Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Special Archery Meeting

Our archery group met Saturday so we could all visit with Tim Baker, one of the author's of the Bowyer's Bible Vol. 1-4. He used to be a group regular but left to pursue photography and other interests.  But he's also my frisbee buddy and before anyone got him involved in making a new longbow, he was waving his bright pink disk around wanting me to come do some throws.  How could I refuse?
But it was a hot day and I was quickly overheated, and the archers were clamoring to get his help with the tillering tree. George took my place for a bit, then we all went back to our projects. 

Anyway, I don't want to talk too much about it; mostly I want to share the photos. 

Erick scrapes his first bow.

Badger makes a bowstring with a string board.

Barbara took this photo of me weaving on my popsicle stick loom.

Tim Baker

Sal and Guy work on projects.

Barbara and Ken's son needs a nap after all the excitement.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Spear chucking Women

Some people opted out of the group photo, so this is only about 3/4 of the people that came on Sunday.

On Sat. I got to teach my friends Rick and Lynn how to use an atlatl.  Rick made up a little ditty on the spot about how he loved spear chucking women.

Then on Sunday we had our usual monthly Paleoplanet gathering in Pasadena and I got to show my friend Marianne how to use an atlatl.  And I'm getting better too.  Two days of practice in a row really helped. My fletching is coming all undone so I had to re-tie it and re-glue it with Superglue, and it still came off again.  I'm hard on feathers, that's for sure. The fletching tape failed completely.

I also shot my bow and arrows and did pretty good until my arms started to get tired. Then I couldn't aim anymore and gave it up for the day.  We had a great turn-out even though it was Father's Day. I got to see Derrick and his new baby, and Ken and Barbara were there with baby Jack. Lots of people were there that I didn't know.  Mike was there with a woman spinner. My friend Tessa just got back from England so her and her mom came to work on bows.

Guy finished his bow and got to shoot it for the first time. Now comes the fun part of decorating it, adding a handle and putting on a finish.

We had people spinning, knitting, bowmaking, woodworking, log splitting, and spear chucking all day.
Happy times.

Derrick with a longbow

Ayana and son.

Mario's tiny arrows

What a great way to celebrate Father's Day

One of Mario's sons shows off his shell necklace.


Mike works on spinning

Our two archery babies

Guy shoots his new bow for the first time

Two spinners

Marianne tries the atlatl

Spear Chick

Lynn gives the atlatl a try

You never know when you might have to protect yourself from a wooly mammoth