DAY 216

DAY 216
11.06.07
TREE 140

Hard day of work today.  We went out to this one house in Prospect and took down three trees.  Two of them were right next to the house so the guys had to climb to cut them down.  This was the first time I witnessed this at the job.  Seeing as how this is the reason I got this job I paid close attention to their work.  Ultimately, I was disappointed.  So much effort is put into the cutting.  I reallyjust want to learn how to go up and maneuver around.  Otherwise I just dragged brush to the chipper all day.  Not the best of days.  I’m starting to doubt my choice.  And my back is hurting again. 
After work I went straight to Ballard to climb a tree before heading to Drew’s.  I parked at the tennis courts and walked through their arboretum.  These trees are pretty young and not very good climbs.  I ended up choosing a tree by the side of the road growing very near another tree.  the climb was pretty standard.  I got to the point where the trunk splits and where a large limb of the neighboring tree rubs the tree I was on.  It was a little tricky, but I knew once I got past this spot I would have a clear path to the top.  Wearing my work boots with the thick steel toe I had to be careful not to get my foot stuck in the crotch of the branches. 

At the top the view was great. 

The sun was just about to set on the horizon and its color was a brilliant pink. 

The leaves all around me were orangish-red and I was very high up. 

In my little time to climb after work I often settle for climbs which are not too exciting or challenging.  Today was a pleasant surprise.  It wasn’t too difficult of a climb but I got higher than I expected and had a great view.  It also solidified in my mind that I enjoy climbing trees and not necessarily working with them and cutting them down.  But I won’t quit yet.  My job that is… there is still much I can learn that I am sure will be helpful.  Let’s just hope my back holds up. 
Oh, and the climb down was easy.  I loved that feeling when I touch the ground and my arm muscles are all tired.  Then my senses re-awaken after my concentration stops and I feel the air again.  I sense my surroundings and I have a great feeling of accomplishment.  I love it.

11-8-08:  It’s pretty bad that I was thinking about quitting my tree service job less than a week in.  I stuck with it for 5 months.  A god awful and bitter cold 5 months.  I did learn things.  I cannot deny that, and I am happy I had the foresight back then to realize that.  I learned a lot about tree types, how to use a chainsaw, I drove big trucks, I learned knots, how to climb with a rope and harness, and that extreme racism, sexism, and classism still exists in the service industry.  Um… what else.  Oh, and bosses can make or break a job.  It didn’t help either that the majority of the guys I worked with didn’t like me and never wanted me on their crew.  Just typing this makes me sad, yet happy that job is long since removed from my life.  But it was better than the lamp store job.  Both hurt my back though.  Ugh, my back… still hurts.

Speaking of injury… I did parkour at U of L Wednesday night this week.  It was a good group of traceurs that night.  Glenn, Jeremy, and Math.  I thought we were having fun, finding new moves on familiar grounds.  Then, in front of the law building I attempted to take two steps in a brick wall in order to clear a wooden bench.  I tried a few times and was just not getting the distance along the wall to clear the entire length of the bench.  It was going to require greater speed, a stronger jump, and complete commitment.  I came at the wall at a 45 degree angle straight towards the corner of the bench and BAM, my right bog toe nailed the corner.  I turned around with a look of panic and the guys just stopped in their tracks and looked at me.  It hurt.  I thought I had broken three of my toes and was scared to look at them.  But I sat down and took off my shoe.  I was expecting blood and pieces of broken toenail.  But everything looked fine.  I couldn’t put any weight on my foot, but it looked fine. 

I was so bummed about another injury.  I was worried my big toe was broken and it would take a long time to heal.  Then I thought… I haven’t climbed a damn tree yet today.  My toe began to swell and I could feel my shoe tighten at the end.  I hobbled and hopped with the guys and tried to get them to continue to practice.  We did for a while but I was just frustrated.  I decided I should find a tree, an easy one, and then go home.  We were at the art building by this point and I had seen and played around this one magnolia tree before and thought it would be good. 

The guys watched as I started into the branches.  I went up and as I concentrated the thoughts of my injury started to fade, and the pain did as well.  I went higher and higher and was able to use my right foot in the middle and heal areas.  I wasn’t that much crippled by it which gave me relief.  Soon I was out on a limb near the roof of the building and I saw a way onto the roof.  I went for it.  It was a bit of a reach but I made it and was on the gravel with a pretty cool view.  This was the first climb where I have taken pictures not from the tree. 

There were these cool skylight pods that I thought looked very space age and futuristic.

When I was done shooting pictures I knew it was time to climb back down.  I was a little nervous about climbing back onto the branch I climbed out on.  I thought maybe I could find a different tree to go down.  Make it a 2 tree experience.  I spotted a pine and walked over.  It was a reach but looked possible.  I leaned out of the edge of the roof and grabbed a branch.  It was extremely bendy and I tried hard to pull the trunk towards me but I just couldn’t get it close enough to make that leap of faith to transfer off the roof.  I started to get a little worried but then knew that if I got up I could get down.  I just had to go down the way I came up.  I took one more shot to try to record these limbs and show the difficulty… but I think you can’t really tell.

It actually wasn’t that bad getting back into the tree and I made it safely down.  I am also happy to report that my toe is doing much better, I am walking normally and I can move it and bend it without pain.  I am healing very quickly and believe I will back to normal within 2 weeks, maybe quicker.  It is all bruised at the joints, but it looks worse than it feels.  If only my back healed that fast.