DAY 83

DAY 83
06.26.07
TREE 92

I went to Casey Hornung’s house to pick up a load of dirt for my installation for DIG! He lives in New Albany in a cool little house with a bunch of nice big trees in his yard. I think he said he has four persimmon trees. After shoveling the load into my truck I started to look around for which one I wanted to climb. I chose the persimmon tree in the back right corner of his back yard. Casey got his video camera to record it. Once he was ready I grabbed a hold of a knothole and my other hand grabbed another a little bit higher. I pulled up and hopped around the trunk a little till I could reach the first branch. The camera on me added a little adrenaline and speed and also triggered this thing in me about showing off. So I was up fast making quick decisions but this tree was great. Branches were close enough for a fast climb but not so close that it wasn’t a challenge. And I got up all the way to the top, about three feet from the highest leaf. I couldn’t see Casey that well because of the leaves but I assume he was still taping. I tied my tag, grabbled a leaf, looked around and thought if he is still taping I shouldn’t tarry too long up there. So I began a nice quick descent. Pretty much going the way I came and getting to the ground smoothly. He kept the camera on me and asked how it was. I didn’t really want to talk about it on camera so I said, ” it was good,” and kept walking.

6-28-08:  Back from Lake Michigan and ready to blog the night away….

I would love to post the video that Casey took of me climbing that day… but I don’t have it.  It’s now been over a year and he still probably has that tape in his video camera.  If I do ever get it and figure out how to transfer Hi-8 to digital I will most definitely post it.  As for my camera shyness at the end… I realize I do this often when someone else is filming me.  I am all about having you guys see me climb but not too keen on me discussing it afterwards.  I have often thought of writing my journal entry in the tree, but despite certain logistical aspects that keep me from doing so, I also like to digest the climb in my mind a little while before I write about it.  Something very interesting could happen on the way down or later that day that would become journal worthy.  I believe that is why I have an aversion to discussing the experience on camera immediately after the fact.  It could also be that I am a little self-conscious about me speaking in front of a lens.  But mostly, I am just winded and still in such a focused mode that I cannot immediately reflect upon that which had just passed. 

Now to Wednesday’s climb, the 25th.  I went to pick up Drew’s car at his parents’ place near my high school. On my way back downtown I stopped at Walden, a small private school on Westport Road near Hubbards Lane.  There was a nice large maple that caught my eye as I drove past.  The climb was enjoyable, and I got to the top.  Nothing notable I can think of to type… so on with the pics and video:

Here I was trying to give you a view of my whole body on the tree and a view down to the ground as well.  Didn’t work exactly but interesting.

My foot snuck into that one.  The white rectangle on the heal is a rubber thing that looks like a California license plate that says, “FIVETEN.”  Lame design.  The video is silent, I didn’t feel like talking.