DAY 161
09.12.07
TREE 74
What an incredibly beautiful day. Not a cloud in that blue of blue skies with a warm temperature and a cool breeze. Norman and I headed to Hobb Knobb Coffee so he could get a drink and so I could read my feature article in the Indiana Weekly of the Courier-Journal. Front page with two big pictures and it was well written. A great way to start off the day. I got some work done and hung out in the clay studio with Father Paul and Norman. Some good lunch, a little more work, then I headed to my tree. I didn’t have to check this time… I knew exactly where I was headed. A little parched, I walked to the stone path past the white water tower. Right up to the tree, I was ready to go. I jumped and pulled myself up. I widened my grip and leaned left to pull my right leg onto the same branch. 
Then up. Much like yesterday, it was easy till a break in limbs where the trunk begins to split. But not a problem… a different grip here, a wedge there, hugging a limb, and walking up a limb backwards with my feet, making sure to keep downward pressure so as not to slip. Then up to the leaning branch to my ribbon. 
I heard a bird call and I imitated it. It called back so I found myself whistling this call over and over repeating whatever variations this bird did as well. I did this as I shot pictures, and as I climbed slightly higher. 
I continued as I scanned for a transfer but decided against it and started to head down. I whistled calls as I found it remarkable how much easier climbing down was than coming up. My concentration and observations continued as if normal only I just called to this bird that responded again and again. Before I knew it I was on the ground. But I didn’t stop whistling. Then like I started I just stopped. I headed out of the woods back out into the world where whistling like a bird incessantly is considered annoying. And that made me realize another reason why I love climbing trees. I can do and say anything up there. It’s my time and no one knows where I am. I am completely removed and untouchable. Invincible almost. A true freedom I have yet to find doing anything else.
9-12-08: I wish I remembered what the bird’s song sounded like. If I did maybe I could figure out what kind of bird it was. But, after an entire year the audio-memory has faded. They way I describe how I felt about my incessant whistling is often how I feel about those times when I talk to myself a lot. You ever have those moments, those long stretches of time alone where you fill the void with a conversation with yourself? I’ve been known to do this quite a bit and have at times stopped suddenly and almost stepped outside of myself and examined my behavior. If I was coming upon a person deep in conversation with oneself I would think they might be a little nuts. Therefor, I think I am a little nuts. But then this only fuels my out loud conversation to myself because I am more often than not arguing with myself. These arguments can get quite heated… but at least they are entertaining.
Anyway, yesterday I did not get out to climb until after dark. I didn’t want to go far… so much so I check my new backyard at Drew’s place. But nothing. I had biked a few days earlier around the neighborhood scanning for future trees. I remember seeing this one area called the Germantown Commonplace (or something to that effect). I hit it up hoping for a wealth of options. And there are many trees there, only they are all very big with no low branches. I was not in the mood for a major shimmy-fest… so I picked these two trees growing right next to each other on the edge of the sidewalk. They were both not very tall due to the powerlines just above them and the resulting decapitation of the top of the tree. Some limbs on the far side remained but I could already tell from the ground I was not going to get very high today. I wedged myself between the trunks and began to inch upwards. There was an old rusted metal post in the middle of them as well that made for a convenient foot hold. Soon I was high enough to reach a branch and pull myself up to my feet. I transferred from one tree to the other and moved upwards slightly higher. I looked hard for a way up beyond the level of the powerlines but nothing presented itself. So I looked towards the horizontal limbs that sprawled out just underneath them. I got down on my stomach and inched out until I got to the fork in the branch. There I took a seat and took some pictures. 
You can see my head dominates this last picture… but that large black line is the powerline just above me. It was a honkin’ one. I sat there a little while longer cause it was pretty comfortable. It started to sprinkle just barely which was nice since I had worked up a little sweat climbing. I wanted it to rain a little harder but I wasn’t willing to wait for it. I was done and went back to my stomach and inched backwards to the trunk. Then back to the other tree to wedge and lower myself. As I began to go downwards I thought… that rusty metal post is now an extremely dangerous hazard. If I slip I could fall and drop directly on it causing incredible puncturing damage. But then I thought it was good that I recognized the risk and would therefor be able to plan for it. It didn’t really make me do anything different, I just was a little more careful about not slipping. Which I didn’t and safely made to the ground without a problem. Yay for tree climbing!