Tag Archives: Archery

Monkeys Got Our Coconuts at Lincoln City Archery!

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We had a lovely bunch of coconuts,
All ready for their time in the tropic sunshine.
Then these monkeys showed up
To perpetrate their crime.

Come save our coconuts
From the monkey in the tree.
Shoot the coconuts from the sky
And count how many you seize.

At Lincoln City Archery, we offer four lanes for traditional archery practice and teaching. Our lane fees include equipment and instruction. Traditional bows under 40# draw weight are allowed. Book online to ensure you have your spot.

1965’s “The Monkey’s Uncle” was the last Disney film to star Annette Funicello and Tommy Kirk together. The song was written by the Sherman Brothers and sung by the Beach Boys with Funicello on lead vocals. Chimpanzees are members of the ape family, but the song (and movie) mixes apes with monkeys liberally.

1944’s “I’ve Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts” uses the “coconut shy” funfair game for its inspiration. The coconut shy features coconuts that the player must knock off a table (or from a post) with a ball. Merv Griffin and Danny Kaye both had hits with the song. (We’re not shooting coconuts of a table, yet; they are placed on our targets, but we can modify the game some.) The game is referenced in H.G. Wells “The Invisible Man.”

In 1957, RCA Victor released Harry Belafonte’s album “Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean,” which featured among the songs “Cocoanut Woman.” The song extolls the virtues of coconuts for health and relationships. (I heard it often when I was working at Old Key West in Walt Disney World.)

Harry Nilsson’s 1971 album “Nilsson Schmilsson” contained “Coconut,” a song about a woman who mixed coconut milk with lime and got a stomach ache. (The movie I most remember this from is “Practical Magic” starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman.)

In 1983, Mickey Mouse and friends decide to get wet with “Splashdance,” an obvious play on the movie title “Flashdance” starring Jennifer Beals. Chip and Dale go on vacation, where Dale mistakes coconuts for acorns. Hilarity ensues in the less then two second sound bite.

What other songs have coconuts or monkeys in them? Is there a song that has both? Of course, there is…

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Survive an Apocalypse: First Mission, Find Water

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I’ve had quite few people come into Lincoln City Archery and talk about using a bow and arrow as a way to survive an apocalypse. Some of those people have been serious and have listed out the reasons for using bows and arrows as opposed to firearms. While archery may help you survive the apocalypse by providing protection and a way to kill animals to eat more successfully, it won’t help you much with the first thing that every human needs: water.

Water for Survival

The most crucial element to any survival plan is water. Without water, people can live between three days and a week depending on other factors. People can survive longer without food, and under the right circumstances, don’t need permanent shelter, though they may need protection from the elements to avoid death due to exposure. If the world’s water systems stopped working, how would you get water?

Salt Water

Any salt water sources, like oceans, are out unless you can desalinate the water. If you have plastic during the apocalypse and wood to burn, you can create a distillation process that will generate potable water. If you don’t have wood to burn or you don’t know how to start a fire, but you have a bowl, a cup, and it’s sunny, you can let the sun do the work. However, this will entail staying in one place. If you don’t have plastic or the ability to distill the water, you’ll need to find another source.

Rivers or Lakes

Rivers or lakes may contain fresh water, but those bodies of water have other problems. You could be confronted with waterborne illnesses that cause diarrhea and other gastro-intestinal issues. You could face pollution from industries upstream, especially since there will be no government regulations, and there’s a good chance that industry safety measures failed during the apocalyptic events. This means that you’ll want to go as far upstream as possible to find out if there is anyone or anything dumping waste into the water source. If you’re fairly certain that there’s no pollution, you’ll still have to deal with microbes.

If you have a water filter, you can filter out a lot of the microbes. However, most filters only last for a certain number of gallons of water before they fail. Boiling your water for a minute will kill most microbes, but it won’t get rid of any toxins. You’ll also need to know how to start a fire and have a steady supply of firewood or other burnables.

Chemical treatments like bleach and iodine are only good if you have the chemicals. Two drops of bleach for a quart of water should do the trick. Double the amount of bleach if the water has debris. Twelve drops of a two-percent iodine tincture for a gallon of water will also render the water safer to drink. However, using iodine as a permanent solution could cause health problems, too.

