bwaites
Flashlight Enthusiast
After my wife reported some strange noises in the house today, and then my 16 year old son independantly and without hearing my wife's story, thought that he had heard what he assumed to be his younger sister upstairs, even though she was actually spending the nights at an aunts house. Since our StaffordShire terrier, Blaze, (that's a pit bull to you less politically correct folks!) was acting completely normally, I told both of them that they were just hearing the normal creaks and groans as the house succumbed to the autumns colder weather. My wife was having nothing to do with that, and a full house search was instituted at my wifes insistence.
Armed with my "bump in the night light", a USL, in one hand and a cocked and hollow point loaded .40 Ruger in the other, my son and I began a room to room sweep. With him playing tail cover to my lead, we swept all the bedrooms and closets without finding anything living but the occasional unwashed football player sock which had taken on it's own complete biological complement! Since none of the organisms seemed capable of immediate threat, though several were sent to the laundry room for remedial corrections, I declared the house "All Clear" and my wife retired for the night.
I then went downstairs to start a load of wash, (yes, even us hot wire guys have to be domestic from time to time!) As I exited the laundry room, Blaze's hackles stood on end and she began her, "who goes there?" growl/bark and stared at the back door.
Grabbing the downstairs, "Bump in the Night light", a Mag 6D Mag85, (It serves as both light and bat if needed!) I quickly swept the downstairs with the light and then inspected the back yard and neighbors back yard. I was amazed at how much less light the Mag85 could produce than the USL did.
Once again, no threats were detected, so if someone/something was there, it didn't like the sound of Blaze or the production of light from the Mag.
So what was learned?
1) It's exhilarating (and a little scary) to be worried about a bad guy popping up, even when you are 99% sure nothing is there.
1A) My son and I make a pretty good sweep team, he seems to know instinctually to stay out of the line of fire.
2) USL's are brighter than Mag85's. (OK, I already knew this, but it was fun to be reminded!)
3) There are good reasons to have large dogs in your home.
4) Having a Ruger .40 is more comforting and cheaper than having a large dog.
5) Large dogs warning systems can be fooled.
6) I still like BRIGHT flashlights!
Bill
Armed with my "bump in the night light", a USL, in one hand and a cocked and hollow point loaded .40 Ruger in the other, my son and I began a room to room sweep. With him playing tail cover to my lead, we swept all the bedrooms and closets without finding anything living but the occasional unwashed football player sock which had taken on it's own complete biological complement! Since none of the organisms seemed capable of immediate threat, though several were sent to the laundry room for remedial corrections, I declared the house "All Clear" and my wife retired for the night.
I then went downstairs to start a load of wash, (yes, even us hot wire guys have to be domestic from time to time!) As I exited the laundry room, Blaze's hackles stood on end and she began her, "who goes there?" growl/bark and stared at the back door.
Grabbing the downstairs, "Bump in the Night light", a Mag 6D Mag85, (It serves as both light and bat if needed!) I quickly swept the downstairs with the light and then inspected the back yard and neighbors back yard. I was amazed at how much less light the Mag85 could produce than the USL did.
Once again, no threats were detected, so if someone/something was there, it didn't like the sound of Blaze or the production of light from the Mag.
So what was learned?
1) It's exhilarating (and a little scary) to be worried about a bad guy popping up, even when you are 99% sure nothing is there.
1A) My son and I make a pretty good sweep team, he seems to know instinctually to stay out of the line of fire.
2) USL's are brighter than Mag85's. (OK, I already knew this, but it was fun to be reminded!)
3) There are good reasons to have large dogs in your home.
4) Having a Ruger .40 is more comforting and cheaper than having a large dog.
5) Large dogs warning systems can be fooled.
6) I still like BRIGHT flashlights!
Bill
So far, we have the official;
