I was going to go on Friday, but the weather looked iffy. Turns out it rained by me in Grand Rapids, but the weather at the show was nice.
Instead, I went down Saturday with my two oldest girls. It was a shopping mission, for I intended to get them all set up with a couple bows and youth arrows. I also intended to do some shopping myself and I brought down about 8 different bows to trade, if possible.
The girls and I looked around at the kids stuff, but ended up where I figured we would, at the St. Joe River Bows booth. Tracey got us all decked out with a couple youth bows and two dozen matched youth arrows. I also picked up some youth hip quivers.
A big thanks to Tracey for taking extra time with the girls and showing them some shooting tips for girls vs. boys. My girls were extra excited when I showed them the interview with Tracey in the new Traditional Bowhunter magazine. A brush with fame!
For myself, I bought one the Asbell wool zipper jackets in what I believe they call the new "morning mist" pattern. It's like an olive and tan/oatmeal pattern. I got it extra big, to use as an outer layer on cold days.
I went to Zepnut's tent and he still had the mint 1963 Kodiak Special that he got from me a few years ago. That bow has been one that I've regretted getting rid of and the serendipitous karma of finding that bow again and getting it back was undeniable. That '63 Kodiak Special came home with me.
Then I went over to Big Jim's tent and got all tingly when my eye's ran across a "new" Bear "1959" Kodiak in a non-catalog 30lb weight. It turns out it was a "missed weight" bow. Either way, Bear doesn't make one in 30lbs. With 4 kids and my own shoulder problems, that bow was coming home with me. So, I essentially traded Big Jim a team of nice old Bear bows for one super star player. Dollar wise, Jim got the better of the deal, but he's not there for charity, and having owned my own sporting goods store, I know he needs to make money on any trade and he may sit on the bows I traded him for a while. But the bottom line is, I got a bow that I'd never thought I'd see, a 30lb "'59" that I can put a fast flight on and that alone was worth the deal.