DAY 89

DAY 89
07.02.07
TREE 98

Rachel and I did shopping most the afternoon then came to Hogan’s Fountain to climb before dinner with her parents and some friend of theirs. We first climbed a very huge, old tree. I gouged a chunk of skin from my left hand on my first grab and it bled for a while. The tree was fun but challenging with all the large, spread out limbs. I didn’t get very high and didn’t want to risk too much with Rachel right there so we both climbed back down to climb another tree. We chose another not too far that was a little smaller and easier. Only it was covered in daddy long legs and webs. It made for an uncomfortable climb. But I got to the top while Rachel hung out about half way up. I also had a branch break under my left foot but it wasn’t too bad. I didn’t fall and it didn’t hit her so that was good. I marked my high point with white ribbon, took a leaf, and made my way back down. With plenty of holds I tried to take a different way but no matter what, there were spiders to contend with. A beautiful day, okay climb, and fun to share the climb with Rachel.

7-2-08:  The first tree we were in is a beech tree.  The second, pictured above, is a beech as well.  And the girl in the picture is a beech too….  Okay, that was low, but I couldn’t resist.  I apologize to Rachel, you are not a beech.

It’s too bad I didn’t get more pictures of myvarious injuries over time.  My hands have really gotten tough, the insides of my arms and legs are all scarred up from getting cut and scratched day after day, and I’ve gotten some pretty nice bruises too.  But, really, no one wants to see that, right? 

And a quick addendum brought on by a rush of memory… after climbing that tree last year we went to eat at Havana Rumba’s.  The Cuban place over off Sears Ave. in St. Matthews.  Amazing food.  Their sister restaurant is Mojito’s in Holiday Manor… another awesome place to eat.  We went with Rachel’s parents and September Puckett and her manfriend (I’d say boyfriend, but this guy was no boy, he was on in years) and she had recently sawed off a few of her fingers putting in flooring in a house in Butchertown that used to be owned by Scott Garner, Will’s brother.   Anyway.

I don’t have any pictures from yesterday’s climb so I thought I would put up a doodle from Monday.  While I was waiting to get my truck fixed in Crothersville, IN I had my sketch book and a black bic pen.  I made a tiny drawing of some spaceship and noticed how nice the pen was drawing shades.  So I decided to draw an eyeball.  For those of you who doodle a lot when bored or talking on the phone you may notice you draw the same thing over and over.  For me it is eyeballs and spaceships. The eye quickly had an eyebrow, then a forehead, then a start of a nose.  But I saw an elephants nose and went with it.  Just as I started to do hair on the guy’s head my truck was done, so it’s incomplete. 

As for the ear, umm… not sure.  I just wanted this dude to have an elf ear.  Oh, and an eye patch.  I wasn’t about to draw another eye.  It’s so hard to get them to match without something to look at.

Last night MaryLiz and I went to U of L to practice on our Heely’s, work out a little and I climbed a tree.  I have had my Heely’s since 2004, and she just bought hers last week in Michigan.  She is real pumped about them.  She is a little jealous of mine since each foot has two wheels while hers only have one per foot.  Images to help. 
Mine:
Hers:
She really made a lot of progress.  It’s nice to have someone to Heely with.

Then I changed shoes and I climbed a tree.  She filmed it and was so worried about being shaky.  After It was done I watched the video and I don’t think a tripod could a done better job.  She was so nervous about shaking that she just locked her arms in one position and didn’t move.  She finally said her arms, shoulders, and neck were aching and I told her to lay down.  Even then she barely shook.  Thanks, Ryli, for the job well done.  The climb itself was a nice challenge, so unfortunately it goes at a slow pace.