Alabama was not on the minds of Frank and Michelle Farris. In fact, they were content to spend their retirement years in Lakeland, Florida. Their children lived nearby and their grandchildren, too. The couple could just sit back and relax, even rock if they decided to put forth that much effort.

But, two years from that plan, the couple has set up shop in the Josie community and put down deepening roots in that wide spot on Highway 29 North.

Frank and Michelle, laughingly, shake their heads at “just being here.”

The couple owns and operates Blue Diamond Defense, a firearms and outdoor equipment shop that is located, in “prime South Alabama deer hunting country.”

“We’d never thought about moving to Alabama but we just fell in love with Alabama,” Frank said. “It wasn’t an easy decision to pick up and move from family and home but we like it here and we’ve met so many nice people. It’s beginning to feel like home.”

Frank and Michelle aren’t ones for sitting around. They want to stay busy and, Blue Diamond Defense keeps them busy.
Frank is a gunsmith. He’s been “smithing” a long time and he can almost take a gun apart and put it back together with his eyes closed.

“Almost.”

“Folks have brought me guns in a plastic jug and I’ve put them back together,” he said. “It pride myself on being a pretty good gunsmith. I make repairs and modifications and alterations and I clean guns, too. I offer ultra-sonic cleaning.”

Blue Diamond Defense also sells rifles, shotguns and handguns and ammunition.

“We have just about all the equipment a hunter needs for deer hunting season, from gear to guns to cracked corn,” Frank said. “We also have a good line of fishing equipment. We have crickets and worms of all kinds. We’re the only place around that sells minnows.”

Blue Diamond Defense also has outdoor clothing and camping supplies and all kinds of snack items and colas.

“We have free coffee all the time,” Michelle said. “We always enjoy having people come in and visit with us. We’ve got sandwiches and other lunch items that you can put in the microwave. We’ve got plans to do some outdoor cooking and we’ll invite people to stop by and grab a bite. We want to be involved in the community.”

Blue Diamond Defense is located in Josie at 18680 North U.S. Highway 29.