Still Alive

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Dr. Ed Ashby · #1 Post by **Dr. Ed Ashby** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:41 am

G'day to all. Just want to bring everyone up to date and let folks know I'm still alive. In 2008, shortly after returning from the Territory I went to NZ. There I had a fall and severely injured my back. I could not walk at all. It took three months to get back Stateside, wheelchair bound. Had back surgery in December of that year and recovered leg function but it seemed to start a cascade of medical problems. To make it a shot story I've now had eight surgeries in the last three years, including one for a ruptured appendix that dang near killed me. There was also a 3 month long course of radiation treatment for prostate cancer, which caused massive lower GI bleeding that twice required hospitalization; and it’s a problem I’m still dealing with.

Thankfully, it looks like I’ve successfully made it through it all alive, though I still can’t walk very well or very far; but at least I’m walking. The down side is that I’m pretty well restricted to staying Stateside. I still have regular, ongoing medical visits with Oncology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology and Urology; and my retired military healthcare benefits can’t be used overseas.

Five months ago I purchased a small plot of land in the Texas Hill Country. I has a tiny, one-room cabin and that’s where I’m living now – out where the deer and the antelope play (well, no antelope, but there are deer, pigs, turkeys and exotics). I’m gradually building on the place, doing a little work each day. So I’m once again out bush where I can hunt and enjoy the life I love … but I sure miss my travels. Nonetheless, I thank God for the many blessing I’ve had and the fantastic opportunities I’ve had to hunt so many of the world’s great game fields.

I’m still out, trying to share the information I’ve learned in my half-century plus of bowhunting and quarter century plus of doing the Arrow Lethality Studies. I’ll be presenting two, two-hour seminars at the Kalamazoo Bowhunters Expo in January, with the able assistance of my good friends Ron Swartz (KME Sharpeners) and Tro Breeding. I hope to drop in here periodically and, hopefully, contribute whatever I can to my many friends Downunder.

Ed

stickshooter · #2 Post by **stickshooter** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:12 am

Sorry to hear of all your ill's Dr Ed,hope you will have a speedy recovery from now on so you can enjoy your piece of paradice .
Sure sounds like a place i'd like to be
Nigel

Macca · #3 Post by **Macca** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 5:45 am

Welcome to the forum Ed, I hope you have a speedy recovery. Deer, pig's, turkey and exotics sounds like a nice place to live there in Texas.

Cheers Macca.

Benny Nganabbarru · #4 Post by **Benny Nganabbarru** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 6:02 am

G'day Ed,

Glad you're back into some good living!

Cheers,

Ben

Troy D. Breeding · #5 Post by **Troy D. Breeding** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:31 am

I'd like to thank Jeff for setting things up so the ol' crusty devil

can join in....

Troy

Brigsy · #6 Post by **Brigsy** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 7:46 am

Welcome to the site mate!
Its great that you can still do what you love, After having troubles with my heart a couple years back ( it just stopped) and then the docs saying no more hunting i have had to change the way i do things now, but will be still out there in the bush as much as possible till the day they put me in a box.
cheers chris

Gringa Bows · #7 Post by **Gringa Bows** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 9:16 am

Welcome to Ozbow Ed.....

jindydiver · #8 Post by **jindydiver** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:03 am

Glad to hear you are on the mend

#9 Post by **Stickbow Hunter** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:30 am

G'day Ed, it is good to hear from you and welcome to Ozbow. It seems you have been through a very difficult time in your life but I hope you are well on the mend and that things will get increasingly better each day.

Congrats on getting yourself your own patch of dirt and please do share some photos of it with us when you have some time. All the very best.

Jeff

excelpoint · #10 Post by **excelpoint** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 10:30 am

Glad you are starting to heal. I have enjoyed your research and look forward to reading more.

Dr. Ed Ashby · #11 Post by **Dr. Ed Ashby** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 11:38 am

Thanks to all. The place doesn't look like much, but it's mine! I'll try to post a few pictures when I can. I've got a couple of new UEFOC bare shafts set up and ready to start tuning on, as soon as I get some time between working on the place and doctor's visits. Having just moved I'm having to start all over with new doctors and each visit is an all-day trip. The closest medical care is in Kerreville. There's not many folks in this county; less than two thousand; so no doctors here - and it's a pretty big county too. There's no Pharmacy either, and no McDonalds, Pizza Hut, KFC or WalMart, etcetera - not much of anything else either! As close to perfect as I could find.

