Archery !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is my sort of Archery, I don't find standing in a line and shooting at targets any fun at all, there's nothing like shooting on a Field Archery Course, especially with a group of like minded Friends.
The plan is to sell some of my Bows and concentrate on Traditional Longbows, be it an English Longbow or an American one.
I'm also selling the Horsebow I have, and upgrading to a better one, as I prefer Shortbows as they are easier to carry on Woodland Courses, and don't snag on the scenery.
But with no place to shoot Indoors and the weather becoming more Wintery, sadly the practice sessions are becoming few and far between.

Too Cold

Well it's rather cold out, too cold for Archery or Cycling and it's not even Winter yet.
The plan is to get in more archery practice, but that's out until the wind dies down
I've been asked to go to two archery competitions, but as their not what I call social occasions, I'll give them a miss, there's nothing worse than travelling a long way to be greeted to a load of sour faces.
It's coming down to, if your not happy with what's already there, change it yourself.
It's no use complaining about something and not trying to change it, I've done it before and got awards for putting on events, so I know I can do it again.
The worst part is the burning of bridges and knowing there's no turning back, but if your not happy does it really matter.
I've been asked about doing reenactment with the Longbow, I've already done it with the British Longbow Society, which reenacts the practice of Victorian Archery.
It's not really my thing as I'm more like Robin Hood and not very good at acting like a Victorian Gentleman.

No Fishing

Only two days to go and I'll have the River to myself once more, as it's the end of the fishing season for another year.
But the nights are drawing in and the days are getting shorter, who knows one dark night I may find something interesting to put on this blog??.
But at least the weather has been good over the last few days, which means there's a good chance I'll be able to get out with the Longbow and put some holes in the Target Ball.

What are you reading ?

How many books are you reading at the same time ??
I've just realised how many books I'm reading and asked myself why ??
It's down to what mood I'm in at the time.

I've just read "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall, it's the best book I've read for a while, easy to read and very entertaining.

I'm currently reading "Vagabond" by Bernard Cornwell, rather gory as it all seems rather blood thirsty.

Another one is (Hunting the Osage Bow) by Dean Torges, it's more about making an Osage bow than hunting with one, and is easy to understand which makes it a very good book for the budding Bowyer.

My night time reading is "Chinggis Khan" which is a translation of Mongol history by Urgunge Onon, a good book to read if you have any interest in Mongol history.

So my reading is rather varied at the moment but there's usually an archery book in there somewhere.
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Quick Week

That was a quick week, Saturday already !!

Took the Horsebow out and the Rinehart Target ball for an hour or so.

I was surprised how quickly it got dark.

Looking at the weather it's going to be a wet weekend .

And I need to practice more, but rain and feathers don't go together very good, even if they are covered in silicon waterproofing powder .

But even if you don't get out with the Bow you should do exercises to keep you fit.

Barefoot

I've bought a pair of Fivefinger shoes so it's not so much Barefoot as sockless, as I walk about in my stocking feet most of the time inside, it means I can get much the same feeling when walking outdoors now.

I'm reading this book at the moment, which is a very interesting on Barefoot running.

Maybe I should change my name to The Barefoot Archer ??

OK have changed the name to one that is more fitting.

An Archer without a home, all the club's I was in have moved away, leaving me with no home..

One seemed to be a group of people that were not really interested in archery,and more in controlling People.
Which was fine as long as you didn't get too interested and only wanted to shoot inside, even though they called themselves Field Archers ??

Another club was a City Club, sixty miles South, (70 miles to the Archery Course) who moved 10 miles further away when they lost the Wood they were using.
Trying to get information is impossible it seems, even though they took your money you were still very much on the outside.

Another club has a Field course which seems to be run by one member, even though you are told "It's your Club".
That's fine until you try to change something, then it becomes a closed shop with a tight inner circle and it's made quite clear all is not as it seems.

another club seems rather strange as it seems to be also run by the same person who runs the two clubs above, another case of "It's your Club", then two of us decided we needed more Clout practice and was told the quite firmly that the club didn't do Clout.
It seems the Club meets 4 times a year, plus a practice day the week before the Clout Meeting they put on??
But they do not approve of you practicing any other time ?? very strange.

so the saga of the Itinerant Archer begins ""