I-Shot-an-arrow

Tim and I were always doing dangerous things when we were kids. One of those on the long infamous list was shooting arrows straight up in the air. We each had powerful hunting bows for deer hunting with very sharp steel tipped arrows. Because the bows were so powerful, we shot more vertically than horizontally. They would sometimes get so high that they would practically go out of sight. When they go to the apex of their skyward flight, they would fall vertically for a few yards, then turn downward and fall back to terra firma at a very high rate of speed. After we saw it starting to fall back down, we would head for our porch that had a roof over it. The arrow usually landed relatively near where we had shot it. Since the porch roof gave us protection, we usually shot the arrows near there. I estimate that the arrows went well over 200 feet high. When an arrow would hit the ground, due to the high velocity, it would bury itself in the ground a few inches. Maybe some of you who are adept at mathematics can tell me how fast in MPH an arrow shot 200 feet in the air would go when it hits the ground.

Sometimes we tried to shoot birds in flight, but never even came close to hitting any of them. The odds were just too great and would have been 1 shot in a million. However, there were 2 examples of one shot in a million that actually happened and it didn’t involve hitting birds in flight. Here are the details.

A million to one shot #1

One day Tim and I were out shooting arrows in the air then running under the porch roof as they rapidly descended. As usual, we were not paying any attention to the events around us. Tim shot his arrow straight up and just as he let go, Elton Green, a family friend, drove up in his car and parked. By the time we noticed this, Elton was just opening the car door to get out. We starting yelling at him to immediately get back into the car and close the door. He apparently didn’t hear what we were yelling. Just then the arrow hit. Right beside him by probably 2 less than 2 feet the arrow hit the weather stripping at the top of his cat door and stuck in it! Whoa! Both Elton and Tim and I were more than a little scared! We will both never forget the look of surprise, shock, and horror on Elton’s face!

Now anyone would have thought that this near tragedy would have taught Tim and me a sobering lesson never to shoot arrows up in the sky again. Nah, not at all.

A million to one shot #2

Another day Tim and I were again out shooting arrows up in the air. I can not recall if this was before or after the incident in the narrative #1 incidence. Albeit, it really didn’t matter since as shown above, it wouldn’t have made any difference anyway. We happened to have an arrow that the steel pointed tip had broken off. Perhaps we used this one because we thought it would be safer. I doubt that. More than likely it was just near at hand. I don’t recall which one of us shot this one up in the air. On one skyward shot, the arrow came tearing down at the high rate of speed. We than heard a “TOOOOOOOM”! I had laid my bicycle on the ground and amazingly, the arrow hit the front tire on the side and bounced off of it! The odds against having that happen with an arrow that had no point are again astronomical no doubt! These accounts certainly prove the old adage “You could never perform a shot like that if you tried”.

Lest anyone wonders, Tim and I can both attest that these accounts are indeed true! No big deal, just another typical day in our life.







	“I shot an Arrow Up in the Air” Tim and I were always doing dangerous things when we were kids. One of those on the long infamous list was shooting arrows straight up in the air. We each had powerful hunting bows for deer hunting with very sharp steel tipped arrows. Because the bows were so powerful, we shot more vertically than horizontally. They would sometimes get so high that they would practically go out of sight. When they go to the apex of their skyward flight, they would fall vertically for a few yards, then turn downward and fall back to terra firma at a very high rate of speed. After we saw it starting to fall back down, we would head for our porch that had a roof over it. The arrow usually landed relatively near where we had shot it. Since the porch roof gave us protection, we usually shot the arrows near there. I estimate that the arrows went well over 200 feet high. When an arrow would hit the ground, due to the high velocity, it would bury itself in the ground a few inches. Maybe some of you who are adept at mathematics can tell me how fast in MPH an arrow shot 200 feet in the air would go when it hits the ground. Sometimes we tried to shoot birds in flight, but never even came close to hitting any of them. The odds were just too great and would have been 1 shot in a million. However, there were 2 examples of one shot in a million that actually happened and it didn’t involve hitting birds in flight. Here are the details. A million to one shot #1 One day Tim and I were out shooting arrows in the air then running under the porch roof as they rapidly descended. As usual, we were not paying any attention to the events around us. Tim shot his arrow straight up and just as he let go, Elton Green, a family friend, drove up in his car and parked. By the time we noticed this, Elton was just opening the car door to get out. We starting yelling at him to immediately get back into the car and close the door. He apparently didn’t hear what we were yelling. Just then the arrow hit. Right beside him by probably 2 less than 2 feet the arrow hit the weather stripping at the top of his cat door and stuck in it! Whoa! Both Elton and Tim and I were more than a little scared! We will both never forget the look of surprise, shock, and horror on Elton’s face! Now anyone would have thought that this near tragedy would have taught Tim and me a sobering lesson never to shoot arrows up in the sky again. Nah, not at all. A million to one shot #2 Another day Tim and I were again out shooting arrows up in the air. I can not recall if this was before or after the incident in the narrative #1 incidence. Albeit, it really didn’t matter since as shown above, it wouldn’t have made any difference anyway. We happened to have an arrow that the steel pointed tip had broken off. Perhaps we used this one because we thought it would be safer. I doubt that. More than likely it was just near at hand. I don’t recall which one of us shot this one up in the air. On one skyward shot, the arrow came tearing down at the high rate of speed. We than heard a “TOOOOOOOM”! I had laid my bicycle on the ground and amazingly, the arrow hit the front tire on the side and bounced off of it! The odds against having that happen with an arrow that had no point are again astronomical no doubt! These accounts certainly prove the old adage “You could never perform a shot like that if you tried”. Lest anyone wonders, Tim and I can both attest that these accounts are indeed true! No big deal, just another typical day in our life.