DAY 231
11.21.07
TREE 155
After getting off work early due to rain, I drove all over looking for a decent tree to climb in this wet weather. I finally settled on climbing at the St. Francis Elementary School campus in Oldham County. Good thing school was out today because I don’t want to get hassled for being creepy by hanging out at elementary schools. Cause I’m not. I just want to climb trees, hassle free. I parked at the edge of the field and walked towards a group of evergreens, but upon a closer look, decided I wanted more of a challenge. At the back left corner of the school, by the soccer field, there were three oaks.
I walked over to them and from a distance I thought they looked climbable. Up close, not so much. But I wasn’t about to keep looking. I was ready to climb and already getting wet. I found a way to get up one with a path visible further up. I went carefully and slowly since everything was soaked and slippery. As I moved through the branches I spent a lot of effort finding just the right grip to lift my body up because the limbs were just a little bigger than what I am comfortable with for a good, tight grip. Plus I had these new work boots on.
So I climbed up, not to the top, but pretty high. I was disappointed with my view.
What I could see was a residence close behind the school. Again, I heard a damn dog barking and I occasionally heard some sounds that made me a little nervous. Was I trespassing? I pictures as best I could with the rain falling and while in an uncomfortable stance. I tied my ribbon then made my way back down. It was easier and faster going down. Once I hit the ground, my legs all wet from hooking them around the wet limbs, I started to walk back to my truck. Since I was never near many leaves in the tree I didn’t pick one. But I made sure to grab one I could reach from the ground before I left the tree.
This climb was okay. Nothing special. The nice thing is I don’t have work for five days, Thanksgiving is tomorrow and I’m picking up my brother from the airport tonight.
11-22-08: Looking back at those pictures I don’t know why I was so disappointed with the view. I must have been distracted by all the rain and slippery branches. Thanksgiving was so much earlier last year. But it kinda feels like Thanksgiving. I am at my parents right now and my sister, her husband, and their two year old kid are here visiting. We’re going to the UofL vs WVU football game here in a little bit. I wasn’t planning on going but they had an extra ticket. Hope it’s a good game.
On Thursday night I went to a potluck at Tim and Natalie’s place on Haldeman Avenue off Frankfort Avenue. I put off climbing all day because I knew there was a tree on their street I could climb. I had found the tree over a year ago but passed it by for another tree. It is just on the inside of a fence for the Blind School. I’ve been told their security is really tight. But I figured if I climbed at night in 20 degree weather no one would ever spot me. So once Drew and I got to the house around 7:30 Drew went inside and I walked down the sidewalk to my towering oak.
I climbed up onto the fence and was able to reach the first branch. I had sized this tree up over a year ago and it was just as I had pictured it. There was a great path almost all the way to the top. I worked my way up the large branches using all the different tricks and techniques I’ve learned to always get higher. The challenge was really keeping me from staying cold. Once I got to my stopping point way up in the tree I took in my view. I could see all of the buildings on the Blind School campus and the downtown skyline beyond.
I started to take a bunch of pictures, some with flash and some without. And I was moving back and forth between two spots on two different branches. I got some of the street below with the cars and houses, and my view straight down the trunk.
The wind was blowing slightly and it was damn cold. I tried my best to keep myself still but I couldn’t stop some of the shivers. When I was zoomed in on the skyline, those shivers were transferred to the lights.
I took one last shot looking straight up at the branch I was on then put my camera away and prepared myself for the climb down.
It was a good climb down and a great climb in general. It got me all warmed up for the potluck and helped to me to know that I can handle this coming winter.
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