 S. Park Ave, Eagle Grove

Mt. Pleasant
832nd Engineer Company (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Mount Pleasant High School, 2104 S. Grand Avenue, Mount Pleasant

Keokuk
Detachment 1, 832nd Engineer Company (approximately 55 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Keokuk High School, 2285 Middle Road, Keokuk

Storm Lake
Company G, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approximately 80 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Storm Lake High School, 621 Tornado Drive, Storm Lake

Sunday, August 1

Carroll
Company A, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approximately 100 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Carroll High School, 2809 N. Grant Road, Carroll

Council Bluffs
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 2, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Spencer unit)
-Detachment 1, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 215 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Mid-American Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs

Davenport
Company A, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approximately 75 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Modern Woodmen Park (River Bandits), 209 S. Gaines Street, Davenport

Denison
Company D, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Denison High School, Fine Arts Center, 819 N. 16th Street, Denison

Estherville
Battery A, 1st Battalion, 194th Field Artillery (approximately 80 Soldiers)
11 a.m., Estherville Armory, 1704 3rd Avenue South, Estherville

Johnston
-Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Newton unit)
(approximately 100 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Camp Dodge Freedom Center, 7105 NW 70th Avenue, Johnston

Red Oak
Company F, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (approximately 110 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Red Oak High School, 2011 N. 8th Street, Red Oak

Shenandoah
-Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry
-Detachment 2, Company B, 1st Battalion, 168th Infantry (Corning unit)
(approximately 100 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Shenandoah High School, 1000 Mustang Drive, Shenandoah

Monday, August 2

Charles City
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 35 Soldiers)
8 a.m., Iowa National Guard armory, 2003 Clark Street, Charles City

Clinton
Detachment 1, Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 35 Soldiers)
2 p.m., Iowa National Guard Armory, 1200 13th Avenue North, Clinton

Tuesday, August 3

Cedar Falls
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 2, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Iowa Falls unit)
(approximately 230 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., UNI Dome, 2501 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls

Dubuque
-Company A, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Company D, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry
-Detachment 1, Company E, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 130 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Peosta Community Center, 7896 Burds Road, Peosta

Iowa City
Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 100 soldiers)
10 a.m., City High School, 1900 Morningside Drive, Iowa City

Iowa Falls
Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 75 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Iowa Falls High School, 1903 Taylor Avenue, Iowa Falls

Oelwein
Detachment 1, Company C, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry (approximately 40 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Oelwein Middle School, 300 12th Avenue SE, Oelwein

Thursday, August 5

Johnston
-Troop A, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
-Troop B, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
(approximately 130 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Ankeny High School, 1302 North Ankeny Blvd., Ankeny

LeMars
Troop C, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry (approximately 80 Soldiers)
9 a.m., Le Mars High School, 921 3rd Avenue SW, Le Mars

Sioux City
-Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 113th Cavalry
-Company D, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 170 Soldiers total)
10:30 a.m., Sioux City East High School, 5011 Mayhew Drive, Sioux City

Friday, August 6

Marshalltown
Detachment 1, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion (approximately 50 Soldiers)
10 a.m., Marshalltown Community College, 3700 S. Center St, Marshalltown
Saturday, August 7

Cedar Rapids
-Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
-Company B, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
-Company C, Brigade Special Troops Battalion
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Sunday, August 8

Cedar Rapids
-Detachment 1, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 2, Company A, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Oelwein unit)
-Company B, 334th Brigade Support Battalion
(approximately 160 Soldiers total)
2 p.m., US Cellular Center, 370 1st Ave NE, Cedar Rapids

Monday, August 9

Des Moines
-334th Brigade Support Battalion
-Detachment 1, Company C, 334th Brigade Support Battalion (Corning unit)
(approximately 340 Soldiers total)
10 a.m., Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, 703 3rd Street, Des Moines


Tuesday, August 3rd, brought our family to Iowa City to share in the deployment ceremony for our soldier and  others who would be leaving for a year or more in Afghanistan.

There was a small window of opportunity before and after the ceremony for the families to connect  before the troops boarded the buses for Camp Shelby, Mississippi.

During the ceremony we were educated in  many outstanding  periods in the history of Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry,34th Division. As citizen volunteers, supporting the" Regulars", they have provided
impressive defence capabilities. A particular era in their history,World War II in Italy, gave them a distinction they still carry today.

Caught a picture of the travel coaches before the ceremony...While all the supporters and soldiers were inside, the cities  of Coralville and Iowa City provided  fire fighting trucks eqipped with 100' aerial platforms to suspend a huge American flag over the exit  the buses would be using to start the next leg of the journey.

After the men and women boarded the buses, Iowa City Police officers started the procession with the motorcycle Patriot Guard falling into line.

Time to wave good-bye, put our hands together in a clap or send a message of support by raising our American flag.

I want to extend my best wishes for their continued safety through  each day...God speed until they are finally able to retrace their steps back to the beginning, where they started ,back into the arms of waiting family and friends...

