DAY 92
07.05.07
TREE 2Yesterday I had partied pretty hard at Norman’s and this morning was rough. By the afternoon my raging headache had started to fade so I decided it was a good time to reclimb tree two. And lucky for me it was even more convenient right behind the house by the grape orchard. But it had rained yesterday and today making the tree very wet and slippery. Especially with the rotting bark and green growth all over. It made it a particularly slow and difficult climb. And my state of mind didn’t help. I noticed many more dead branches than I remembered and I felt as though I couldn’t get all around the branches as easily as I did the first climb. I grabbed my ribbon, looked for a higher spot, and found nothing that called to me. I climbed down much quicker getting used to the slipperiness and planned a better route than I had come. Again, very much warmer and leafier this time.
7-5-08: That is Rachel in the picture at the top. She didn’t climb with me, but watched. She’s pretty good and getting in the pictures. I can’t remember if that was a conscious decision on my part when I took them or if it was her choice. Either way, it is nice to have a size comparison.I am happy to say that I feel great today. I woke up early, did some reading, went for a run and worked out a little, then worked on photo stuff on the computer. Last year was a different story. My phone was also broken then from getting tipped in the canoe at Norman’s. I was mad. This year, I got nothing to be mad about. Though yesterday’s outdoor celebration had its moments of wetness and darkness it did not dampen our fun.
Around 5 o’clock I decided I would go climb. I went around the front of the McChesney’s house (since that’s where da party at) and picked a little tree next to the tennis court. I wanted something pretty easy and fast since friends (and I mean Will) were waiting for me to start the Apples to Apples game. Basil and Erin joined me. Basil got into the bottom of the tree, Erin stayed on the ground. I, on the other hand, struggled immensely to get to the top of this little tree. Like last year, the rain and moss on the bark made the climb very slippery and very dirty. With a switch in limbs, and letting go of trying to stay clean, I eventually made it close to the top. It took me so long Basil and Erin had left me to my own musing. I took some pictures and a video of Basil climbing the fence. Then I made my way back down getting more and more filthy as I went. If I had been thinking I would have taken a picture of myself after getting down. I was wearing a white t-shirt and light drab pants that got covered in spatterings of brown gunk. Luckily I had just come from my parents where I had done a load of laundry and had plenty of other clothes to change into. It was a fun day with lots of good times, good food, and a little bit of fire works to end the day.
