In today's post I am going to aurate the dramatic tale of a legendary game of horseshoes as I saw it, today in the QRF cage. The events of this story are true, and although a story, it is one of non-fiction type. It was similarily as exciting as the previous softball games I joined in on, but in this story, I was the hero.
It all started on a lovely February afternoon. With a slight breeze and a comfortable 80 degrees, the work all done and time to spare, the QRF cage was teeming with a competitiveness unlike anything B Troop has ever seen. A challenge... the game? Horseshoes. Teaming up with SPC Clegg to take on SPC Pashley and SGT Atkinson, we took our places behind the posts, and started throwing. The throws were on, on all accounts, and four games went even, forcing the challenge into a 5th game tie breaker. I'm throwing against Pashley, and he's pretty consistent.
With time running low on our shift in the cage, and the evening relief on it's way, we seemed to have out-thrown ourselves. Falling wide right, landing short, then too long and wide left, rolling the 'shoes to a halt 5 meters from the post. The game slowly developed and was nearing the end, with SPC Clegg and I in the lead 20-17. It's Clegg's throw against SGT Atkinson's. Clegg misses short on both shoes, while SGT Atkinson manages to slide one in and against the stake on his second throw for a point. 20-18, with Pashley throwing first.
Whatever mistakes he was making in the previous throws seemed to have been corrected. His first throw lands dead on, a perfect ringer. Not a chance in the world I can knock it away from the post. The game seemingly so over, hoots and hollers echo from the opposition. I throw, keeping in mind the imminent defeat. I throw short, but it manages to slide against his ringer. Too bad I hadn't been so fortunate on a throw during the former volley. His second shoe is released quickly, landing directly next to my first throw, close enough for another point. Accepting the defeat, I throw the shoe up lazily, in a higher arc than I usually throw. The shoe seems to hang in the air, just feet above the stake. Landing with a loud clanking of metal, I see Clegg begin to celebrate. Laying right on top of Pashley's first throw, my shoe matches his, negating the points! Not so fast, the game's no longer theirs.
SPC Clegg and SGT Atkinson both manage no points on their throws, sending the shoes back to SPC Pashley and I to determine a potential winner. He throws first again and lands his shoes both out of point distance to the stake. My second throw is much closer than my first, and luckily so, right in front of the stake, claiming SPC Clegg and I the victors! I equate it to a walk-off homer, making me the hero.
We can't all save the world, and we sure can't all be world-class heroes, but today I claim myself the hero of the greatest game of horseshoes I've ever experienced. I claim the belt, perhaps I should retire now and save the likely defeats to come. The excitement on the Sinai is overbearing, we have too much fun. (Sarcasm, for the record) The desert is bound to bring more games of horseshoes and other things to entertain us, I'm sure, when we're not busy working, that is. I've resorted to movies, music, reading and learning as much as I can on the internet as a means of passing the time here.
Today's pictures are of SPC Pashley and Clegg, and SGT Atkinson and I in the middle of game 3 of our very exciting series of horseshoes.
It all started on a lovely February afternoon. With a slight breeze and a comfortable 80 degrees, the work all done and time to spare, the QRF cage was teeming with a competitiveness unlike anything B Troop has ever seen. A challenge... the game? Horseshoes. Teaming up with SPC Clegg to take on SPC Pashley and SGT Atkinson, we took our places behind the posts, and started throwing. The throws were on, on all accounts, and four games went even, forcing the challenge into a 5th game tie breaker. I'm throwing against Pashley, and he's pretty consistent.
With time running low on our shift in the cage, and the evening relief on it's way, we seemed to have out-thrown ourselves. Falling wide right, landing short, then too long and wide left, rolling the 'shoes to a halt 5 meters from the post. The game slowly developed and was nearing the end, with SPC Clegg and I in the lead 20-17. It's Clegg's throw against SGT Atkinson's. Clegg misses short on both shoes, while SGT Atkinson manages to slide one in and against the stake on his second throw for a point. 20-18, with Pashley throwing first.
Whatever mistakes he was making in the previous throws seemed to have been corrected. His first throw lands dead on, a perfect ringer. Not a chance in the world I can knock it away from the post. The game seemingly so over, hoots and hollers echo from the opposition. I throw, keeping in mind the imminent defeat. I throw short, but it manages to slide against his ringer. Too bad I hadn't been so fortunate on a throw during the former volley. His second shoe is released quickly, landing directly next to my first throw, close enough for another point. Accepting the defeat, I throw the shoe up lazily, in a higher arc than I usually throw. The shoe seems to hang in the air, just feet above the stake. Landing with a loud clanking of metal, I see Clegg begin to celebrate. Laying right on top of Pashley's first throw, my shoe matches his, negating the points! Not so fast, the game's no longer theirs.
SPC Clegg and SGT Atkinson both manage no points on their throws, sending the shoes back to SPC Pashley and I to determine a potential winner. He throws first again and lands his shoes both out of point distance to the stake. My second throw is much closer than my first, and luckily so, right in front of the stake, claiming SPC Clegg and I the victors! I equate it to a walk-off homer, making me the hero.
We can't all save the world, and we sure can't all be world-class heroes, but today I claim myself the hero of the greatest game of horseshoes I've ever experienced. I claim the belt, perhaps I should retire now and save the likely defeats to come. The excitement on the Sinai is overbearing, we have too much fun. (Sarcasm, for the record) The desert is bound to bring more games of horseshoes and other things to entertain us, I'm sure, when we're not busy working, that is. I've resorted to movies, music, reading and learning as much as I can on the internet as a means of passing the time here.
Today's pictures are of SPC Pashley and Clegg, and SGT Atkinson and I in the middle of game 3 of our very exciting series of horseshoes.
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