DAY 285
01.14.08
TREE 116
Tuesday is the new Monday. That’s why today was good because it’s Monday… the new Sunday. Anyway, I had to go to Floyds Knobs to take pictures of Jim Brodferer’s pottery. Well… I am getting paid for it so I wanted to, plus I was pretty excited to try out MaryLiz’s nice equipment. I made the long drive over to Indiana and the shoot only took an hour. I left Jim’s house and debated going into the Mary Anderson Center since I didn’t want to get sucked into a conversation and lose my sunlight. There wasn’t a whole lot of sun left though. It’s very overcast with a slight dusting of snow on natural ground.
I parked by the Chiropractix Worx and walked across the lot to my tree. There were lots of cars and one sheriff’s car. I was a little paranoid about looking suspicious. The hoodie up doesn’t help either.
At the base of the tree I looked up for my white ribbon. It was way up at the very top.
I took my hands out of my pouch and placed them in the first, slightly snow-covered limb. Immediately my hands were wet and cold. The first half of the climb up fine. Then as I focused on one leader limb the climb became a little more difficult. At this height I was also above the building and people in the parking lot could see me (in theory, ’cause no one did). As I got towards the top I looked up at my ribbon and laughed at its high location. My achievements in previous climbs are starting to impress me. I think it’s the cold weather and restrictive winter clothing that made the final steps more difficult than the original experience. On the last little limb I had one more step up to reach the ribbon and it was already starting to bend under my weight. I quickly popped up, grabbed the ribbon as I bent forward,
and panicked. I stepped back down and got my camera out. I didn’t have much to shoot but the building and passing cars on route 150.
But when I looked down at the ground below, I realized it was my first view of a snow covered backdrop to the bare limbs.
Quite nice. Then I put my camera away and watched people come and go from the parking lot,
hoping they didn’t see me… the crazy guy at the tippy top of the tree. I think if there were two of me and I saw myself up there I’d think I was crazy. Then I’d really want to join myself up there. Have a good chat. Anyway, I climbed back down and walked back the truck warmed from the climb.
1-14-09: The nice equipment that MaryLiz let me borrow were two halogen spot lights with reflective umbrellas and one incredibly nice Nikon digital camera with tripod. I showed up at Jim’s place with my cool gear and a bunch of black felt ready to go. I had only ever done this once, with my own art, to make slides on my old 35mm Pentax K100 and the crappiest telescoping tripod I had ever used. But remained professional, knew what I was doing, I think his pottery shots came out really nice. That was a fun job.
I also believe that was one of the few trees where on the second go ’round I didn’t get as high. Well, I did reach the top, but I didn’t hang out there like I had the first time. It was slightly disappointing.
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I woke up listening to the radio and I heard the forecast for the day. It was 34 degrees and going to slowly drop to the teens at night. Do you think I climbed early to take advantage of the warmer temperatures and sunlight? Nope. I didn’t get outside for the first time till 10:30pm. I like how in all my old entries I was so concerned with getting my climb in before the sun set. Now, it seems I can’t climb in the light. Like I’m some freakish tree-climbing vampire. Which would be cool. At least teen girls would totally be into that. (Twilight anyone? Otherwise that sentence just seems odd, possibly gross.) Moving on… I had not fixed my front tire from the day before so I went walking. I bundled up but it was just bitter cold out there. I wore my gloves but that didn’t even help. I curled my fingers up inside the palm area just to keep them close and warm. I headed back to the opening in the fence by the interstate. I wanted to check out the more densely wooded area. But I came across a hobo house made of cardboard and felt I should disturb. I walked on down Adams to Quincy and went behind the Boys and Girls Club. Nothing was hitting me there so I walked on down Story, past Vernon Lanes and took a left of Frankfort Avenue towards River Road. I got past the houses towards the big industrial stuff
and saw a tree up on a hill by the fence next to the city’s impound lot. No was around so I slowly struggled up the frozen incline pushing through the brittle underbrush. The tree looked sickly and had long ago been butchered and limbs chopped off. What grew in their places were smaller, pokier limbs that bent much more under my weight. I struggled to climb up through the knots and twists of the live limbs entangled with the long-since-dead ones. I had taken my gloves off before starting which I feel I must for my safety with my grips, but it was hurting my hands. The wind would blow and my hands would sting. I would try blowing hot air on them and nothing seemed to help. I got high in the small mangled tree and whipped out the camera.
After being on for just a second the power gauge switched from green to yellow. I got in just a handful of shots before the camera flashed "battery depleted."
What!? I thought. It never went to red. It had never died that fast before. It was damn cold too and wanted to be back in my pocket. I hit the power button and it came back on for one last shot before dying once again.
It was a sign… I needed to go back home too. I struggled back down, frustrated that I couldn’t make it any faster. Then once back on the ground I scurried back through the undergrowth down in a hunched position till I reached the street. Stupidly I chose to walk toward River Road to take the long path back home. I was out for 3/4s of an hour which was too long in that cold weather. My throat has been just a little sore today.
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