First Day of Autumn

Yesterday was the first official day of autumn, which is my favorite season! In honor of the beautiful day we had, I skipped my Yoga class to spend some time outdoors. After battling with my conscience and deciding I would survive if I skipped just once, I convinced Jeremy to go to the archery range with me. (I know….it seems like it should be the other way around, right? Nevertheless, I was the one begging him to go shooting with me.) So, I gathered up my shiny black and chrome Hoyt compound bow and my arrows that Jeremy fletched with pink and black vanes.

At this point, you’re probably wondering when my transformation to Robin Hood took place. Yes, I own a bow and I like to shoot it. I had never been very interested in archery, even though my dad bought me my first bow several years ago. However, this summer, Nicole, my sister-in-law, got a bow. I tried shooting it a couple of times and it was actually fun! (Partly because the bow was hot pink and really cool looking) I wasn’t horrible at it either, which for me is always a plus since I have the kind of personality where I give up (and freak out) if I’m not good at something the first time I try it. I found myself wanting to shoot more. I also thought that I had found a hobby that Jeremy and I could enjoy together. So, after justifying the $600 plus as an investment in making our marriage stronger (ha-ha), I ordered my bow. Had I wanted a camo pattern, I could have walked out of the store with a bow that same day. But, you know me- do you see me with anything camouflage?????? So, I went whole hog (I’ve never used that expression in my life!) and custom ordered a sleek black bow with chrome detailing. I wanted a few accessories to be hot pink, but that was too hard to find.

Now you know the story of how and why I have a bow. So, back to yesterday………………..
The Pocatello archery range is located in the foothills east of town. It is actually a very pretty location, especially this time of year with the fall colors. You have a great view of the city and surrounding mountains. There is an indoor range as well as an outdoor one. I usually prefer shooting indoors, but this day I wanted to be outside. We shot for only a few minutes because it was windy up there and getting pretty chilly! We spent a half hour or so inside and I managed to hit a few bull’s eyes! (By a few I mean two.) There was a chatty, older gentleman there. He talked Jeremy’s ear off and even had him try different arrows that he had brought. They were both shooting traditional bows and I think the man was glad to see a younger guy with an interest in them. When we came out of the building, the sun was setting and even though it was a cold evening, I wanted to just stand up there and enjoy the scenery. But, not only were we cold, but our stomachs were empty, so we didn’t stay out there long! We faced the orange and pink sunset the whole drive down to the main road, so that was good enough for me. It was worth missing one Yoga session for such a fun and beautiful evening (and much less painful)!