It was my first time there so it was all a highlight.
I started 8at 8 on Friday and went till after 5. Sat down about 15 minutes all day. Shot all the courses at least twice each. Found a lot of Tradgange members and other that I didn't know. I lost track of all the names. I was shooting on my own, but would just jump around and catch up and find someone to shoot with each time. Shot with some local Kzoo guys a few times here and there when I found them. Shot some great bows. Found I could shoot a PCH low grip like nothing I have had in my hand yet when I took one out and shot the green course. It wasn't even set up right for me and my arrows were kind of week, but boy did it shoot. No missed shots with a bow I never shot before and most were good solid hits; need a part time job now. Shoot a lot of foam stuff I didn't even know where to shoot it at. Can't shoot off a horse very well. All that clay target shooting played off when I managed two areal hits in a row with one more graze all on my third round when I got used to the flu flu speed. That was too much fun!
The wife and kids did the whole day running around having a good time with no complaints even with the heat. The kids didn't want to leave because they had so much fun. They made me shoot two more rounds on the way to the truck so they could see more of the animals on the course. They gave great reviews of the other kids there. Most all were vender children and everyone got along fine. I heard a lot about the soccer ball in the face and bloody nose. That was the big excitement of the playground; I have heard about that about 10 times now. The kids didn't want to go home, but we dragged them off so we could get out on the hwy just as the rain started. We raced home with the storm on our heals. Everyone got some dinner, drank lots of water, and collapse in a deep sleep in the AC.
Saturday I got back about 8 for more fun after doctoring up a couple blisters I earned from the 9 hours of walking in some not so great tennis shoes from the day before, and this time with some decent light weight hunting boots. I meet up with a couple Tradgange members I had never meet before in the parking lot, and we off shooting before long. More fun trying bows and meeting more people. I ran into Jim Jones of Firefly bows. I had talked to him, but never in person. Great guy for sure! I found Kentucky TJ in the main vender tent and dragged him all over the place for a few hours. Talked the pour guys ear off; I don't get out much. I shot his Centaur so now I fore sure need a part time job. We ran into Daniel Bergsma, boone the hunter. Boy is he tall. I have to go back and look at the big buck he shot last year. Those tines are a lot longer than I though. Very nice guy to meet. I got us to the Tradgange meeting late because I was trying to get a Shrew from Mr. LaClaire to try out, which I did, so make that a second full time job. I also had us going to the wrong area when we first got started looking for everyone. We did manage to get there just after the group photo, and meet a lot of people including Arwin and his daughter, Oliver Stacy and a lot more I can't recall right off without working up a list.
Somewhere along the way we shot more bows and then ran into Skyler and his friend, maybe Mason or Matt, in the vender tent. I recognized Skyler right off, but missed his friends name a little. It took a second to tune my northern ears a hair. Very nice young men. Skyler's friend got a new Shrew. I wanted to shoot it, but kept my mouth shout. He was excited for sure. Sounded real nice. Looking forward to more stories with those guys in them and some pic's of that Shrew.
Well I dragged Kentucky TJ around some more and managed to talk his other ear off in the process. He was saved when I had to hit the road home about 1:30 pm to the family to catch up with them and make the rounds of some family birthday parties and graduation parties. I should have probably bought the guy lunch for his trouble, but I was having too much fun to think about lunch. Maybe next time.
I managed to not have to hunt for any of my arrows. I pulled a few out of the mud from low shots, and I did side swipe that tree next to the ram on the blue course and snap an arrow in half. Other than that and a low shot into a log, which I got out, I did ok. I can't wait until next year. I am sure I left out a whole lot of people and memories that will pop into my head as the days pass. I am still resting up after too much fun. I only wish I had more time to stay.
I packed around a camera for most of two days and never thought to take it out and shoot pic's. I hope someone did. Next year I will. The first time shooting 3D and being with so many great people was just too much fun to think of getting the camera out.
Topic: Who is back from Compton and what was your highlight? (Read 1193 times)
