Kind of ironic that in the summer I am not into going outside, well because its too hot out. But today is different. Today was actually a good day to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. About time, too.
I picked up my recurve bow and walked down the street, maybe a mile (I've never exactly measured it) to hang out with my twelve year old cousin Caius for the afternoon. he had his compound bow, which has a fierce draw weight.
After I got there, we set down the bows and arrows to go for a joy ride in the truck that is still in good enough condition despite it being over thirty years old.I'm telling ya, Caius can really drive that thing. going fast, over bumps (just in the gigantic yard, duh), etc until finishing after a few minutes.
After getting out of the truck, we shot our bows, aimed at a hay bale positioned in the yard. the only problem was that a couple times his cat Rocket would walk nearby and Caius had to get him to leave. But I'd say we're doing better. I picked up a way to aim and hold the bow by seeing THE HUNGER GAMES and from watching the Olympic archers with my uncle in New York. I held the end of the arrow to my jaw with the bowstring next to my nose, positioning the arrow point exactly where I wanted it to land. After releasing it, it came out as a pretty good shot. Now all I need is more practice.
On my walk back home I ran into my friend Hali on the road and chatted for awhile. It always feels good to see my high school friends, which I am hoping to do a bunch of times this year and after.
A few hours after getting home I decided to practice some more since it was getting cool enough in the evening. So I picked up my stuff and walked out into my own yard, shooting the same way at the hay bale I spray-painted a black and orange target onto last Halloween. I'm definitely getting better, but again I just need more practice. Now that I actually know how to aim a bow, I don't have to do as much experimenting as I have since I was sixteen. And hopefully it'll keep getting cooler over the next few weeks and I can get outside more without dying of the heat.
Another good sign is I'm actually getting some muscle pain in both my arms and little bruises on my fingers. Normally wouldn't sound like good news, but it means I'm doing it right. So all I need left is practice