Crop Dusters Aloft

We are all seeing these planes in one form or another darting  through spaces that you wouldn't think a pilot with his right mind would want to try.


















Hubby and I were outside on this hot,humid, afternoon working on the house we are building.The above pictured  plane kept flying over to the fields just past the north pasture. We got strong whiffs of the chemical being used as he flew over. The heavy air held the residue and allowed  it to fall as he passed overhead.

I don't envy these guys their jobs because of the long , hot hours they fly, or the volatile chemicals they carry onboard .

In the time I have been working on this post two  Crop Dusting mishaps were reported on the Eastern side of our state. The good news being neither pilot suffered serious injury even though their machines were lost in the accidents.

Our airspace often hosts the Crop Dusters as they pass on the way to their next job because of  Hubby's windsock at our home grass strip, they check for wind speed and direction. Yes, and because we live in the middle of farm country...; )

Martin Jaguar Takedown Bow

The last few years I have been reading about some exciting  experiences of those using Bows to hunt.

It  sure does spark a desire to  give another weapon other than my Remington 870 Youth Express 20 gauge shotgun a try.

I have been previewing different types of bows, compound, recurve and longbows. My choice was to go with the Martin Jaguar Takedown Recurve, after spending over a year in contemplation. The plan is to work on moving to a compound bow in the future; having experiences with all types of weaponry is the ultimate goal.


                                               Reasons I decided on the Martin Jaguar Takedown  -

1. Portabilty with easy disassembly
2. Brand name recognition

Kit contents and description :

• Laminated wood and glass limbs for a smooth draw
• Limbs remove from riser for easy transport
• Durable riser
• 7" brace height
• 60" AMO length
• Includes Armguard, tab, stringer, 3 carbon arrows, arrow rest and carry case.
• Right hand only. Weighs 2 lbs., 11 ozs.

I decided to try the Amazon Link...Little did I know until clicking on it that the supplier fulfilling the request would end up being The Sportsman's Guide. Which was quite alright with me since it had been one of the places I had been shopping in my online searches.

Placing my order on a Sunday, they fulfilled it on Tuesday, and I had it by Wednesday. The bow kit was sent from a distribution location in St. Paul,MN. and I live in central Iowa. I am pleased with the swift service.

I have yet to get it out to give it a try,however, it is together and I do have some practice arrows that were included in the kit.

The only problem I found when the kit arrived was that the riser was not secured in the case, moving around loose, scuffing the limbs, but not hurting them significantly.

In my quest to have a few more arrows to try out, I headed over to E-bay and won 6 Used - Easton  Super Slam!, XX78 SupeLite  USA 2413 from a Michigan seller. The arrows are in very good used condition and the shipping once again was very timely.

My broadhead collection is starting with the Muzzy three blade. I have heard good things about several brands and will be investing in some others to find the right one(s) for my set-up
.
Until I can get a target, I will use some big round hay bales, that is until they get moved for storage elsewhere.





Off to try something new...;)

Disclaimer- I am an Amazon Affiliate. Should you decide  to purchase items from the links it would benefit me. A note to mention , affiliates are able to purchase from their own links, and receive a percentage of sales in return. Thanks!

Yellowstone Bison Attacks

The news is buzzing about the Bison attack at Yellowstone National Park.

Reviewing the video caught by one of the individuals targeted by the Bison shows they weren't using good judgement in their proximity to the wild beast.

Someone else definitely made a poor choice when they pelted the animal, endangering others with that decision. It is my opinion that the animal would not have been disturbed by its observers if it hadn't been enraged by the assault. Purely conjecture on my part...

Time and time again we find how short sighted people become when they get too close to wild animals who's behaviors are totally unpredictable.

I am very glad that all the individuals survived the attack - they have a story to share...

The Groundhog Rises Again

WHewie! Today is one of those days you stop and reflect on flash backs from the past. 

Good old days when The Ground Hog Hilton was busy that one summer. Guess it was back in September of '07 if memory serves me right. Yep.... '07.

It started like this...My side kick Sadie and I were off to the land of Garden Delights - had some weed wrasseling to do. While I was hard at work yanking, and pulling around the cantaloupe, Sadie was off  putting her sniff on the territory.

MY WORD! Some critter just past my feet without as much as a howdy do, landing smack dab, flat against the fence. Hmmmm, a familiar shape only smaller. I followed suit to see about scaring it out of the garden the same way it had entered, through the open gate.

Couldn't get Sadie's attention for a bit, thought if she got on the same side of the critter I was it would head out. The poor thing was pinned, its back to the fence taking a defensive posture while clicking its teeth. Sadie darting in and back, eventually out the gate herself, opening up the opportunity to give that little plant eater a heave with my trusty three tined garden tool. (Where's the camera when you need it?!?)

As I lifted that miniature clover muncher, giving it a toss, it laid on its back looking around until Sadie came to investigate. 

Whoops! Sadie couldn't let this chance go by without chasing it off into the Timber full tilt until it wasn't seen any longer.

It looks like an exciting season ahead! ; )