Hokey Pokey
This week was celebrated by a trip to Petaluma for an archery shoot. I don’t normally do competitions as I’m just not very competitive. I went to spend time with people and see what the fun was they talk about. It was in fact, quite fun. They had novelty shoots like trying to hit a target from almost 100 yards out, speed rounds of attempting to fire as many arrows as accurately as possible in a 20 second time period, and a golf course for archery. The courses were broken into three sets of 20 targets each, with two sets completed on one day and the final set on the third day. That translated to a LOT of walking up and down the hills behind Petaluma. But we made fun of each other and joked our way through the 9.3 miles on the first day and about half that the next.
Where was Cardiff while I was out shooting my mouth off? She spent time with her Grandma, and laid the foundations for “shake”. We’re still working on it. The environment wasn’t very hospitable for doggos, with burrs, foxtails, ticks, and thistle everywhere (see images below). She had a much better time wrestling with her friend Gracie.
I brought the Casita, and spent two nights in it. I’ve decided the mattress is really not working; just too thin and uncomfortable. Everything else worked out well, and I’m getting better at figuring out how to pack and what to bring.
I definitely won’t do a wine bottle opener like this again. No one’s fault but my own: I’m apparently incapable of using this type of bottle opener. I shoved the cork down into the bottle and sprayed red wine over myself and the inside of the trailer. I was not amused.
What has it been like so far?
This first week of retirement has been settling in. Maybe even pre-settling in. I’ve had vacations, and taken time off before, so this hasn’t been drastically different from that.
But, I’ve been indulging myself with several of my hobbies and activities:
Archery
Nevermind that one at the bottom, I was calibrating still…
Paracord
Why yes, I made it myself. I give them away pretty fast, so I get low and have to start making them periodically.
Feeding kitty
A friend is traveling, and I’m feeding and playing with the feline. We just met, but she’s very affectionate.
Creating Dughar with AI prompts
I also have been playing with AI art for months, and started back with it this week. I’ve created only crap, as it takes some time to get something worth sharing if you actually have a specific image in mind. The above is a picture of a creature I made for a Dungeons & Dragons game I play in. You can see the evolution from some creepy images to something I thought I could work with then refine.
Also, I helped a buddy with some home-improvement stuff, and eagerly anticipated my new puppy.
Feels good.