DIY Archery Lessons: That Time My Arrow Landed in the Neighbor's Hot Tub.

Let me tell you about the day my journey into self-taught archery took a wet and wild detour, and why my neighbor now has a "NO ARCHERY" sign pointing directly at my house.

The Backyard Beginnings

It all started with a simple thought: "How hard could archery really be?" After binge-watching "Hooded Heroes and Archers of Antiquity" on a streaming service, I was convinced that with my unmatched hand-eye coordination (perfected from years of video gaming), I could master the bow in no time. And where better to start than my own backyard?

The Target and the Triumph

I rigged up a DIY target using an old dartboard, some hay bales I borrowed (read: took without asking) from my farmer friend, and a picture of an apple, referencing the legendary William Tell. With my backyard looking like a budget movie set, I was ready to embark on my archery adventure.

The first few shots were, let’s say, introductory. The ground got more arrows than the target. But with each attempt, my confidence grew exponentially. On the fifth try, I hit the outer ring. By the eighth, the middle. "Who needs professional lessons when you're a natural?" I boasted to my ever-so-skeptical cat, Whiskers.

The Infamous Shot

Feeling on top of the world, I decided to step back a few paces for a long-distance shot. I drew the bowstring back, focused on the apple picture, and let the arrow fly. It soared gracefully, beautifully, and... entirely over the target, the fence, and straight into the unknown.

I raced to see where it landed, and the sight that greeted me was one for the books: my arrow, sticking out of my neighbor Mr. Jenkins' inflatable hot tub. And Mr. Jenkins? Just a few feet away, staring wide-eyed, drink in hand, thankfully unharmed but utterly shocked.

The Hot Tub Summit

As I stammered out apologies, Mr. Jenkins just raised an eyebrow and said, "Trying to make kabobs, were you?" He was surprisingly cool about the ordeal, perhaps because he had always wanted a reason to replace that old inflatable tub.

However, he did have one condition: no more DIY archery unless I invested in a proper, foolproof setup. And perhaps, maybe, considered taking an actual lesson or two. To solidify the agreement, the next day, a cheeky sign appeared on his fence: "NO ARCHERY. Hot tubs are not targets."

Conclusion: Lessons Learned

While my ego was slightly deflated (much like the hot tub), the incident taught me a valuable lesson: sometimes, DIY isn't the best approach, especially when high-speed projectiles are involved. On the bright side, I did eventually take up professional archery lessons, and Mr. Jenkins? He got a brand-new hot tub out of the deal. And me? A lifetime of stories about the day I went from backyard archer to hot tub terror.

Happy shooting, folks, and always know what's behind your target! 🏹🛁😂