Greetings, fellow sentient beings!
I've rambled about my intentions not once so today I'm happy to announce I started building it. The Archery range in the village yard where I go from time to time to take care of...whatever I can.
It kind of went well enough at the end but...
...let me start from the beginning. I got some story to tell.
Usually, when I go there, I want to get some work done, and archery being just a hobby, it was kind of left behind and dragged along as an intention only, almost all through the summer. Today, though, I had no other special plans than watering a few young trees and then taking some time to clear some ground from overgrowth. So...
I combined the two — putting up the Archery range to a point where I can actually use it on one hand, and clearing some space with the hoe on the other.
I rolled up my sleevies and I started digging...
That pipe there, it helps me keep a straight line.
This be the space to be partially cleared.
Keeping in mind some crop rotation principles, it is where I planted nothing this year, so I shall start be planting there next year and then rotating cultures.
Anyway, off with the grass first.
Three Hours Later!
You can see the poles, as well as the handles of my spade, my pitchfork, and my hoe.
And a pile of grassy grass.
Here it is from up close.
And here, approximately, would be the point from where I shoot them arrow.
Well, some more grass-clearing would first be done.
And eventually, it was done.
At that point, the middle of the day behind me, I kept to keeping it simple and simply put up a couple of old wooden doors against the poles.
A cardboard would be folded in two and put in front of them in order to soften the hits.
Initially, I planned on making the safety wall larger and more resilient, so that others can use the archery range...
But for now, it was me only, and I was pretty confident that at my favorite twenty-yard distance, I wouldn't miss the cardboard. Even without any sighting attached to the bow's body.
So, Here's how it would go...
1 would be my mark. Where I aim in order to hit 2.
3 is where I actually aimed the first time, since I hadn't used carbon body arrows for quite some time and I knew they would fly faster, stronger, higher.
Faster, Stronger, Higher was also a motto written at the entrance to the stadium in my hometown.
Anyway, it turned out I had been right to aim lower than usual and the carbon arrow hit where you see the red 4.
So, for the next few shots, solely based on my judgement, I adjusted from arrow to arrow, some of them carbon, some of them bamboo and thus much slower.
_The last shot did me quite happy with the results...
...Until...
Houston, we have a problem!
Carbon arrows and mere two layers of cardboard did not mix well. Who would guess? Silly me had to have known that, and I kind of did but i took no measures until I saw the arrows lodged deep into the wooden door behind.
I pulled the way I was taught, but they wouldn't come out without risk to breaking them.
Then another fail. One of the notches of an arrow had broken because of the impact. The shock kind of goes all the way from the tip through the body and to the weakest part which is...plastic.
I guess each time I write an archery report here, I'm also sharing the news of yet another arrow lost to my own stupidity. I could have predicted it happening. I kind of did but I went on anyway.
Well, nothing to do about this one right now.
In order to save the other carbon arrows from getting destroyed, I had to either put more cushioning effects, or use the bamboo arrows only for the remainder of the shooting session.
The first I chose to do at another time. So I was about to pack the remaining carbon arrows and continue with the rest...
As soon as I actually solved the first problem. They were still deep deep enough into the wood.
This time I decided to play it safe and...
...operate. Do some surgery, I mean.
Cut the carboard and then chip at the wood until I could get the tip of the arrow free.
Good thing I had me Swiss Army knife with me. That's the point of it, isn't it? To have it with you wherever you go, especially on airpla...kidding.
Go home, everyone, nothing here to see!
Didn't even leave a mark ;)
Except it did.
Some marking-apple adjustments, some more shots, some of them close but no cigar...
And it was time to go home, really. Perhaps I get me an apple next time.
Peace!
Yours,
Manol