William Tell Overture

A&N have suddenly become interested in archery, and I can’t seem to pinpoint the moment that it entered their psyches, but it has clearly revealed itself. It might have been a few days back when we were at the Listen and there were a few bows for sale. They weren’t just little kiddies bows, mind you, but the real deal. N checked them out, but then moved on and didn’t mention it after that. I thought they were cool, but had some reservations, because bows are real weapons, and I have acute anxieties about the kids shooting arrows around the yard or house when other kids are there.

For the record, when I was a little kid, we used to make bow and arrow sets out of sticks and rubber bands, and I actually shot my friend KC in the chest, leaving a big red welt and scab. It was lucky I didn’t take out an eye, and in retrospect, we did a lot of crazy and stupid stuff back then. The point is, bows can be dangerous, so I wasn’t thrilled about getting the real deal. A&N have made simple bows out of bent stick and rubber hands, and they shoot small branches and stuff, but nothing too scary. I made them promise never to shoot anywhere near where a person is standing.

Just recently, N has been rather industrious in making bows, and we got some dowels to make them. Of course, after a few uses, they broke. N was bummed, and became fairly pre-occupied with the idea of making a more durable bow. He kept asking me what sort of wood to use, and where to buy it. I had no idea, but knew a few guys who probably could answer these questions.

I decided to go back to the Listen and see if the bows were still there, and lucky for us (or not), there was one left. I got it, and the kids think it’s the coolest thing in the world. The next step will be to locate/fabricate arrows with big blunt ends, maybe even a ball at the end, and they can have some fun. We are also toying with the idea of taking archery classes, I saw the offer them in the neighboring town. This could get interesting.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Scruffy Hound for the pic.