Archer

While Roomie, Neighbors and I hung out by the chimnea last night, we chatted about events of the day and I sanded my bow. My good friend Kiliii had made it for me a few years ago, and said that I should finish it. I brought it to Outward Bound, shot up the lid for the fire hose with my blunt tipped homemade arrow, and then didn't use it for years. I am embarrassed to say that I left it after caretaking for the winter, and didn't see it again until a friend brought it to town. I told him, "That looks like my bow!" and he said he found it in a closet.

So now, years later, I'm sanding the part where there was a leather backing (that peeled off and turned into rawhide) and looking to get it restrung. Roomie and I might get some hay bales for the backyard, too.

In my yoga class, the "guru" says to not worry about what your body or mind can do at that moment, but rather take aim (like taking aim when shooting a bow and arrow) and then let go. I'm going to get my bow ready.

Bending Sheep and Bloody Cheeks.

We did some search and rescue practice (including fake blood and skin and bruises) on the last

TAASC trip. As a mountain biker went by, one girl said calmly, "I have a broken leg!" He looked at the field of bloody kids and a few adults standing around. I was drinking tea, and he kept riding. Here's a glimpse of some blood and a girl practicing a head to toe body exam. I couldn't find good photos of fake bruises.

One story involved some kind of gnome attacking while another one had a squirrel as the perp. We had lots of "accidents" and I pretended to be a dumb valley girl when the non-patients came down the trail. I'd say things like, "Uh, if you know anything about how to treat injuries... like, you might wanna check down there. I dunno. They look bad. Real bad."

After the search and rescue practice, all of the boys decided to get into a couple of different groups and battle. They were fighting over a hill (with sword fighting sticks... we stopped that over and over) and this golden skull (some had seen the new Indiana movie). One group named itself "sheep benders" and the other "duck benders." I don't know how that all came to be, but it was like Lord of the Flies. Here's a shot of them pulling out the Golden Skull (or a decoy! you never know!) from the creek.

And that's why we keep hiking

While hiking up a steep hill, the kids around me whined, "Can't we take a breaaak?"

"Not until the gap. Keep hiking." (Ever the compassionate leader.)

A shy boy said, "Well, at least my legs will be huge."

Another kid, "What?"

"You know, the muscles. They'll be like rocket launchers."