DAY 165
09.16.07
TREE 82
After a really nice night and morning camping with Will, Norman, and Norman’s friends in Indiana at this great site by a cliff and natural amphitheater, I headed into Louisville for an art opening at the water tower about ’50’s-’70’s car drawings.
I looked up and saw 20 to 30 birds frantically collecting tiny berries from the tree top loosing most to the ground.
As I stepped towards the first branch I was hit with a few. As I began to climb they did not fly away until I got high enough to where I was shaking the limbs they were on. Then they vanished leaving the area oddly quiet after all the shrieking and tweeting. I climbed carefully avoiding dead branches, as there were many. I got to the top and took many pictures of the leaves and berries.
At one point some of the birds returned but they were hard to photograph from within the tree.
I grabbed my ribbon and made my way back down.
I did not improve on my height but I really enjoyed the different this time with all the birds chirping around me. Besides a few scrapes, it was a wonderful climb.
9-18-08: I have come to enjoy identifying trees. It was something I resisted until I was forced to learn at my tree service job. I am glad I have started but I am far from proficient. I also encounter many insects and birds as I climb. I have only now just considered becoming more knowledgeable about identifying them as well. I truly enjoy my interactions with them and I believe it would become more meaningful if I knew more about them. I have always enjoyed those nature shows on Discovery Channel, it seems logical that I would continue that research on my own. Maybe I should have been a naturalist. I would like to go to Yale for art grad school. One particular thing that draws me to Yale, besides it number 1 rated art grad program, is the highly ranked forestry program. I was hoping I could go and audit some classes. I feel it would inform and improve my work. Knowledge is power, right?
Finally I finished all the bodies for my coming installation. They are all ready to go. However, I felt a little bad that while I was working on my bodies my parents were slaving away in the yard cleaning up all the branches and debris. I appreciate their support and understanding that I have a deadline and needed to get this project accomplished despite the major disaster and lack of electricity.
Then that evening I gathered up what I needed for the week and returned to Drew’s place in Germantown. He had power and I saved all of my mom’s frozen meat. I also saved a lot of my dad’s beer. By the time I was settled it was time to climb a tree. I drove over to George Rogers Clark Park and parked on the edge. The place was dark since the power was out all around the park. I chose a beech just on the edge of the park. It had low limbs and was easy to enter. I climbed up quickly to the top and did my best to stay still for some night shots. The night was still and all I could see was the bright moon. It was a drastic contrast to the yesterdays climb and all the drama that followed. The serenity was appreciated, however, but obviously not as exciting. 
My stance between two limbs was quite awkward and my left foot was twisted. But it did provide the stability I needed. 
The moon shed light on a nearby house and I thought it might make a good shot. It actually turned out kinda creepy.
You may not find that "creepy" but it has an eerie quality. Then, having finished my picture taking and looked once more and the view of the moon, I made my way back down. A good ending to a full day.