A plastic bottle filled with clear water and left on a dark surface in the sun for eight hours can kill microbes. The heat and the UV light are what do the trick. If you have a plastic bottle, you should be fine, but it also means staying in one place.

Rain Water

If you’re preparing for the apocalypse, you may want to gather rain water. This is especially good in wet climates, and one would hope that the possibility of acid rain would be nil after an apocalyptic event. However, it’s important to note that some cities and states have laws that prohibit collecting rainwater, even on your home property. Once the government is gone, you’ll be able to use all the rain barrels you want, but until that happens, you’ll want to practice with the number of barrels you’re allowed.

Drill or Dig a Well

Well digging takes specialized knowledge that most of us don’t have. You want to start learning about it now and then work on using a shovel or pick in an area that doesn’t have plumbing, other pipes, or underground wires. Digging is hard work when you don’t have a machine to do it. You’ll need to be in shape to make this work, you’ll need the right tools, and you’ll need to stay in one place. Mechanical drilling will not be possible in a future apocalypse if there are no sources of energy.

Find Bottled Water

Bottled water is labeled to last as long as two years. However, as long as the bottle is kept sealed and there were no contaminates, it should be okay to drink. It may not taste good, but it shouldn’t compromise your health. The problem you’ll be faced with is how many other people have already scavenged in the area. In year five after the apocalypse, how much water are you really going to find in the bottled form? Maybe more than the amount of alcohol you’ll find, but that’s not saying much.

Your Regular Diet

Currently, most people get about 20 percent of the water they need from their diet. Berries, apples, and other fruits have high water content. If you can grow or scavenge these, you’ll be ahead of the game. Of course, growing your own food takes a different set of skills, and for a family of four it takes about two acres of land. Knowing which berries are safe to eat requires skill as well. Humans cannot always safely ingest the same berries that birds can.

Finding water is going to be your first mission in an apocalypse. If you cannot find or make safe drinking water, you won’t survive for long. As we have seen, it’s not as easy as it sounds. You may need to know how to start a fire or have the equipment with you through scavenging or before the apocalypse happens. Even this small list isn’t the best way to start because what works in theory may become problematic in practice. If you really want to be prepared, you need to learn how to do these things before the apocalypse strikes.

(This story was originally published at my Medium page. However, with their new monetization rules, I have decided to start moving over some stories to my website. I will continue to publish new articles at Medium with the hope that I will be able to reach the 100-subscriber threshold. I was at 74 subscribers when I removed this article and adapted it for my blog. You can subscribe to my Medium page here; it’s free to read a couple articles a month. If you need a traditional bow and arrow, come down to Lincoln City Archery where you can learn to shoot instinctually and pick up a bow for practice.)

Plugging in Zombie Apocalypse Arcade Game

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After repairing the Zombie Apocalypse arcade cabinet to the best of my ability and cleaning the electronic components making sure they were dry and dust free, I decided it was time to try the game. I plugged it in.

The lights flickered and dimmed, then flashed to a brilliant white as I came around the front of the cabinet. The company logo glowed on the cathode ray tube screen and shambled forward until it was so close it disappeared. Then the game’s opening video rolled:

Looking down the hill, Kevin could see the fog sitting over the ocean and sand straining at the confines of the concrete wall that separated the beach from the parking lot. There were a few cars in the parking lot, and a couple of people stood at the railing looking into the fog. Kevin could tell that they wouldn’t be able to see anything of the ocean, no matter how high the tide was.
One woman focused intently at the fog. She squinted, leaned forward, and that’s when the fog broke loose. It engulfed the parking lot and rolled over the highway. It rolled up the hill toward Kevin. That’s when the tsunami warning siren went off.
Kevin looked at his watch. It was 11am. This was no drill. A tsunami was on its way. Underneath the blare of the siren, Kevin heard something else, the grumble, rumble, groan of the approaching disaster. The smell of death and decay preceded the fog as it crept closer. Kevin turned and ran. It was only a block from the tsunami safe zone. He was sure he could make it.
He didn’t look back until he passed the huge blue sign that marked the border of the safe zone. The fog was close behind him. There was something else in that fog. Kevin looked closer. The siren blared in the background of his thoughts. He squinted. There were shadows in the fog, slow-moving shadows, hundreds of them.
“Hurry up!” Kevin shouted. “You’ve got to get here before the water does.” He tried to encourage the people in the fog to keep moving. Then his ears picked out the sound of the groans and his brain connected the smell of death. Those weren’t people. Kevin ran farther up the hill and into the outlet mall.
He found the archery shop open. There were two employees and one other person who had decided to wait out the tsunami here. Kevin told them what he had seen as the fog and stench rolled through the building and grew denser. The manager reached the door as a hand slammed against the outer windows of the store – a decaying hand. He locked the door as a zombie shambled into the glass. Then another and another and another. Soon, they were surrounded by the horde.
The manager strung bows, moved everyone to the most defensible place in the building, and put baskets of arrows in front of the three others. The zombie horde broke through…

