DAY 228

DAY 228
11.18.07
TREE 152

Today I made sure to climb a tree in the daylight.  As always, I wanted a good challenging climb in a tall tree.  With all the wooded areas around my parents’ place I was sure I could find a real nice one in walking distance.  I’ve already found some good ones around here so far.  So I took a left on Cedar Point and slowly walked down the road scanning the trees.  Not a whole lot popped out at me.  There were a few decent trees in peoples yards but I still am not comfortable blatantly trespassing in day light.  Though there was this one sycamore on a farm property down by a stream.  It’s huge and I saw a path to the top.  I saw it and wanted to so bad but they had dogs and I heard someone working outside.  I’ve thought of knocking on doors and asking, but I just hate spectacle and I don’t want to be viewed as a weirdo.  Why I care I do not know.  Anyway, I continued on for quite a while down the road, seeing possibilities but wanting better.  I walked past a property with a nice white house in the field and then saw my tree.  Just off the road on the public side of a barbed fence.  Fair game! 

This tree didn’t have a low reachable limb but I’ve been getting good practice inching up trunks.  So I hugged the trunk and squeezed with my legs.  Hand over hand, hold, lift legs, repeat.  Inch by inch until I looked up and the next branch was in reach.  I grabbed a hold then from there it was a series of near dead limbs and a lot of weight distribution.  Finally, about twenty feet up, the limbs were strong and alive.  I worked my way up to the top and had a very comfortable spot to stand. 

Each foot had a different crook of a different limb and on sturdy one to lean back on.  It was an extremely maneuverable spot.  I took lots of pictures and really enjoyed my position. 

Though it was grey and chilly, I just felt great up there.  It kind of amazed me how comfortable I was up 60 or so feet above ground. 

Fear from climbing is becoming a rare occurrence. 

After enjoying my spot I had to climb down.  Maybe someday, I won’t have to.

11-18-08:  I was really into that spot I had up there.  Looking back, it was nice, but I’ve had better.  What would really be comfortable is to build a little platform at the top of a tree and then put a lazyboy up there.  Or one of those sky chairs.  Yeah!

Then I wouldn’t need a platform.  Oh, this idea is getting better and better.  One of the ideas I had last year was to build a tree igloo.  This may be impossible but I really want to try to build one.  I just need to be in a colder place.  Much colder.  Like where they have that ice hotel.

If they can make an entire hotel out of ice, bed and all, I think I could make a tree igloo.  I was thinking it would be spherical and inside would be this perfect silent sanctum of solitude.  There is something about small, enclosed spaces, some could say womb-like, that I enjoy but at one negative thought the experience can go completely awry.  Battling caustrophobia in one moment, and enjoying a peaceful, meditative silence the next.  All while surrounded by ice and up in a tree. 

Yesterday I had to run some errands.  I got a patch kit for my flat tire, some soap, contact fluid, and frame at Target, and then some thumb tacks and paper at Office Depot. 

It was getting dark, some snow flakes were falling, and I needed to climb.  I got out to my truck and looked around.  I found a sickly looking tree nearby and was drawn to it. 

It was tall and had enough branches to be climbable with a little challenge.  The challenge being it was so damn cold.  I crossed over the drainage ditch and looked around one last time to see if all the rush hour traffic was paying any attention to me.  I couldn’t really tell anyway so I just wedged my foot between the large trunk and the small one, and started up.  With the high level of concentration and some physical exertion I soon was not cold. 

I climbed past the cut and dying small trunk and up into the branches of the large trunk. 

It was pretty fun to move up in this tree.  There were plenty of limbs to climb on and lean against when I finally stopped to take pictures.  Cars were whizzing past on Shelbyville road and there was a large storm cloud hovering just to the West. 

I thought I was taking some pretty nice pictures but I guess my shivering hands made a lot of them blurry.  At some turned out.  And no one came to say anything to me.  I think it was just too cold for anyone to care.  Fine by me.  I climbed back down and felt pretty damn warm.  I hopped back in my truck, turned the heat down and the music up and sang all the way home.