Rooster Ranch

The Men at Rooster Ranch This Morning

It looks a lot easier than it really is. Once those clay targets go hurtling through the air, you have a second or two to find it, focus, aim and shoot. Sometimes they send two targets one right after the other, giving you a few seconds to shoot, cock the shotgun, and shoot again. The noise is deafening, and by the end of the morning, everyone had sore shoulders from the recoil of the shotguns.

Needless to say, we kept score and hooted and hollered when anyone hit a clay target. I’m not exactly sure who won, except I know it wasn’t me. I hit four out of about sixty shots, and then I felt I had done my patriotic duty for the day. Alan did substantially better and so did Nick. Mark said he hit 27 or 30. We questioned his count, but since it is his wedding day, no one could really dispute him. He seems serene and relaxed heading into the big event tonight.

I should add a word about the wedding, which is taking place in the large backyard of Vanessa’s home. The ceremony itself takes place in a gazebo built for the occasion with the rented reception tent a few yards away. We’re expecting perhaps 200 people for the festivities. I’ve commented already that outdoor weddings are always memorable, each one posing its own challenges in terms of sight lines, sound, weather, seating, parking, and tons of other details that are taken care of when you have a wedding at a church. The mountain of details creates more planning, but it also leads to a ceremony that is unique and always beautiful. About tonight’s ceremony I can tell you everything you need to know by saying that it starts with Great Is Thy Faithfulness and ends with Now That We’ve Found Love by Heavy D. I should add that the last song was new to me. I think it has words but they don’t matter. I predict a beautiful ceremony, a few tears, some laughter, solemn vows, a festive atmosphere, and a very happy married couple. I promised Mark and Vanessa that if we start at 6:30 PM, they will be married no later than 7:15 PM.

At this moment the men are starting to put on their tuxes. The women have been getting their hair done for the last few hours. All the details are place. The temperature at the moment is 93. We’re all abuzz with activity, getting ready for the big event that starts in a little over two hours.