DAY 236
11.26.07
TREE 160
Kind of a disappointing day. Not too bad, but a few things transpired that weren’t so good. I went to the Mount to take down my show. It was a little sad but, really, I knew it was not meant to be forever. I just need to concentrate on the future. It was nice to see Lisa and hang out with Norman. I took a break to climb while the rain stopped. I didn’t want to take too long and no tree jumped out at me at the Mount so I drove over by the Chiropractic Worx place off 150. I parked at the back of the lot and walked into the nearby field along the edge of a wood.
The big trees in the distance looked good from the road, but as I got closer they were too big and limbs too high or far apart. I also felt as if I was on property I shouldn’t be on. So I started to get nervous about my visibility.
I stepped into the woods and found a tree with two trunks that seemed to have a path to the top. All around the base are a mass of thorny vines. I stepped on those and mashed them down as best I could. I stepped up on the crotch of the two trunks and made my way up, mossy, wet, and dirty. Many of the limbs were damaged or dead and very slippery. I took it really slow. On one limb I had to get one foot up, steady myself with my other foot pressed up against the trunk while I held up my weight with my hands on the same limb my first foot was on. It was a balance act. I have definitely gotten better at it and more confident on higher limbs.
I got up half way to the top and was ready to go higher but the next set of limbs were all dead, and a really, not-trustworthy dead.
I broke one off and just stood there debating with myself about going for it or stopping here. I tested grips and looked for alternate routes up. But all just felt bad in this wet slippery state. I almost went for it, but I stopped.
I tied my ribbon, took pictures, then very disappointed, climbed down.
Slow, dirty, then I dropped into the thorny vines. That didn’t feel very good. Than I walked out of the woods and back to the parking lot. As I looked back towards the woods I noticed a NO TRESPASSING sign. Sorry, I just knew it though. Especially risking it for such a disappointing climb.
But afterwards I had a great Thai dinner with Father Paul, Father Troy, and Norman. A nice way to end the cold wet day. Back to work tomorrow. My first four day week at this job.
11-26-08: I stupidly bought a bright red raincoat a few years ago so when I go out and try to be sneaky it’s quite hard. It is funny how I can be in a tree with no leaves, in the middle of the day in a park, wearing my bright red raincoat, and when people walk by they still don’t see me. I just figure if the weather is that nasty no one will want to come out and chase me away. But I try to stay off private property as much as I can. Sometimes certain trees call to me very strongly and I disregard that rule.
Just for information from the above entry: The show I took down was my Daily Climb – Part 1 collection of photographs and journal entries at the Mary Anderson Center. And we went to eat at Mai’s Thai in Jeffersonville, IN.
Last night I went to Sports Time (aka Richo’s or New Albanian) with Amanda and Ty.
We met up with Norm, Gus,
Hope,
Molly and some of her friends (sorry I didn’t get pictures of them because they were at another table). We had some beers and pizza and then when we were ready to leave I headed out to scout for a tree nearby. I found one in a nearby lot but it is so short. All the trees around this area are short. Amanda and Ty seemed interested in watching and I figured I’d just get it over with and climbed the tree. It was a two-trunk pine about 25 feet tall, maybe 30. The branches were really low and it was easy to get into. I picked my trunk and went up through the crowded sections of branches.
At first Ty and Amanda watched below but Amanda got cold and went to get her car to watch from inside.
I continued to work my way breaking many limbs along the way.
I got up towards the top and it was tough to find strong limbs to support my weight.
I had to use one arm to hold me to the tree so I wouldn’t fall out. That left one hand to take pictures. I got a few of the surrounding businesses like Kroger and this car wash place that was blaring radio music even though it didn’t have any customers.
At one point I took a picture of Ty below and the flash made all these floating particles visible.
It wasn’t raining or snowing or anything. The needles weren’t wet so I have no idea what it was but it came from the tree. I took a few more pictures then started to climb down since they were waiting for me. I broke a few more branches on the way down then took one more picture of the tree with the help of Amanda’s bright head lights.
