...and now for something completely different

I finally got to do something I've been thinking about since the Beijing Olympics two years ago. It's part of what started me down this path. Driving home afterward I was thinking it could be one of those important moments that change where you are heading, but you don't realize it until later. Neat stuff, but anyway...

Since I've met all my main goals for this season and had a nice break from the action, it was time to do some experimentation with new equipment (see the last post), new schools of thought and do some homework. About a month ago, I called our local JOAD program folks to see if I could do an intro to recurve with them. After arriving and being greeted by the free-range hen club (Rhode Island Reds, I think), and the smallest dog I have ever seen, I was introduced to my coach, fresh off the plane from training camp and full of enthusiasm.  After sizing up my abilities (yes, it was intimidating) and pointing out a few things like I shoot far to the left when my eyes are closed (compensating for something), he basically started over from the beginning from the toes up. No bow. No arrows. Just a mirror, a stretchy band and a cool biomechanical system (BEST). If you went to learn ride in Germany, they would take away your reins and stirrups and put you on a lunge horse for a few months. That's the way I felt last night. Baby green beginner. Wowser.

Was sent home with a cool, blue practice bow, some great resource material and a full brain that keeps running the start sequence over and over during meetings when I should be paying better attention.

Not dismissing what I've been doing until now, or the great folks that got me to this point, but there is definately more to this than meets the eye and for sure this is one of those "the journey is the main thing" things. Even if I stick with the compound direction, this system - a well documented Korean system - will fix the holes, even out the rough spots and give me a better foundation and hopefully lots of 300's next season.

If any of you reading this has tried more than one style of shooting - I would love to know where you started and what you ended up doing. And why. The post a comment section has been reset to allow anyone to post without the annoying members only stuff.

(photo of Holly Stover, Junior Olympic "Dream Team" - This girl's groups are the size of a quarter. With a recurve!)

 

Doinker

There are hundreds of stabilizers, and I like mine.  Unfortunately, I just tried one I like better. Not much for switching up equipment, but I've known for a while that my system wasn't quite cutting it. The Cricket kicks up when the arrow is released, but since I was shooting pretty consistently, didn't really see another reason to change otherwise. (You more seasoned archers are shaking your heads, I see you.) So it's this weird looking thing-a-ma-bob that looks like you ran it straight into the wall and then hung some weights on it. And it works. I actually had a half second on the spot to shoot before the pin wandered off in search of something else. Cricket stopped trying to bop me in the nose on release and stayed put. Huh.

...My birthday's end of July. Just sayin'. ;-)

-A

Aw, shoot!

Sorry to say I have been pretty lazy in the actual shooting department lately. This is my favorite time of year and the most energetic for doing other things. Going to bed tired and waking up when the birds kick it into high gear way before the alarm. Every day feels full to the max.

Been riding my horse on Sundays instead of tournaments, which is the best possible thing for my soul, head, heart and body. Yup, even more than archery. That half-hour conversation with something that doesn't speak your language, yet you know what they are going to do before they even think about it. Each stride, "Put your nose here, please, and balance now and more trot please. The dog will not bother you. Ignore your buddy making a racket. Attention, now canter." The stretch way down over the back after a tough session and the big sigh of relaxation. Ahhh. Neither of us are getting any younger, so the sessions are short and not as difficult.

The only archery related activity lately has been going to see Robin Hood last week. Lots of equine eye-candy there too, and a little movie archery stuff. Actually, I did finish a quiver that has been lingering and have a good idea (and the leather) to start another one. More on that before too long, I hope.

Cheers, A

Gobble, Gobble, Fftttp

I have been trying to figure out a way to sum up my first hunting trip on the drive back to New York.
Early. Cold. Windy. Wet.
But, that doesn't really cover it.

Hiked out in the evening to set up the blind on the property I grew up on and used to know every strawberry plant, chuck hole and rock pile personally. Looks so different now, big trees where there weren't any at all. The house across the street is gone. The trails are still there though. You could drop me off blindfolded and I'd know where I was by the smell of the Sweet Fern and pines. Michigan is sandy, piney, mossy, mushroomy and smells completely spicy. Dad's woods is 120 acres of beech, maple, oak mixed with witch hazel, giant stands of sumac and some of the prettiest rolling pasture ever. He's carefully cultivated it for optimum deer forage for 40 years and they are...everywhere.

The first morning was sunny and the gobbler up the hill on the edge of the field was making a racket before we even got down there. Set out the decoy and Dad started calling while I got settled in. The leaves were still crackling dry and you could hear something big, a turkey or a deer circling around the back of us. Eventually three jakes came in close for a better look right on the edge of where we could see around the blind, between a couple of skinny trees. I figured I'd better draw before they saw me, so leaned forward and took a shot, taking out the edge of the blind and the zipper pull while I was at it. Ooops. Guess I need to sit on a phone book next time. They looked confused but were standing still, so took another shot and ruffled some feathers. At that point, they'd had enough and strutted off annoyed. The decoy was cute, but not THAT cute. Adrenaline rush, yuppers. I really wanted another shot to prove that I could do this.


