RE: Counting the Days......
It was GREAT! Along with the usual selbow building and flint knapping, there was a fellow there (can't remember his name for the life of me--sorry) who did a demonstration (and helped several others make their own) of some sort of bamboo backed bow and rather than use a form he used twine and wedges to shape it into a kind or horse bow--very cool!
Down side was it rained--a LOT. I don't like shooting in the rain anymore. I got out and shot B side, and honestly made a mess of it. I blew the first two shots, and went downhill from there--I know better, but I let it get me. After that, I decided I wasn't there to get aggravated, I was there to have fun, so I put the bow up and just socialized. It was extra frustrating because I'd shot pretty well on a novelty shoot and on the practice butts.....oh well. First time I haven't competed since I started going several years ago, but no biggie--been lucky enough to bring home a few novelty prizes and 4 trophies in the past, so I have my souvineers.
Gary Davis was there to help with selfbow instruction, as well as the owner of the Twin Oaks property (Mark Baggett--featured in Primitive Archer many times for his selfbows) and several other accomplished selfbowyers, several good flint knappers, several very good muscians for after-hours........
I've been to a lot of great shoots--the old Howard Hill, the new Howard Hill, Cloverdale, Denton Hill, the TX State Longbow Championship, the GA and AL state championships, the Jerry Pierce, and many others......some are running a close second, but the TN Classic at Twin Oaks is still my favorite.
Chad