Ed

Nephew · #12 Post by **Nephew** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:30 pm

Welcome Dr. Ashby. Very happy to see you've joined our little group.

I wonder if you could please advise those of us that insist on using wooden arrows on selection of woods now that P.O.C. is getting kind of inconsistent in quality, down here in the antipodes at least. I really would like to start learning to make mine from scratch...ripping the billets, shaping sanding, etc, but don't really know what to ask the local timber merchant for.

I sincerely hope your physical challenges improve enough to let you enjoy the lifestyle you so obviously love...and soon.

Dr. Ed Ashby · #13 Post by **Dr. Ed Ashby** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 12:46 am

Moerton, the quality of the POC shafts available has been declining for many years, and I gave up on them long ago. The best wood shafts ever made were the Forgewoods, but they are gone too. The next best wood shafts I’ve ever used were the hickory shafts that Troy Breeding produced when he owned and operated Sticks and Feathers. Troy is new to this site to and he might give you an idea of some other good wood shafts still out there. My own wood shaft preference, from what’s now available, are the laminated birch shafts from Allegheny Mountain Arrow Woods (http://www.arrowwoods.com/). Their Ash shafts are good too, but not as tough as the laminated birch. One thing to watch if you use the laminated birch is to set the laminates all orientated in the same direction, either vertical or horizontal, when matching the spine and building the arrows up.
I’ve always felt that there must be some Australian woods that could make good shafts but never had the time to experiment with them. I’d love to see some Australian Beech shafts footed with Jarrah or Iron Bark. I think it might make a great wood arrow setup. Jarrah alone should make a good, heavy shaft.

Ed

Nephew · #14 Post by **Nephew** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:34 pm

Thanks for that, matey, I'll be having a chat to the local timber bloke soon.

perry · #15 Post by **perry** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 5:36 pm

G/Day Ed, I'm glad to hear you are up and about again. All the best with your continued recovery and I look forward to again sharing your wealth of experience.

regards Perry

Bent Stick · #16 Post by **Bent Stick** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 6:41 pm

Welcome Ed and mate hope you take the time in your castle in paradise to just enjoy the fruits of your many years of study and roll some those critters. Great to have you here mate.

kimall · #17 Post by **kimall** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 9:18 pm

Hi Ed welcome aboard mate you have had a shocker of a time since last we met at Glenns for lunch.Maggie still talks about meeting you and how you said you would take her fox hunting one day.I told her a while ago that you had been crook and she has asked about you from time to time since and was excited to hear you had joined here.I am sure she will be along soon to say hi.Thanks again for all your hard work in your studies of the arrow peno. and hope you continue to improve in health.
Cheers KIM

longbowinfected · #18 Post by **longbowinfected** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 8:27 am

Dr Ed,
love your work. Boy were we lucky to have Troy wash up on our beach. Well done Troy.
Nice to get an idea of your thoughts and aspirations Dr Ed. Having gone through cancer surgery and chemo therapy I can easily relate to your situation. Every day is a bonus and a large number of folk do not get the same opportunities. Be well.
Wallace Woods from Qld make superb Hoop pine arrows. Hoop Pine is exceptionally strong. It also finger joints better than most. I suspect a laminated Hoop Pine shaft would be excellent. The Hoop pine is closely related to the Wollemi Pine [the recently discovered living fossil] and Bunya Pine.

I also think laminated Bamboo and/or laminated Ramin would be good too.

Kevin

rodlonq · #19 Post by **rodlonq** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 10:39 am

Gidday Dr. Ed,

Welcome to Ozbow mate. I hope your recovery continues and you cant give the game in your area something to worry about. Your county sounds like the ideal place to bring up teenagers (and to live peacefully once they leave home

), be careful not too many find out about it

.

Cheers......... Rod

woody · #20 Post by **woody** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 4:46 pm

Ed,
Good to hear your on the mend, I hope your recovery is swift and complete.

thank you for all your ideas and help on broadhead design, and I hope to be able to pick your brain for many years to come,
good hunting,
Woody.

Ozbow

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