About a month or so ago I saw an opportunity on Facebook that I thought could be pretty fun. If you know me, you know that upon moving to Kodiak, Alaska back in December, I injured my knee, had surgery in February and it’s been an up and downhill recovery process since. I moved here for the job I’ve been trying to get for quite some time and in hopes that my dogs and I could get outside and experience all that this amazing island has to offer. …but back to Facebook… I saw that the Kodiak Baptist Mission was holding a free Bushcraft weekend on Woody Island that I was determined to attend. One of my travel nurses had wanted to join in the fun, so I signed us both up and even got us on the list for primitive bow making with Dave Mead who owns Mead Longbows. This past Friday we headed out on a boat to Woody Island (about a 10-15 minute boat ride through the channel) to find out what was in store for us.

Upon arriving to Woody Island, we got checked in and then we spent the majority of Friday learning the craft of building horse bows with Dave Mead. He pre-made kits and had them shipped from Kentucky so the 6 of us lucky participants could learn how to hone in on his craft. A few burn marks, cuts and a day and a half later, we had our very own horse bows to take home and put our own signature finishing touches on. Not only did Dave take the time to share his craft with us, but he also took the time to help us each “perfect” our bow shooting. Truth be told, before Friday of this past weekend, I have NEVER successfully shot a bow and arrow. With Dave’s guidance, the first shot I took off of my newly constructed bow hit the target! It was such a HUGE sense of accomplishment!

Throughout the rest of Friday there were meals, lots of rain, meeting other Kodiak residents while making connections, fire starting, flintlock guns, tomahawk throwing and a whole lot of nature. I’m a huge fan of being able to just sit outside, breathe fresh air, take pictures, or just sit and be still. Though my knee didn’t hold out past Saturday night, I pushed (probably past my limits) to try to experience all they had to offer while just being present.

Sunday I spent time doing laundry and just recovering and enjoying time with my dogs. It was a great weekend and the views were spectacular! Please enjoy the pictures as I give you all a little view of the piece of beauty where I live.