DAY 246
12.06.07
TREE 170
I went to work this morning prepared to climb a tree on the way home. So as I drove down 146 I scanned the trees as I went. Nothing really hit me but I found some possibilities for a future date. I also saw lots of great trees in the neighborhoods I work in. But I have this thing about not climbing in peoples’ yards. Talk about a possible hassle. So as Islowly inched forward on the road as school let out I planned my route for a tree I had seen a few weeks prior. I drove just beyond 393 and turned left onto a driveway that goes to a big building that does I know not what.
I parked in an empty lot and changed my shoes and hoodies.
I do this so that if I fall out of a tree or get hassled I do not represent Greenhaven Tree Care. When I free climb for this project I in no want to tarnish the name of my employer. They practice safe climbing procedures, and I do not. Therefor I shed all outer layers containing the Greenhaven logo. I then stepped out of the truck and looked over a few trees. One in particular, the one I had focused on those few weeks ago, looked to be the best and highest climb. It was the chosen. The branches were low for an easy entry and I climbed very quickly to the top.
The positioning was uncomfortable as my foot was crammed into a crotch angling my foot cockeyed.
Even standing straight footed on branches gets uncomfortable quickly, so this became very painful fast. I had to readjust a few times which was fine since it allowed many different views as I shot pictures.
The tree had only a handful of leaves remaining on its limbs so I figured I was quite visible by the many drivers slowly going by on the street.
But as I usually assume, no one notices me because no one looks up. Once I had taken my pictures and tied my ribbon I was ready to climb down.
My high point was just too uncomfortable to relax and enjoy the view.
When that happens I often climb slowly as I go down, pausing in more comfortable spots to gaze outward. Sometimes I notice things that I hadn’t at the top and whip out my camera again for an encore shoot. Well, that didn’t happen this time because nothing seemed very interesting around the middle. I dropped to the ground and headed back to the truck. When climbs aren’t that great like today I just feel good that I got it out of the way before it got dark.
12-9-08: Ha! "Tarnish the name of my employer." That didn’t last long. The more I started to dislike that job the less I cared about changing my clothes. But I continued to thing about what would happen. I would envision myself dead on the ground below a tree and the EMS and cops surrounding me and thinking to call Greenhaven and ask about me. Then I would take of my shirt or hoodie sometimes. Morbid, right? I had thoughts like that all the time, but often for different reasons. I would see a branch and envision me grabbing it, it breaking, and me falling. That would scare me enough to thoroughly test the branch or skip it all together. It was a technique to avoid injury or death. It doesn’t happen to much anymore.
Last Friday Norman invited a bunch of people over for dinner. I got there a little after 5 and he wasn’t there. He was out getting the food for the evening. I took this time to find a tree on his property. I walked out by his garden in the field in front of his house by the road. As I walked up I saw this sycamore through some brush by a creek. I pushed the weeds and got closer. When I was at its base I decided against it and looked around for other possibilities. Not too far off, a little deeper into the woods and closer to the road was a maple. It had a decent amount of branches and a few that seemed low enough to reach after a relatively short trunk crawl. I walked over and chose my side and started to shimmy up. When I reached the first branch I pulled my body onto it and looked up for my path to the top.
It was a pretty easy climb but pretty dirty since the bark was covered in this fungal growth that was all dried out and flaked off as I touched it.
I got up very high
and had a good view of his house,
barn,
surrounding properties and woods,
and the nearby road.
I looked up and the moon was still about half full and straight above me between the highest branches.
The view straight down was also very nice in the fading evening light.
The red leaves contrasted nicely with the greys, whites, and yellows of the bark.
I waited for quite a while at the top trying to get a picture of Norman driving on his driveway. I kept hearing cars approach and would get my camera ready. Minutes kept passing as people that were not Norman kept zooming past. It was getting to dark for a decent picture so I put my camera in my pocket and began to climb down. I went down through the limbs and slid down the trunk to the ground. Norm soon returned and we ended up having a pretty lively and long night with good food, beer, and a huge bonfire. It was a good night.