Well, I am getting ready to head home this morning after a beautiful and peaceful week at Fallen Leaf Lake.

Long-time readers know some of my quirks when it comes to camp (such as my sanctimonious disposition toward the proper way marshmallows should be roasted), but my once-a-year love of archery stands out. I used to like shooting arrows as a boy, so our annual trek to Stanford Sierra Camp allows me to recapture a bit of my misspent youth.

I had promised Mrs. Bear that I would once again win her a milkshake – – the prize for hitting a difficult target. This year was frustrating for me, though, because other campers kept beating me to the punch. I was worried that I would get skunked this year.

Finally, on the last day of camp, I went to the archery range with a very crowded field of competitors. On that day, the milkshake would go to the person who put an arrow through an apple at a substantial range.

Literally hundreds of arrows were attempted by the crew, and they all missed. People eventually became frustrated and bored, and one by one they left. But there was no way I was going to let Mrs. Bear go shake-less this week, so even though my drawing fingers felt like they were about to start bleeding, I kept at it. Just me and one other fellow were the other ones left on the field.

And then, finally…………

Victory is mine! I can go home now.