Yew Logs & some more shots

The Yew which was brought round by one of the guys from the club is a bit disappointing, the sap wood is rather thick which doesn't leave much heart wood. There should be one bow there..
It's freezing out in the garage as I need the door open to rip down a big log so I'll pop out and seal the ends when I've done this and had a warming cuppa.
You can see from the end on shot how the sap wood is just beginning to turn into heart wood but hasn't quite made it yet. I don't think anyone really knows how the process happens, maybe a few more years would have done it, or a cold winter or a dry summer, maybe high winds, or perhaps tying garlic round the tree! I think it's pot luck, but general consensus is that slower growing trees/limbs have thinner sapwood. I have cut side branches which have had a lot of top growth removed and have thus grown rather slowly which have been nice and dark with relatively thin sapwood, but it's a brave man who'd draw dogmatic conclusions.

This afternoon I drove out to some big open fields near an old WWII airfield which still flies microlights. I had a go at flight shooting with the 90 pounder, I felt a bit more confident and I'd taken the trouble to wear my bracer and strap my left elbow.
I was trying to concentrate on opening my chest and getting that right elbow back. On the first shot my left arm folded like a stick of rhubarb and the arrow sailed 90 yards. I straightened the left arm a bit more (almost locking it) and really worked on inflating my chest, it was much better after that and I shot another 5 arrows all round about 220 good paces, which is ok. Another inch of draw would add a few more yards, but these were the heavy 3/8" arrow I was shooting.
Overall I was pleased, I felt a bit more in control and give it another week and maybe I'll be able to actually aim the thing!