I want to Thank You..

[Teresa Heilevang]

Okay guys.. Sit down... we need to talk.

( Don't you just hate that when a woman meets you at the door with THAT statement??
 I know what you think..... Uh-Oh.. what have I done now... ) 

You haven't done anything wrong.. It is just that I feel that I need to do some heart to heart talking.

I want to start off by thanking everyone for the great encouragement that you give to us here on Down Range. It goes without saying that Michael, Marshal and myself ..we all work hard at making Down Range a place you want to come back to over and over again and one that we all can be proud of. We like what we do.. a lot! I hope that is obvious.

When we first had this idea.. we had not a clue as to what we were doing or how we were going to do it. But we DID know that we wanted to try. So we all dumped every bit of our own savings accounts into the project..held our breaths.. dove in head first and started swimming underwater, upstream, and DownRange was born.
  Sometimes we wondered if we would ever get to the surface..but slowly we did.

Now, a year later..DownRange is a name and a place which has character and an energy of it's own. But... that energy is partly because of all of you. 
We 3 have talked many times and agree that here in Down Range we have the best forum and members that there is. Even though Marshal and Michael won't go into great detail about it ( you know..it's not real manly to mush up etc)..I am here to tell you that they are very proud of all you who have joined DownRange and are active members. The discussions, the good natured joking, the friendships  .. the being able to argue and disagree but still turn around and laugh and give support is something you don't get too often in a group this size. Thank you for that.

NOW~~~~
 I will add my own personal adjectives to it..... 

You all are very smart, and diversely gifted in so many areas...but have common ground interests that brings everyone together. The temperament with everyone in here is unlike any that I have yet to see on most forums. There is a sense and feel of "protective family" in here. 
 I know that I am basically the only female that is active in here, and I appreciate more than you know about how you make me an accepted part of "your male dominated circle."
  I feel... I don't know how to put it.. but almost "coddled and under your wing protected" by all of you. I am not afraid to tell that I appreciate that. 
I know I know..... I'm getting mushy.. but I'm a female and I'm entitled..so let me finish. ( After all, I AM the one who called the meeting and wanted to talk
Now ..where was I................. Oh yea...

I'm a different duck type of girl.  I am comfortable in a man's world and since I love being female, I'm myself in a womans world too.  I love to do everything..from hunting, shooting, fishing, camping, riding horses, settin' on the tailgate, cussin' ..shootin' the breeze and drinkin' a beer .... to dressing up, dancing, cooking, reading, taking care of my home and family, and going to the woods to quietly absorb Mother Earth...you know, girl stuff.

  I'm telling you all this because I am "just who I am".  I am the same if you see me at home.. or if you see me at a party.. or if you see me working on a filming set. What you see is what you get. I make no pretenses about being smart in firearms, or politics, or anything I talk about.  In some forums that I am on, I feel that part of me always has to be put on hold. Not in here.  You guys..without any of you realizing it .. has accepted me ( or I think you have..  ) without even really ever having been around me in real life.
 You have no idea what a breath of fresh air that is to me. Just like right now. I'm telling you things, knowing it's ok. And the reason is, I just want you all to know how wonderful you are.

YOU are what makes this site the success it is. ALL OF YOU! You each bring something to this forum that is unique and genuine. I mean it!   Without you and the way you are.. ( and not just with me) but with each other too.. DownRange can only become better and better and bigger and bigger.
Thanks for the long distance friendships.. the respect you give us and each other..everything you bring to this site.

In a wonderful nice way..I do love all of you...


Okay..I'm done! Talk time's over.
  You all can quit fidgeting now.
Take off and escape back outside to the garage, to the range. to the living room...or I'm sure, just ANYWHERE .. but away from that blond that has had you cornered, making you listen to "The Talk"..   

[warhawke]

I'm just going to get all male and macho and just say, thanks.

[Dakotaranger]

Shoot, I was waiting for a shoe to be chucked.  thanks

[Lucas]

There is no better feeling than knowing that someone is watching your back!!!
To know that there are people out there like you!
Never in my life have I ever found a place with as much kindness, information, and honesty.  Everyones point is valid, and everyone brings their own ideas to the table.  Not cheapened by fancy words, but made human by banter and typeos.  This is what takes things to another level.  This is how great things are made.  Not being afraid to ask questions, or to say what you believe is right.

For this I thank you.   The M3 team (Michael and the Marshels) in my eyes are the 10% of people that actually change things,  make things happen,  and hear our cries.  They keep us in the loop.  

Thank everyone that makes this place what it is!!!

[Mig214]

Oh my goodness, that was so sweet, I think it gave me a cavity!!

I really want to thank the 3 of you for bring your dream to my reality!! I have had a lot of problems on other sites. I always had to leave, too many punks, too many uber ego's, not enough quality information. But after seeing the type of family you 3 have built here, all I can say is, I'm yours. Again, thank you 3 soooooooo much!!!  And here is your standing ovation!!                I'm the third guy from the left!! 

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

We should be the ones thanking you !  You have no need of "coddling" or "protection", you may not have much education in firearms or politics, but you look for answers to your questions, you THINK about what you hear read and see, that makes you "smarter than any of the PhD.'s that I've met. And you can DEFINITELY hold your own in the "razzing department, can't she Haz 
 A guy told me one time "an expert is some one who can never admit he is wrong".  The  rest of us are just informed to greater or lesser degrees, together, we constitute a storehouse of expertise, I may be wrong on occasion (rare, I know ) but the WE always seem to come up with GOOD information.
A little story, The thread "an answer to gun grabbers" was posted here and at The high road, here the comments were "Well said", "good points" etc. My reply to the comments on "The high Road, just got me thrown off that forum The people there are not like the people here. I know I'm a sarcastic SOB sometimes, but on THIS site we may be arguing about the cure to problems, we don't have any one arguing that the problems don't exist. That is why I can make, as someone called them "vaguely insulting comments" in one thread, and then ask or give information to the same person in another thread. I think that that acceptance of each other is based on the fact that we all basically agree on the important things and all recognize that, but it took the special personalities of Marshal'ette, Marshal, and Micheal to give us a place to meet.

                                               And we LOVE your jokes  !

[gunman42782]

It is a pleasure Marshal'ette, just to know you.  I think most of us wish all women where as smart and had the common sense you do.  My wife is a lot like you.  She actually likes to hunt better than I do!  I am more into just shooting.  She would rather hunt than eat!

[addict]

Golly Gee Marshal'ette that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside ! I have to echo my fellow forum members though. I am mot particularly computer savey, and cannot imagine the amount of time and work involved in getting this kind of multimedia site up and running. Kudo's especially for all the work you three have done getting the oral arguments and commentary up on DC vs Heller. Not only great service to the community, but quick!
Addict

[jaybet]

Ok- not mushy but I'll thank everyone here too. The hosts of course, doing what they love to do, but everyone else too. I'm an odd duck where I live...maybe a little too "gun crazy" for my surroundings, but here I can converse and see what's going on in the rest of this great land. Thanks everyone.

[someguy]

...What they said.