It all started with an email from Trica Hawkins who runs an amazing program, Become an Outdoor Women, funded by the Arizona Wildlife Federation. I answered her back right away and we talked for a long time. She needed someone to run her pistol and rifle classes, for three days at the end of August. It didn’t take long for me to decide, besides we would get out of the heat in Phoenix.
Helen Papietro, Jennifer Berlin and I left the heat of phoenix on Friday the 28th morning, for the Friendly Pines Camp in Prescott, and take in the cooler air. We slept in cute cabins with bunk beds, modest bathroom and ate in the mess hall with about 60 other campers.
The BOW program as they call it, has everything to do with the outdoors, Intro to hunting, Archery hunting, field dressing your harvest, game meat processing, kayaking, repelling and so much more. So many skills to learn for the wilderness and safety, all for just women.
On Friday afternoon the 28th we started the program with an NRA Safety class, for the firearms portion. All those who were going to learn pistol and rifle shooting must take this class. We had 15 ladies watching the power point and asking many questions. Helen, Jen and I took turns answering them all. Such a wonderfully bright group, and we had no safety infractions all the time we were on the range.
All of these ladies had either never held a gun or shot before. All of this teaching worked up an appetite, so off to the mess hall for a great dinner. After dinner we had an open workshop where the ladies could come and begin handling the different pistols and rifles. With all that had gone on, we were so ready for bed.
