Month: July 2008

DAY 107
07.20.07
TREE 101

Another beautiful and entertaining day at Lake Michigan. The wind really picked up making the waves good for body surfing. The water also cooled down quite a bit which kept the swimming to a minimum, but Drew’s dad rented wave runners and I got to take one out for a little bit. Quite scary with so much speed and power on such a rough lake. It is thrills like these that are fun but I do not thrive on like I do climbing. There is something about using just my own body as a vehicle for pushing limits and challenging myself physically that I enjoy.

In the evening we had quite a cold dinner outside at a nice restaurant then picked up a bottle of wine and headed back to the cottage. We started to drink and then headed for the beach to check out what was left of the sunset and what was the beginning of Drew’s brothers’ bonfire (or actually a tiny little fire). As we sat on the deck and enjoyed the rainbow colors that met the distant water I decided to climb the tree I had been eying that is right next to the deck. Rather than starting at the bottom I just used the elevated deck railing to get into the first branches. From there the climb was relatively easy and enjoyable for my state of mind. I got to the top and shook and swayed in the thin limbs. I grabbed a leaf and took in what I could of the view with the moonlight and dying sunset. I climbed back down to rejoin Drew and Maryliz. Then after a few photos Maryliz climbed the tree. Though I have climbed many trees and my abilities have improved so that I can reach the tops of many trees, I enjoyed watching someone else maneuver easily through the branches. It made me really see that most all of us can benefit from a good tree climb.

7-21-08:  The picture of the tree is from the following day.  I did that for a while on night climbs.  I figured I couldn’t get any decent shots at night and didn’t even bother to take my camera.  Other times, I just didn’t have my camera on me.  It would have been nice to capture the sunset from the tree.  Oh well.

Also, I do like it when people climb with me… so if anyone want to join me, just let me know by sending me an email: [email protected]

Or, if you happen to get out and climb on your own, tell me about it.  Take pictures if you have a camera… I’d love to see them.

All right… day 2 of my West Virginia vacation.  Saturday we all had a nice waffle breakfast at my grandma’s cabin.  Then my brother and I ran these ridiculously steep trails to the pool to swim with everyone.  Afterward, we all had a cook out.  Part of this trip was to celebrate my parents turning 60 this year.  My dad did in April and my mom will this September.  My sister, brother and I planned a surprise cake and gift.  The gift is a hot air balloon ride in Sedona, AZ.  My parents have a week time share and go every year in September.  So after dogs and burgers we brought out the cake and a little special present to give them a hint of their gift.  I made the thing… and here’s a picture:

The blond cowboy is my dad, and the woman with red handkerchief, my mom.  I took a special trip to a nearby grocery store to get helium for the balloons but it wasn’t enough to hold up the weight of the rubberbands.  So I tied my backup balloon to the top to help it stay above their heads.  I also brought other action figures as possibilities and then let my brother and sister decide.  I had He-man and a black haired She-ra, and Princess Leia and Han Solo circa The Enemy Strikes Back.  The german cowbot toys won the competition due to their size and connection with Sedona and the West.

After the cake and icecream I climbed an oak tree right by the cabin and picnic tables where we were eating.  It was a nice tall and skinny tree with some challenging spots of small sparse limbs.  My uncle, Jeff, was sure I was not going to be able to get into the tree.  My grandma kept telling me I was high enough and that I should come down.  When I got up towards the top and was about 40 feet above them, they were thoroughly impressed and frightened for me at the same time.  Even some kids at a nearby cookout came wandering over to see the spectacle.  At the top, I also had my sister stop the video, so there is no recording of me climbing down.  No additional pictures either.  I think my extended family thinks I’m a little crazy.  But they are certain I should be able to turn that skill into a living… somehow.