DAY 286
01.15.08
TREE 114
After work I drove downtown to Central Park. It’s been three months since I was here last for the tree climbing competition. I still have yet to climb a tree at work. But I am determined to stick with it despite its many downfalls till I learn how to climb with a harness and rope. My boss has been dangling it in front of me like a carrot, giving me climbing equipment and my own bag to put it in. He says, "you better take your gear today, you may or may not climb today." Frustrating, yes, but the dangling has worked.
Anyway, back to Central Park. It was clear and sunny when I got there but very deserted. Besides a group of women on the tennis court the park was empty. I walked over the my bumpy tree and inspected both sides. I say there are two because the tree is like the letter Y. The arms at the top of the Y are too big around to grab a hold of so I have to go in between them to get up. That spot is just slightly higher than my own height. Near six feet so I have to run up the trunk in either of the two sides. As I inspected, one side seemed possible but the other is the on I remember successfully using the first time. So I chose that one. I backed up a few feet and ran forward, stepped with my right foot on the trunk and it slipped off. I backed up again and located a spot on the trunk with a bump that my foot could most likely no slip on. I ran up, stepped, and just couldn’t reach. I continued this about ten more times. Then I tried the other side. It was worse so I went back to the other side more determined. I just needed more height on my run up to get my left hand over the top and then to make sure my right hand had something to grip as well. A few more tries and I finally stuck. Only a slightly bloody ring finger to show for all my failures. But I made it. So up I went with ease to my white ribbon.
At the top I had a very nice seat. I took pictures
and watched a few people walk right under me and not even see me.
I was not that high up.
I thought for sure they would. Oh well. I took some more pictures
then put the camera away and just relaxed and watched the squirrels run around the limbs.
One got so close it was on my tree. I took my camera back out but didn’t get it ready fast enough before it hopped to the next tree.
Then I climbed back down almost to the crotch of the Y, and transferred to the other arm.
I climbed up, but not very far. Too many dead limbs.
I climbed back down and jumped to the ground. This climb really got me energized. Instead of just leaving I went around the park jumping and climbing on things and played on the playground. If it’s sunny outside and not ridiculously cold, one tree climb isn’t enough. Sometimes it’s just the beginning.
1-15-09: 1) I was not IN the tree-climbing competition, I was just a spectator. 2) I took my bag of gear hoping to learn how to climb everyday for a month and never used it. GRRRRRR. And 3) I like that I HAD to climb this tree. It was tree for the day and it was going to get climbed no matter what. I really went at that tree. And when you go at something so hard so many times and fail over and over, it makes that one successful time so damn rewarding. I’d say that is a good lesson on failure. Is for me anyway. I should apply that determination to all my pursuits in life.
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Norm called and woke me up yesterday morning and said he’d be there to pick me up in 12 minutes. I jumped up, dressed, ate, brushed, and was ready before he got there. We had a task he said would take 2 hours. I think it took about 6 if you count all the driving. After the night before and the damn cold climb I was determined to climb during the day. Well, that went to hell when we didn’t leave the house off Old Henry Road when it was turning dark. I was planning to go to Parkour at UofL as well, but I was hungry for dinner and it was just too cold. So I skipped that and Norm and I got some food at J Gumbo’s. Then back at my house I got Norm started on watching Eddie Izzard’s Dress to Kill stand up DVD and I bundled up to go climb. I was in no mood to be tough. My throat was a little sore and I could hear the wind howling outside. I put my face cover on, and a hat, and my hood, and gloves. Plus, I was ready to just go out back and climb my maple tree for the fourth time. But as I stepped outside I looked around my back yard and saw some trees just behind the neighbor’s fence.
Perfect. I don’t know why I had never really noticed these before but I was pleasantly surprised. I do have to admit, however, that I did not take off my gloves. It was a first for me, after over 650 days of climbing in a row, it was my first with gloves. It didn’t cause any problems like I thought it might, but then again, I didn’t climb all that high. I reached my high point and took pictures as the wind tossed me.
Most of the pictures I took without flash came out looking like impressionist paintings. Which I actually kind of like. You notice the entire composition and color more than the objects in the image. I also think they work better as smaller images.
I did take a few with flash like this one of my truck just below me,
and of the flood wall to my right.
When I had taken all I could
I put the camera away (I will say that manipulating a camera with gloves on is very annoying) and I climbed back down. I rushed back inside and was glad to have that over for the day. What awful weather.