DAY 158
09.09.07
TREE 72
Goodness, last night was great. A good opening with lots of people who I appreciate so much for coming out. 
Then after spending my last few precious minutes with Cassandra and Jason before they headed to bed, I got a ride with Guy Tedesco to downtown Louisville. From there Drew picked me up and we headed to his parents for his little brother’s 21st birthday party. I was excited and ready to party. Only when we got there everyone had left and the DJ was packing up. Three friends of Griffins remained, and his parents. But I was determined to have a good time so I got a game of beer pong going. Three games total and I was having a great time. Everyone else went inside and that was my cue to swim. The water was perfect and Drew and I had a blast. After that the details are fuzzy and I ended up sleeping on the ground. 
Needless to say, this morning was a little painful but I woke up happy. What a fun night. Drew and I just layed around and watched TV till mid afternoon.
Then it was back to the Mary Anderson Center. Michelle Amos and her kids drove me back and checked out my show. They left and I met my parents for dinner. Finally feeling better and with the unbelievably gorgeous pink sun setting in grey clouds I drove home anxious to climb my tree. Having poured with rain earlier I knew the tree on the lake was going to be slippery. So I emptied my shorts, grabbed my camera and ran through the foggy field to the lake shelter. I snapped a few shots first because the light was almost gone. Then I set down my camera and hoped I wasn’t going to fall in the water. I got a hold of the dead remnant of a branch and inched my legs up the slippery, wet and dirty trunk. Then I reached for a stronger limb and rotated around the trunk till I was over the water. With the help of a couple knots I got to another limb right below the position of one of my cicada bodies. 
A man at the shelter asked if I was getting him down and told me to be careful. It is slippery as shit. I got past the body and had to transfer to the large limb that bend angled over the lake. Quite a scary and slow process. I had to make sure every hold was good. Light was gone and I had to really test the branches since there were quite a few dead ones. But I progressed and finally got to my ribbon. 
I was done… no climbing higher. Maybe if it was dry and daytime but I was high and the water below is shallow. I grabbed a leaf and disappointed I didn’t have my camera I just had to accept it. The climb down was easier than up and I thought about falling in the lake. Yes, accidents are possible but I feel as if I can prevent them. To some extent, I can predict possible accidents and avoid them. After this many days of climbing and this many trees without one close call I feel confident that I can get up and down without a problem. Which must be why a lot of my fear has faded.
9-9-08: Thanks to MaryLiz for the additional pictures from my opening last year. There were many more people who attended than who are pictured, but not everyone is as photogenic as the Garners. And thanks to Drew for the awesome shot of me passed out on the patio. Boot ‘n rally!
As for the tree climb, I find it ironic that I am so careful as to not take my camera in the tree for fear of falling in the water, yet I discuss how sure I am of not falling. I have since thrown all caution to the wind and take my camera everywhere. That is, of course, unless I am making a video as I did yesterday. I went out into my parents front yard and found two young maple trees growing close enough for a good transfer high up with some good trunk bending. I struggled at my first stopping point. I was not high enough to get the tree I was on to bend far enough to reach the other. I attempted to pull the other tree towards me by grabbing a limb but I couldn’t keep my grip on it. As you will see, I go a little bit higher and am able to grab a bigger limb on the other tree and pull it to me. Finally my foot reaches and I can make the switch. By that point my arm that was holding me on was about to give out. That is what gets so scary about those transfers. But no worries, I held and I got down… no problem.