DAY 85

DAY 85
06.28.07
TREE 94

I went out for a walk in the wildlife sanctuary to find a tree to climb. It was about 2 PM and really hot and muggy. The bugs were really bad and as I followed the creek bed they got worse. I felt like one of the African animals that constantly have the bugs at their ears and eyes. It got so bad I had to put my shirt over my head just to stay sane. The thunder started to roll and I kept searching for a decent tree but I found nothing. I gave up, headed in for lunch and it started to pour. I decided I would go to my parents’ for root beer floats and stop at Tom Sawyer Park on the way, to climb a tree. When I got there I parked in front of the main building because it had a lot of nice big trees out front. I examined them but didn’t like any. So I went around to the right side and saw a huge tree with overhanging branches that touched the ground. I knew immediately that was my tree. And it seemed so covered in leaves that the bark wasn’t too wet and slippery. I got up easily and climbed up easily. My only snag was the numerous branches and pokey twigs. I had to snake through from time to time and I ended up breaking a lot of branches. But I chose my main limb and got up as high as the limb allowed without snapping under my weight. It was nice up there with the breeze and I swayed back and forth. The climb down was fun as well and I tried to stick on the outskirts and not just climb by the trunk. It was a fun tree and a nice stormy day. Once I was on the ground the rain picked up, I got a couple pictures, and then got in my car before I got too wet.

6-28-08:  Doesn’t a root beer float sound really good now?  Too bad my parents are both out of town or I’d drive back home to have some.  Now that I am living on my own I don’t just have root beer and ice cream waiting to be consumed.  That would take going to the store.  Which I should probably do anyway if I want anything besides cereal and pasta. 

I believe that was the first tree in EP Tom Sawyer State Park that I had climbed for this project.  After having been on the west coast for 3 years I was surprised that some parks had slipped my memory.  I have been back to climb there many times but the park is not that old.  The trees are so little and not too appealing for a high climb.  It takes some searching to find an old one that has been there since before the park. 

Today we drove back from Lake Michigan.  It was a short vacation but very nice.  I thank the McChesney’s very much for being so nice and welcoming me for the third summer now.  I got another sunburn, but this time it wasn’t intentional.  I rubbed that spf thick on me but couldn’t reach my upper and middle back.  I had Ryli do it but I guess I rushed here because I have a big splotch of red burn right where she put it on (or didn’t).  You can almost make out fingers in the outline of the burn.  Oh, and my face burned… that is just one place that is hard not to get exposed. 

Lake Michigan reclimb #2:  I am not sure what kind of tree it is, but it had whitish bark with puckered spots and it gives off a white, chalky powder similar to sycamores.  The leaves are dark green, small and round with a slight point at the tip.  Like last year I used the wooden deck guard rail as my first step into the limbs.  I climbed up this small tree quickly and was at the top in under a minute.  Drew sat in a chair and watched and Ryli followed up after me.  This she did on my request since she climbed this tree with me last year as well.  Only last year we climbed at night and we had been drinking some wine.  This time is was a sunny and sober experience with an added bonus of video.