Day 162 - Tree Hugger

climb me...

This tree spoke to me today, as I was walking Jazz down the lane...

I've talked, in previous blogs, about how occasionally when I'm at the crag, a climb will call to me.   My eye will be repeatedly drawn to a feature on the rock, maybe a crack or an arête...it will usually be something at the upper limit of my grade range.

Throughout the day, I'll find myself going back and looking at it, pondering, assessing. 
Inevitably, before the day is out I will feel compelled to man up and get on it.

I don't know why this happens, and I don't fully understand the compulsion to do something hard, potentially scary, and possibly dangerous.  But I don't try too hard to resist...and I've never regretted succumbing to the temptation.

Consequently, I now treat this urge as a reminder to myself to Be Alive, to take a risk, to embrace Life.

As I strolled down our lane in the beautiful evening sun a few hours ago, I heard this same calling - only now it's come from an old tree!

I must confess that I am a bit of a tree-hugger.  When Jazz and Bluez were pups, I used to walk them daily in the fields behind where we lived.   There, a majestic old oak stood alone in the middle of an arable field.  I found myself talking to him as we went by each day, and before long, I discovered I couldn't pass without going skin on bark with him.  

To me it seemed that we were communicating through this simple physical contact...

It sounds a bit sad when spoken out loud (or typed), but I felt that he was my friend. 

Soon after that, we moved away and I've not been back since - but clearly he's still there in my consciousness...and perhaps that has something to do with this oak calling me today? 

He's an old oak, handsome and verdant, resplendent in his new coat of fresh foliage.  I see him most days, but he's never caught my eye this way before.  Maybe it's the light, or maybe I'm simply ready for a new challenge...or maybe i just need a new tree-friend?!

In any case, as I approached the tree, I realised that I have to climb him...I don't know why, other than that he's a gorgeous tree, very climbable...and it's on my list of challenges for the year : Climb a Tree!

When I walked underneath him I realised I had marvelled at his brilliant branching before.

a-maze-ing

He's a sturdy old fellow, with this amazing twisted quality...the crux (the hardest part) of the climb will be the start...once up the main trunk to where it all branches out, it looks reasonably easy...although given that it may be as many as 30 years since I last climbed a tree, I'll reserve judgement on that...we'll see!

So I shall therefore be on the lookout for the right time and the right weather, hopefully in the next couple of days, to wander down the lane and get more intimately acquainted with this wise old oak.

I'll need to work out a way of getting some photo's - I want to avoid the "pics or it didn't happen!" charge, of course!

On a related note, on my way back up the lane, I noticed that a large branch has ripped off one of the other old oaks along the lane.

what the...?

This is most curious...it's been blustery, but not that wild, and this branch looks strong and healthy, and 4-6" thick, at the snapping point. 

How on earth has enough energy been applied to this single branch, 4 or 5m above the ground, to snap it clean off?

It's a mystery, and no mistake!

}:-/