[2007 entry response]
“the crotch of the two trunks” – nice language. I like this entire sentence, actually: “I stepped up on the crotch of the two trunks and made my way up, mossy, wet, and dirty.”
Have you considered aiming for a more poetic or literary or careful writing style in some entries? More showing not telling, if you follow. Perhaps you have been doing this, even if inadvertantly?
Gosh, I love Thai food – thinking about your Thai dinner with the two fathers and Norman. I have this excellent green curry dish at home, spicy and sweet. We bought it from Arun Thai here in Kansas City. It may be best dish I have eaten. Magnificent!
And let’s talk about Norman: He appears in so many entries. You could write a little piece about him in an entry. Or maybe all of these together do justice to your sense of such a great friend. You guys are lucky to have each other, without being too sentimental.
[2008 entry response]
the trees call to him and trump any law
Good ol’ Amanda Bishop. She has bright, healthy eyes. I bet she eats well and worries little. Maybe she should run for office. Maybe people who have come to exist as comfortable, steady adults are the ones who we should select to lead our democratic institutions. Sure, they will likely finish appearing less drained by the times, but oh, the times might benefit greatly from their calm stewardship.
And Ty looks caffeinated.
***
Breaking limbs as you climb…
Kroger blaring radio music and no one was around: You know, we are bombarded by music in so many places. One reason I like typing responses to your entries here at the Sprint Headquarters is because all I hear are my keystrokes and the whirring of what I imagine is the air conditioning system. Or, I put on the music I want to hear.
I wonder if we have come to value music more or less than we would if it was less frequently heard. Classical music was heard rarely and it was so moving to the people. I am not blindly celebrating the past though. A lot of popular songs make us dance, at least bop our heads, no matter where we are. And people of all classes enjoy music unlike those of older times, I think.
2007 re:re:
There were some entries where I attempted to write more poetically. But mostly I just wrote down my memory of the experience without thinking twice as I wrote. There has been no revisions or edits, it is purely a jotting in the moment. Looking back it could have been more considered, but that would have taken so much more time and effort and the writing was not my intended focus.
I believe I’ll let Norman form as the entries develop.
2008 re:re:
Amanda’s eyes are bright but I couldn’t tell you if she worries or not, and I highly doubt she’ll ever run for office. But I do not wish to diminish any dreams she may secretly have.
It was actually the car wash place that was blaring the music. Which was strange because it was late, dark, and cold… who is washing their car at that time?
I think people make less music than they used to. All we have to do is turn it on rather than make it ourselves. Like all those people who used to sing as they worked. Now the radio or headphones are just put on and we work in self-quiet. Whistling has not died, however.
2008 re:re:re:
Amanda for Governor!
This idea of people making less music than before because others’ music is readily accessible is interesting. A few of us sing here at Sprint sometimes. We are often singing songs we have all heard. The singing doesn’t last long.
Your idea seems like an anthropological one.
music
(Yes, I’m really this far behind. Trying to catch up while I have some free time in TX. Hopefully this conversation isn’t too dead for participation.) Your discussion about people making music made me think of the documentaries I’ve seen on Appalachian people. They were always making music in their free time(and some still do). I think a big part of why people made music wasn’t just the music itself. It was both a past-time and a way to connect with family and neighbors. Everyone was involved, including the kids. There wasn’t anything else to do-no TV, no hopping into a car to go somewhere. Everybody got together and made music. So besides having music we can just turn on now, we also have a lot of other things we can just turn on that takes our attention and time.
Re: music
I don’t care how far behind you are, at least you are reading it.
I don’t know if you heard about Arthur’s childhood (our relative who recently passed). He was the drummer of the family band. There is a great old black and white photo of him in a tux and the rest of the large family at their instruments. Shoot, I play guitar, you cello, mom sax, scott corinet, dad could dance… it would have been something.