Guy asked me if I would copy and past a post that I had made on FaceBook here since the link wasn't working.
Here is a copy paste:
I was talking with someone last night at traditional league about a competition that I had entered to win a beautiful one of a kind bow last December. It was a pretty simple task. Post a picture/story of your greatest memory with bow in hand. The Admin for the group would then go over the posts and choose a winner and give this beautiful bow to that person. Let me tell you I didn't envy him one bit for having to pick only one story because they were all awesome. I know this is a super long post but I think it might explain a little more about why I am helping my son chase his dream and give you a chance to get to know us a little better.
The first photo is the photo I entered and the rest are the GORGEOUS bow the winner was given. Donated by Stephen Cowan of Australia
The bow might not be in my hand but it might as well had been. This is the first arrow shot from the first bow my son made. Early in 2017 my son, Cahl, showed interest in learning traditional archery. I had shot a little when I was younger and had hoped to pick the hobby up again and had bought a traditional bow about a year prior but hadn’t shot it. I was worried about not having proper guidance and creating bad habits without knowing so the bow just sat there. But when Cahl came to me with his interest in learning, I was all about it. He was 12 at the time and pretty much had his nose stuck in the iPad playing some video game. And, like many other pre-teen boys, he acted as if mom didn’t know a whole lot. He wasn’t rude or anything like that, just well, full of sighs and if I didn’t hear at least 10 “humfs” or “nothin’s” out of him a day it was a miracle. Shortly after his interest came about I took him to the Traditional Bowhunters Expo in Kalamazoo and I bought him his first longbow. We joined a traditional league and began to learn all we could soak in. Our first “get together” was in April with the Michigan Longbow Association and we were hooked. We met a very wonderful man there named Guy who told us about a Primitive only event that might interest us. This photo was taken in May at that Primitive Archery event in Marshall, MI. We arrived there on a Thursday afternoon and by Friday night he had made this bow and shot this first arrow. A very nice gentleman there spent the entire evening Thursday and most of Friday guiding him thru the process. I was so proud as I saw him put so much time, effort, passion and heart into his work. We took this passion and ran with it. We spent the entire summer attending shoots and practicing. And finally, Mom knows something. He’s asking about my days working packing mules and guiding. He’s asking about tanning hides and building shelters and cooking on campfires. All things outdoors and nature are now of interest and have become a lifestyle for us. We have found a common ground that has built a world to be explored....archery. I know it’s not me in that picture but it might as well be because it’s my heart. Plus, I’m usually the one with the camera. Thank you for taking the time to read this and all of the other posts here. And now the specs on that first bow. 27# @26in and is from ironwood It hasn’t even been a year since we first picked up our bows and all of this has happened. I can not wait to experience the next year