Life is good

[Pat B]

Happy New Year, Pappy and to the rest of our PA family.
 It's almost time to think about the Tenn. Classic. 

[Pappy]

Thanks guys, ya WB I try and stay busy, they say it keeps you young 🤔 ya Pat it is just checked today and already got 15 vendors confirmed so it has already started for me. 😊 Pappy

[YosemiteBen]

Happy New Year Pappy and Everyone Else! Blackeyed peas and ham here at the house with family and friends! Wishing you all enough in the coming year!

[Pappy]

Yep we also had Black eyed peas and turnip greens , supposed to bring you luck, we will see how that works out.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Headed to the cabin for a couple of days, may do a little hunting [it's about over] and got a couple of projects in the works, got a hide to finish getting stretched/dry and smoked and plane on backing my yew bow with rawhide, wasn't going to but it popped a little splinter where the sap wood ring had been violated so cleaned that up yesterday and decided to go ahead and back it, should be a good weekend, cold but fine around the fire. Hope yall have a good one also. Life is Good.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Great weekend, got a lot done but not much finished, seemed all the things I was working on gave me trouble and had to do some re do's , that's the way it goes sometimes. Got a couple more hides in the brains, though I was about through with the one I been working on but wound up with a couple of hard spots around the neck area that didn't take the brains that well so after having it dry I put it back in the brains and now have to stretch and dry again , lot of extra work but I want it soft. Then my Yew bow popped a splinter where the sap wood ring was violated, they say it don't matter with yew but it did on this one :-\So I cleaned it up, lucky it didn't go to deep and I still had weight to give, got it close as I could to one ring  on both limbs, braced it and took it out to 20 inches, held ok and looked good so I decided to go a head and rawhide the Back.  Again a lot of extra work but I think this will take care of it. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Got several hides I have saved just for backing, nice thin doe hides. Then some of my buddies showed up and we decided to start cutting some wood, need a bunch for the year and getting ready for the Classic, takes a lot of fire wood for that.We got a pretty good start. Got plenty of trees down from a couple big storms so it shouldn't take long to get the wood pile in shape. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

 inner loin for lunch, man was that tasty.  :)Got my Yew bow all cleaned up and ready for rawhide, also several working in the shop on other projects, an Osage/mullberry and a Hickory.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Rawhide on, I wrap it for an hour or so then take the wrap off check for air bubbles and let dry before cleaning it up. Got some old arrows I am reworking for Margaret Ann and Bodhi, kids got to have arrows. Hides in the brains, Shawn is doing a hide also, this is his first so we will see if he really like doing it, for most it's 1 and done, like building bows , it ant for everybody. Had a very relaxing night by the fire with just me and the girls, it was chilly and the fire felt nice.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Got the rawhide all cleaned up on the yew bow and back out to brace, so far so good. Shawn trimming up's Mark's Hickory bow. A really nice piece of hickory, should make a good bow. 
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Back strap for lunch Saturday, man if nothing else we eat good, work in the bow shop and relaxing around the fire that afternoon.
 Pappy

[Pappy]

Shawn pulling on his first hide, lot of hard work but worth it when you get a nice soft piece of brain tan. Getting the kids arrows ready to Fletch, Margaret Ann's favorite color is purple so she should like these .Bodhi don't care as long as it's an arrow.  Got may 2 new hides brained 3 times and ready to pre smoke, then back in the brains about 3 more times and stretch and rope till dry. Great time for sure, hope yall had a good one also. Life is Good.
 Pappy

[chamookman]

Good luck with the Yew Bow ! I'm always a nervous Nellie working that stuff !  Bob.

[Pappy]

Ya me also Bob, yew makes a great bow but has always been unpredictable for me , usually with Osage or most white woods I can see a potential problem and address it before it becomes a big problem, not so much with Yew, it sometimes blows for no real reason i can see.
 Pappy

[BrianS]

Pappy,
Looks like a great weekend! Thanks as always for posting. Take care, Brian