After that, the weather changed and everything just sat tight for the next few days. We went out anyway and moved the blind to another spot in the rain. Came in for lunch and scared Gigi with the war paint on. She got her own back by beating Mom and me in Scrabble. Twice. Gigi's 96 and still running the show. Later on, I got caught in a time warp eating homemade Mexican with my sis-in-law and her hubby surrounded by new CMU grads and their families. Got to watch the Tigers win and the Red Wings lose and felt a part of Michigan again.

I may have come home empty-handed, but I came home with a full heart.

Calling all Ladies!

Sorry haven't posted in a bit. Finding this blogging thing easy to lose momentum with. Have lots of ideas, but it takes me a little bit to organize my thoughts so I don't sound like I'm on Red Bull when I write. Just ask my sister.

Have found a new distraction with LinkedIn. Not so much to tag the people I see around here, but to talk to people I don't know at all. Am always amazed at what you get from people if you just ask. So last week I tossed this question to the universe at large - What are the barriers to women getting started in archery and is it different between the US and other countries? Yes, this is the type of stuff that keeps me up at night. I received some interesting and well thought out replies from Texas, Michigan, Chicago and Australia, the four corners of the world, and a nice answer from someone on Facebook who gave me his sister's name as a contact. Occasionally, the world feels like a nice, friendly place to be.

I didn't get any solid answers to why more women don't try this. My guess is just a lack of exposure and some predisposed ideas of the type of folks this attracts, but more on that later.

Professional 3-D female archer Tracey Sadler, supports her sport by mentoring girls and ladies to give back to the sport she loves.  Among other ideas, Tracey gave me this little nugget. "The NWTF released a study which indicated women are more likely to take their children hunting and fishing because women aren't as concerned about catching a fish or shooting a deer for themselves but would prefer children to experience as much as possible in the outdoors. When given the choice of staying home with their children or taking their children hunting or fishing, women jump at the latter."  Smart lady, Tracey. I hope I get to meet her at some point. Not being a parent, I hadn't thought of that.

Don Shultz pointed out that only the girls were taught archery when he was in school, apparently a holdover from the Victorian era where only men played golf.  I went to the driving range this weekend. I'll stick with archery, please and thank you. We didn't have archery at my school, which is very surprising when you realize that the first day of deer hunting was always a school holiday. 

It seems that archery has more of a following in Europe and other countries, maybe it's more of a traditional thing there? More research is needed.

If you have been following my rambling thus far, this week is the big turkey hunting adventure, so will post when I get back. The Cricket is ready to go, looking very unrecognizable. It needs a temporary Goth name for the time being, all wrapped up. Wish me luck!

Cheers! -A

Spring Fever

(Original Post 4/2010  Yes, I have been slacking on my blog. Thank you for noticing!)

I love spring. This morning I am writing from my deck on a beautiful day when I would normally be at work (all the sweeter). In a few weeks I'll be in Michigan sitting a blind with my Dad hopefully with the same fabulous weather. Yup, going turkey hunting for the first time. Actually hunting for the first time. Not sure how I'll like it, but I'm always up for trying new things. So, borrowed some arrows (Thanks, Ron!) and bought some broadheads and now need to get my bow set up because I'm shooting about 2 feet over normal.

It's interesting to see the different reactions of people when they hear about what I am up to. "Never pictured you a shotgunner." Uh, I'm not. This is way more elegant. To barely disguised, "You're really going to kill something? On purpose?"  Let's tackle that one for sec, shall we? I am not opposed to responsible hunting of anything you plan on putting in the freezer. Folks, if you knew where your steak and bacon really came from, you would stop eating it, I promise you. Feel free to disagree or post on this. Would be interested to hear what ya'll have to say on the subject as it gets lots of hackles up.

Interestingly, I did get permission from Ben to change my mind at the last minute, which I thought was pretty cool. I'm not really out to prove anything by attempting this.

So, why the heck am I doing this? Well, to spend some time with my Dad who loves hunting and loves to teach.  When I emailed him that I wanted to do this, he called me immediately and said, "Are you serious, or are you just fooling around?"

Off to the city to get my nails and hair did for tonight's wedding. Will be a nice comparison between glammed up and camo'd up. Giddy up. :)

The Perfect Day

Let me first explain that March in this neck of the woods is normally cold, clammy, windy and nasty. Last Thursday was a magnificent 80 degrees, sunny and beautiful. The kind of day where you open the sunroof and let your winter-white skin feel some heat. And it's hard to concentrate if you have a desk job. Escape is pretty much all you can think about. Lucky me, I had made arrangements to meet Jim Robeson, master saddler, at his shop for some instruction in leatherworking. And yes, the windows were wide open and the radio was loud all the way there.

First of all, the entire building smells like birthday cake from the bakery downstairs. Even the ladies room. Jim works upstairs in an organized and full shop. A very nice person, he took a couple hours out of his day to teach me some sorely needed sewing techniques as well as some proper edge finishing how-to and threw in some sage business advice garnered from his 40+ years of experience in the custom saddle business. He also competes with high powered rifles at 1000 yard distance.  Makes the 20 yards we shoot with our fancy bows and arrows seem mighty short.

What does this have to do with archery, you ask? Quivers, my friend. But more on that a bit later.