The video turned to the credits roll and then sputtered out and shut off. I couldn’t figure out what had happened. I unplugged it the Zombie Apocalypse arcade cabinet and plugged it in again. Nothing. It was getting late, so I left it alone, cleaned the store, and went home. (If you want to face the zombies, check out the rules and then get to Lincoln City Archery.)

Zombie Apocalypse Live Action Arcade Rules

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Using a bow and arrow, players will attempt to fend off the zombie apocalypse at Lincoln City Archery. This game will function like an arcade game. Players can continue by adding to their monetary total, and players can reserve their space on the machine with a (virtual) quarter. Each point counts as a zombie kill, and combos (three head shots by a player in a single round) will be counted. At the end of the game, the player will know the amount of time played, and the number of zombies killed as well as the number of combos achieved. High scores will be posted at the range with the player’s chosen (appropriate) moniker.

How to Get Lives

A player has a number of lives equal to the amount of money paid for lane time. The game ends when either the player is out of lives or the lane time has expired. For example, a player, who pays $15 for 15 minutes of lane time, will get 15 lives, the game will end when the player has 0 lives or when the 15-minute timer runs out. (A player will be allowed to complete the arrows left in the cone and have a final three arrows if there is no one waiting to play.)

If a player runs out of lives before the timer runs out, the player will be allowed to shoot at the regular targets on the range. The timer begins at the time the player starts shooting whether or not the player starts shooting at the zombie. A player may extend playing time by paying for extra lives and by purchasing more range time providing there are no players waiting to play the game. (Placing a quarter on the machine.)

Zombie Placement and Movement

Players play in teams. Zombies outnumber the players by one. For example, a single player will face off against two zombies. Two players will face three zombies, three players will face four zombies, and four players will face five zombies. Zombies start at 14 yards and move closer each round unless they receive a head shot. One head shot keeps the zombie in place, two head shots moves the zombie back a space. Three head shots on a single zombie only moves the zombie back a space, but it still counts as a combo. If a zombie at 14 yards receives two head shots, it does not move back a space.

How Lives Are Lost

A zombie that reaches the kill zone will remove one life from every player. If two zombies enter the kill zone, players lose two lives. Players continue to lose lives every round that a zombie remains in the kill zone. A player that shoots a victim will lose a life.

How to Score

All zombie parts are given a point value. An arrow that falls inside the space receives that score. An arrow that breaks the line will also receive the score. If an arrow pierces two lines, the higher value will count toward the score. The judge’s ruling is final.

Zombie Apocalypse Targets

If a player would like to take a zombie target home, the player must pay $8. The target may be shot at on the range, or the player may keep it to the side rather than shoot at it. Zombie targets were created by the artist responsible for illustrations in “Junior Braves of the Apocalypse.”

Pirate Treasure Recovered on the Oregon Coast

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As a new shop owner, I was amazed at some of the things I found in my store. The previous owners had left quickly, so I had a lot of things to organize and a few things to clear out. The most curious item I found was an old journal wrapped in a plastic bag. I opened it gently because it looked like it was ready to fall apart. However, I was soon to find out that looks can be deceiving.

I removed the book from the bag, and set it on a table. It was about the size of weekly newspaper. The leather was well-preserved, and the pages inside were beautifully handwritten. The first page claimed the book to be the Journal of Seamus McClenaghan, Captain of The Archer. As a lover of books, I was immediately drawn into Seamus’ story. The journal had the standard logs of a ship’s captain, including inventories, weather, and daily reports from officers, but the writing in between those required items was beautiful. It was clear that Seamus was no ordinary captain.

