Bird Nest Tree

I started climbing trees recently. I should really say that I am once again climbing trees for when I was a boy this was the most natural, normal thing to do. I did it all the time without thought or second guessing. All the boys and most of the girls would spend hours climbing and playing lofty games of tag (the kiwi version of 'it'). Of course some children love being up in trees so much that tree houses are built. Some parents will assist in the construction but for some reason climbing trees is not something adults do.

As I walked along the banks of the river that runs through Nelson I noticed a lovely tree with branches that bowed as though weeping to the ground. The first few metres are usually the hardest to get up most tress. Too few branches. But after that point there are often nicely spaced bows to ascend to by. At the base of this particular tree there was a seat and so mounting was made easy. As I reached up to the first hand hold I noticed glass bottles lodged in the cavity I intended to be my second foot placement. Clearly this would not be a first ascent. I guess on Friday nights up in these branches local youth hang out drinking their non-descript alco-pop beverages. A few simple moves and I was up, perched beneath a large, shady canopy. I had a wonderful 360 degree view from my vantage point. No one saw me and it is true that people rarely look up as they go about their everyday lives. Walkers, runners, their dogs and toddlers all passed by, some right below me, and not one of them knew I was there. How delightful it was to be secreted so close to others. I was hoping at least one person or perhaps a couple would sit on the bench beneath me. I imagined conversations, intimate and unknowing of my presence, discussing the challenges of parenting or lovers whispering heartfelt affections. No one came.

I named this tree Bird Nest Tree for the tangle of woven branches was as though an overexcited blackbird had taken up weaving. The large horizontal bows extending from the trunk allow for wide-ranging exploration and the many comfortable perches could accommodate a party (and probably do if the discarded bottles are anything to go by). It doesn't seem that popular with birds but bugs and spiders are evident. The river slid by quietly and I was happy to be aloft watching the world go by and the day stretching ahead.