6-8 October 2010, Wednesday through Friday

We had thick fog for most of the morning on Wednesday.  After lunch we drove in to the post office to mail a manuscript and fill water jugs.  Our oldest daughter and her family came on Thursday and stayed until Friday.  We didn't get  a lot done but had time to play with the grandkids and do some other things.

Fog on Wednesday morning.

We filled water jugs while we were in town to mail the manuscript package.

We cut up some Birch logs to make bow staves out of.  This is on the state forest land where they've finished logging.  Birch is considered trash wood so they don't sell it for lumber or pulp.

Our son-in-law brought his bow along to do some deer/elk hunting.  He saw plenty of deer but none got close enough to put an arrow in.  Saw some elk sign too but no elk.

They wanted to make a fire with a bow drill so I got out some of the materials I had on hand.  I used cottonwood for the spindle and base.  The hand hold is made from an hickory old axe handle.  With my hand still somewhat messed up it was real challenge to get the fire started.  I finally drilled a hole through the spindle and set it up like an Egyptian bow drill.  (At least that's what I think it's called.  I saw it in an issue of Wilderness Way magazine.)  It worked well.  It was the first time I did this and it took a few tries to get the kinks out.

It was an experience doing this with an injured paw!  I'm glad my life didn't depend on getting a fire going fast with this method.  I also showed them how to do it with flint and steel.

Anna (our youngest grand daughter) rode in the back pack while we shot bows on the archery range.

Everyone except me had a bow to shoot.  I had Anna which seemed like a good trade to me.

Tow of the grandkids climbing the rope ladder Emily and Tristan made a couple of years ago.

David swinging on the rope.

They headed home Friday evening.  We had another big day scheduled for Kalispell the next day.  More on that tomorrow.