I did some research on Seamus to find out more about him, but there was precious little to be found in the Oregon histories. I was lucky enough to stumble across one newspaper clipping from a New York paper that claimed Seamus was responsible for a series of raids had taken place on ships in the Pacific Northwest. They dubbed the pirate “The Librarian” because his ship ran silent, his crew used no guns, and the first thing he removed from his victims were their books – diaries, log books, and tomes of all kinds. As I read further into the journal, I realized that the crew of the Archer was adept at using bows and arrows. Seamus mentioned constructing a version of Leonardo da Vinci’s giant crossbow and using several ballistae. They would use the cover of fog to sneak up on their victims and decimate the crew of the other ship with arrows that would seemingly appear out of nowhere.

Like all pirates, Seamus had a secret hoard that he hid along the coast. He left the coded map in his journal with a note about how the greatest treasure would be found in his chest.

That chest has been discovered and awaits the one who can open it. However, the process isn’t as simple as breaking a lock. Seamus created a test for the one who would take his treasure. Only an archer with true aim could get inside the box without destroying its contents. First, the archer must strike the captain’s golden coin to reveal the lock. Then the archer must hit in the dead center of the keyhole. Any other hit to the lock will disable the mechanism.

We’re looking for the archer who can recover Seamus’ treasure. If you’re ready to get your share of the pirate’s booty, come to Lincoln City Archery on Sep. 19 and 20 to shoot some arrows and learn about our archers league.

Jason Versus the Imps

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An archery poem

Impish teeth in impish smiles
Hide impish evils and impish wiles.

Against the imps stands just one man.
It’s Jason versus the impish clan.

Into the fray with bow and arrow,
The path he walks: straight and narrow.

In uncounted numbers, the imps amass
Jeering and slobbering and cursing and crass.

With gnashing of teeth and blood red eyes,
The imps unfurl wings and take to the skies.

Jason surveys the scene, no fear does he show,
Nocks an arrow and raises his bow.

The first arrow loosed with an aim that is true;
The first imp falls; Jason nocks anew.

The arrows come fast. The imps uncowed.
They dodge and weave and shout out loud.

They dive at the man with bow and arrow
Brandishing hammers, screams chilling marrow.

Jason undaunted wields his bow;
Under his arrows fall many a foe.

Still, the numbers start to tell.
In the distance, he hears a death knell.

The imps, in a fury, come ever faster.
They have a sense of impending disaster.

Arrows take out more of the clan.
Still, the imps attack the one, lone man.

Weary of the fight, Jason carries on.
There is no quit when facing wrong.

With strength of soul, mind, and will,
The imps are turned back; destiny fulfilled.

Lincoln City Archery Grand Opening Press Release

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Lincoln City, OR (April 26, 2021) – On May 15, 2021, Lincoln City Archery will hold its grand opening at the Lincoln City Outlets at 11am. The indoor archery range will allow people to learn the art of traditional archery focusing on the meditative and intuitive aspects of using a bow and arrow.

People ages eight and older will have the opportunity to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow without any of the modern-day trappings. This is the same type of shooting as depicted in movies like Brave and Robin Hood.

“People rely so much on technology and advances in equipment that they forget they can do it themselves without help,” says Instructor and Owner Shad Engkilterra, who trained under Master Archer Armin Hirmer in the country of Malta.

Archery has mental and physical health benefits. It allows the archer to feel empowered. However, those aren’t the main reasons to go according to Engkilterra.

“Archery is fun,” says Engkilterra. “I love the peace it brings and the sense of calm and focus, but I also like to delve into the games aspect of archery.”

Future events will include Zombie Apocalypse Arcade, Duck Hunt, and the possibility of staving off a killer pumpkin invasion. Engkilterra is also looking for people who would like to participate in an evening Archers’ League.

“Traditional archery can be done as an individual, but when people get together to support each other, it becomes an even more powerful activity,” says Engkilterra. “Making connections with others is one thing that soothes the core of who we are.”

Bookings can be made online at www.lincolncityarchery.com. Those who wish to book the range for parties can call 503-409-8371.

