An old interest renewed!

At last I've got around to doing something I've been meaning to do for a long time............I've got my old Martin Lynx compound bow out & joined Forest Bowmen in Derbyshire.

I managed to surprise myself (having not picked up a bow in anger for about 19 years), this was the first time I had ever shot an un-marked course with big game target faces & I had more hits than misses!

Some hits were better than others!

Now I just need to adjust the pin-sight & practice!

Santa has been very generous this year.......

I must have been very good this year, Sarah bought me a new float tube!

A Sparton Cruiser, the Rolls Royce of Float Tubes. This is a picture taken from Steve Parton's website (I'm sure Steve won't mind), more to follow when I get out onto Simmesjon after some trout next June! 

Santa's been!

Santa, well OK my Dad, has been bearing gifts of a pair of fantastic hand-crafted ash beavertail canoe paddles. I'd asked my Dad to make me a pair of paddles for my canoe - the "Nice Beaver" -  earlier in the year & sent him the Graham Warren "Paddlemaking" DVD.

Here they are.

They really are the bees-knees, beautifully balanced & perfectly finished.

Thanks Dad!

Can't wait to get out to Sweden & try them out this summer!

Lingon Vodka......

As promised, here's an update on the fate of the Lingon berries we picked whilst we were at the cabin in September.

Delicious!

A Very Merry Christmas.......

......& a happy & prosperous new year to you all!

Snow glorious Snow!

Katrin kindly visited the cabin to make sure everything's OK & took this photo for us!

A musical interlude......

A bit off topic this, but I thought I'd share a photo of myself with the Beeston Big Band. I've played trombone with this fine group of musicians since 2003 & last April was asked to take over the musical direction. We held our Christmas concert last friday at the Boat & Horses in Beeston, the evening went down a storm with the band swinging through numbers from Glenn Miller & Count Basie. A big thankyou to everyone involved, my musical friends, our hosts at the Boat & Horses (where we rehearse), Tim Holyoake (the photographer) & of course our audience who helped us raise a few pounds for a local charity!