Trees

I hadn’t planned it at all. In fact, I was surprised when I looked down and realized how high I had climbed. It just sort of happened. I was visiting my son last week in Texas and I was admiring the magnificent old tree dominating his front yard. No one was around, so.....I took the first step. The tree had obviously been waiting for me, because its branches seemed to reach down and lift me up, foothold by foothold. In my tree-climbing days, I would have rated this one an easy climber. Now, I will use the category “geriatric climber”. I climbed to a suitable perch and carefully settled myself in. As I leaned against the trunk, I felt secure, at home among its branches, the texture of the rough bark and the woodsy smell, all subtly familiar. It had been a long time since I had actually climbed a…