Month: April 2008

DAY 12
04.16.07
TREE UNLUCKY 13

OUCH! Tree burn hurts. I thought I’d try to climb a very young tree today. So I chose this little triangle of 3 young trees. I chose the biggest to hold onto and walked the mid-sized. That went all well and good up to the first branch. I took a rest, grabbed the third and smallest tree for support and looked around. Again I forgot to tie my ribbon, but really, I wouldn’t have been able to have two free hands to tie it. So in my attempt to get down gravity took me, and my response was to squeeze for my life. I slid down the pole-like trunk and left hand and wrist skin behind. At least I didn’t fall but my arm is killing me and my fingertips are shiny and tingly. Worst climb so far.

4-16-08:  I hope you can tell which three trees I refer to in the picture.  They are dead center just to the left of the larger tree in the foreground.  I also chose to record this climb as one tree and not three because I made the rule that I can only count a tree if I have my whole body supported by it.  Since I only put my feet and hands on the other two for help in climbing they do not count.  I remember being pissed after that climb, but that didn’t last long. 

The turtles I found on my way to the climb.  If you walk out from the back of  the house I lived in at the Mary Anderson Center and walk down the field towards the lake shelter, go past the outhouse and across the wooden bridge, then step quietly on the path along the edge of the lake you will come to a fallen tree.  Often on this trunk turtles, frogs, insects, and birds sun bathe.  I was lucky on that day to catch this family before they dropped into the water.  (Look at the little baby one.)

Yesterday I woke and stayed in my bed a few minutes looking out the window.  There is this one tall tree with no low branches that I never thought was climbable, but I always thought the top looked like it would be great to climb.  Well, after yesterday’s climb I wanted to try it.  This tree’s trunk is much bigger in circumference then yesterday’s, and much taller.  The result was positive, I was able to shimmy the trunk with no problems, but unable to get into the top branches.  I filmed the ordeal at a time lapse speed of 10x.  I hope this eliminates the boring pauses.  The debris on the lens is the growth on the trunk that my body rubbed off as I shimmied.  I also did a little dead branch removal as I went up. 
TS