First Bow and Arrow

[OubaasDik]

First Bow and Arrow




A Texas Kid's first Bow and Arrow
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Don't know who wrote this but he has a way with words that makes one
visualize being right there beside him. Good read

Life as a child growing up in Texas ....

Around age 10 my dad got me one of those little badass compound bow beginner
kits. Of course, the first month I went around our land sticking arrows in
anything that could get stuck by an arrow. Did you know that a 1955 40 horse
Farmall tractor tire will take 6 rounds before it goes down? Tough
sumbich.

That got boring, so being the 10 yr. old Dukes of Hazard fan that I was, I
quickly advanced to taking strips of cut up T-shirt doused in chainsaw gas
tied around the end and was sending flaming arrows all over the place.

One summer afternoon, I was shooting flaming arrows into a large rotten oak
stump in our backyard. I looked over under the carport and see a shiny brand
new can of starting fluid (Ether).

A light bulb went off in my head.

I grabbed the can and set it on the stump. I thought that it would probably
just spray out in a disappointing manner. Lets face it, to a 10 yr old
mouth-breather like myself, (Ether), really doesn't "sound" flammable.

So, I went back into the house and got a 1 pound can of pyrodex (black
powder for muzzle loader rifles).

At this point, I set the can of ether on the stump and opened up the can of
black powder.

My intentions were to sprinkle a little bit around the (Ether) can but it
all sorta dumped out on me. No biggie, a 1 lb. pyrodex and 16 oz (Ether)
should make a loud pop, kinda like a firecracker you know?

You know what? Screw that I'm going back in the house for the other can, so
I got a second can of pyrodex and dumped it too. Now we're cookin'.

I stepped back about 15 ft and lit the 2 stroke arrow. I drew the nock to my
cheek and took aim. As I released I heard a clunk as the arrow launched
from my bow. In a slow motion time frame, I turned to see my dad getting
out of the truck... OH SHOOT! He just got home from work.

So help me God it took 10 minutes for that arrow to go from my bow to the
can. My dad was walking towards me in slow motion with a WTF look in his
eyes.

I turned back towards my target just in time to see the arrow pierce the
starting fluid can right at the bottom. Right through the main pile of
pyrodex and into the can. Oh shoot. When the shock wave hit it knocked me
off my feet. I don't know if it was the actual compression wave that threw
me back or just reflex jerk back from 235 fricking decibels of sound. I
caught a half a millisecond glimpse of the violence during the initial
explosion and I will tell you there was dust, grass, and bugs all hovering 1
ft above the ground as far as I could see. It was like a little low to the
ground layer of dust fog full of grasshoppers, spiders, and a worm or two.

The daylight turned purple. Let me repeat this... THE COTTON PICKING
DAYLIGHT TURNED PURPLE.

There was a big sweet gum tree out by the gate going into the pasture.
Notice I said "was". That sucker got up and ran off.

So here I am, on the ground blown completely out of my shoes with my
thundercats T-Shirt shredded, my dad is on the other side of the carport,
having what I can only assume is, a Vietnam flashback: ECHO BRAVO CHARLIE
YOU'RE BRINGIN' EM IN TOO CLOSE!! CEASE FIRE. DAMN IT CEASE FIRE!!!!!

His hat has blown off and is 30 ft behind him in the driveway. All windows
on the north side of the house are blown out and there is a slow rolling
mushroom cloud about 2000 ft. over our backyard.

There is a Honda 185 3 wheeler parked on the other side of the yard and the
fenders are drooped down and are now touching the tires.

I wish I knew what I said to my dad at this moment. I don't know - I know I
said something. I couldn't hear. I couldn't hear inside my own head.

I don't think he heard me either... not that it would really matter. I don't
remember much from this point on.

I said something, felt a sharp pain, and then woke up later. I felt a sharp
pain, blacked out, woke later....repeat this process for an hour or so and
you get the idea.

I remember at one point my mom had to give me CPR. and Dad screaming "Bring
him back to life so I can kill him again". Thanks Mom.

One thing is for sure... I never had to mow around that stump again.

Mom had been bitching about that thing for years and dad never did anything
about it. I stepped up to the plate and handled business.

Dad sold his muzzle loader a week or so later. I still have some sort of
bone growth abnormality, either from the blast or the beating, or both.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, get your kids into archery. It's good
discipline and will teach them skills they can use later on in life.

--Author Unknown

[Bams]

[AlBrough]

That sounds like the mischief I used to get up to in school holidays

[Mara]

Absolutely excellent, as usual!

[HadEnoughofJuju]