The range is currently using small poundage bows. Those who hunt are welcome to come practice their form using the smaller pound bows and field tips. The store can order archery equipment of any kind for anyone. It will carry a small number of items in stock.

“As we grow, we will look to expand our inventory,” says Engkilterra, “but for the moment, we will be happy to make special orders and have them available for pick up or to send them by mail.”

Bows and arrows aren’t the only things you’ll find at Lincoln City Archery. The store will also carry books on archery and books written by Indie authors.

“We’re looking forward to holding author signings for people looking to break into the business,” says Engkilterra. “Drue M. Scott, author of a series set in the fictional town of Blackwood Forest, Or, has already committed to coming out for Memorial Day weekend.”

What People Are Saying about Lincoln City Archery

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From May 5 through May 12, Lincoln City Archery held a soft opening and showed its appreciation for those employed at Lincoln City Outlets. The soft opening allowed Lincoln City Archery to test its systems, spot some weaknesses, and correct those weaknesses before the grand opening on May 15. Participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about what they liked and what needed improvement. Here are some of their comments:

  • The range included professional instruction and was very safe.
  • It was a very unique experience.
  • Great environment, nice people.
  • This was a lot of fun!
  • The instructor was very nice and made the whole experience very enjoyable.
  • It’s great for beginners.
  • It gives my husband and I something to do together.

They also liked the clear, personal instructions, tips for shooting, and the experience of learning and getting to know archery.

At Lincoln City Archery, we strive to bring each individual the amount of instruction he or she needs or wants while maintaining safety and keeping the arrows on the target. We would love to help you learn to shoot a bow and arrow in the traditional way using the Mediterranean draw technique. We are a family-owned business.

If you would like to join us at our range, reserve your space online at https://penguinatecom.wordpress.com/lincoln-city-archery-booking-form/.

Queenie Penguin Predicts Future

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In 2018, Jenya made Queenie Penguin. Our cosplayer was dressed in a green hood and had a quiver on his back.

In 2019, my parents took our place at the Salem Holiday Market in Oregon. They ran the booth so that penguins could be adopted in time for the holidays. When they reported that Queenie had been adopted, I was excited, and that was it. We wished Queenie well with the penguin’s new forever family.

On May 15, 2021, Jenya and I are opening an indoor archery range. We found a space at Lincoln City Outlets that would allow us to shoot four lanes in the beginning with the opportunity for expansion. The space was previously occupied by a store called “Justice.”

As a store opening gift, mom gave us Queenie Penguin. She said she knew we would need Queenie for our next adventure because we were already talking about an archery range in 2019. When Jenya opened up Queenie’s passport and read it, we were amazed. Queenie loves archery, night clubs and justice. I guess we’ll have to play some techno music just to complete Queenie’s space. Stop by to say “Hi” to Queenie and see if he has a prediction for you. I bet it’ll have something to do with fun and hitting your target.

The Journey to Better Marketing: Archery, Aiming and the Niche

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“Guerrilla Marketing in 30 Days” advises to find your niche. Your business needs to know who it wants to sell to in every key demographic, including gender, age, income level, when they do their shopping, where they do their shopping, do they have pets, and more. You don’t have to stalk your customers; you may ask them some questions. If you don’t have any customers, you want to just imagine who your ideal customer is. EVERYONE is not a niche, and EVERYONE is not your customer.

Once you have your niche, you want to aim your marketing at it. In archery, this is known as aiming small, which is a direct contrast to the phrase “aim big.” Because the bull’s eye is the smallest part of the target, the closer you can get to it the better. If you “aim big,” you might get the arrow in the general direction of the target, but you’re not likely to hit the bull’s eye. If you aim small, you’ll more likely get the hit you want.

In marketing for small businesses, you want to aim your marketing at specific people who are going to purchase your product or service. If you’re objective is to sell sweat-proof makeup to mimes in Las Vegas, as long as there are enough mimes in Vegas, you have a niche. If there aren’t enough mimes, you might want to extend it to stage performers or expand your mime reach to all of Nevada. Your niche needs to be large enough to provide you with an income, but small enough that the larger companies aren’t serving them. Take out your bow, string it, pull back your marketing arrow, and aim small.