I remember the feel of raspy pine bark and gummy resin on my hands as I climbed deep into a pine tree as a child. Eastern white pine trees have a wonderful radial branch pattern making them just about the simplest things to climb and the safest if you fall. Once up there you can brace yourself any number of ways and just drift off, the sounds of shushing pine needles and wind accompanied by the surprised chirps of birds. Let’s consider this: for our evolutionary stint as sentient bipeds we’ve spent more time in trees than in caves or huts, so it’s natural to want to return there. Believe me, when you get in a tree you don’t want to get down, no matter your age.
Writer, architect, father, husband.