Gallows Humor, And Lack Thereof

On a rather scenic route in northern Michigan, a rather large set of gallows has been setup:

 Daily Press: Gallows built along M-28, generating controversy

Tom Pegenau, owner of Pegenau Builders, set up a wooden gallows structure with a noose outside of the Pegenau Builders business on M-28 in Chocolay Township, later painted with the words “bureaucrats,” “justice” and “freedom,” along with a banner reading “United States of America 1776-2026 250 We the MFin People.”

Kind of a bureaucrat, rope, gallows, assembly of one of each approach to things. 

Mr. Peregnau, per the article is rather unhappy (as many people are) with government at the moment, and he stated he was rather frustrated with both sides of the aisle in many areas so he built the gallows as a matter of protest.

Chocolay Township, where the gallows are located, is unamused.

The Detroit Free Press:  Marquette-area township orders gallows along major U.P. highway moved

In short the setting up of gallows along the roadway is claimed to be a zoning violation in the area.  This may indeed make Mr. Peregnau even more annoyed with bureaucrats, but it is most likely that the gallows are headed for the gallows so to speak.

Delta County Gun Owners Picnic

Delta County Gun Owners and Michigan Open Carry were having a picnic in Escanaba and we were invited. 

We arrived at Escanaba airport at 12:30 and they kindly picked us all up and drove us the 5 minutes or so to the park where the event was taking place.

One of the passengers on the Seneca was Rick Ector, a notable Detroit Gun Rights Activist:

His first flight on a General Aviation aircraft.  A most excellent passenger and a real nice guy.  He enjoyed the ride.

A few local political candidates attended, and it was a large turnout with a very nice bunch of folks.  7 of us flew up from the lower peninsula to join the event.

Lots of families, kids, and dogs were present and it was a very nice time indeed.  Lots of good conversation, food, hospitality and good-natured ribbing of us Trolls (Trolls because were live in the lower Peninsula - under the bridge as it were to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan). 

Most people present were open carrying and did so without any issues.

Since Escanaba is Michigan's first line of defense from Wisconsin, this is a good thing.

 Holsters were quite diverse and ranged the gamut from Safariland ALS and similar with excellent retention, which make a lot of sense when open carrying, to some decent kydex, to some leather with retention straps, to Serpas, to Fobus, to nylon floppies on a floppy belt, all the way to a shoulder holster that did not even cover the trigger on the firearm that was in it.  

There's a lot of diverse options for holsters out there.

A very nice and hospitable event.  Then we said our goodbyes and headed to the airport.

Arriving back to the airport, we then had a fun experience.

As we headed into the airport via the General Aviation entrance and GA pilot's lounge, an airport worker saw the fellows who were open carrying and stated that firearms were illegal in the airport.

He was politely told this was not true.  He then said he'd call the Sheriff, which he did.

As we were pre-flighting the planes, a Sheriff Sargent pulled up to the airport and then came out on the tarmac with the airport worker.  He had a discussion with him and then chatted with us. 

The Sargent was a nice fellow and pointed out to the airport worker that he was wrong and all of this was perfectly legal, which it was.   We had a nice chat, everyone shook hands and the Sargent then left and went about his business and we then took off. 

It was a great visit to the Upper Peninsula and the first one I've done since going up there with Murph a long time ago.  Now that I can fly and have use of a plane to get there, future trips will be in store.