My Tree House

by Steve

I'm into a project right now that I'm loving. I'm building a tree house. So far I've got 2 posts in the ground and four boards in a tree, so at this stage it's still more of a vision, but the vision is awesome.

The right kind of trees are important. I've got these 2 oak trees about 14 feet apart, tall ones that sway. Halfway between them are two posts for legs. The first platform (the lower one) spans from the legs to the tree on the right. It's about 4 feet off the ground. The other platform goes from the posts to the tree on the left. This one is 8 feet off the ground.

The idea is, a ladder from the ground to the lower platform on the right, then another ladder from there to the upper platform on the left. That's where the house part will be.

Other that the fact that I don't need a permit to build it, the best part of this is that the platforms are connected to the trees by cables (1/4 inch steel rope). They're actually hanging in the trees. So when the trees move and sway with the wind, or even when the kids are moving around on it, the whole tree house moves a little. This way you really get the "up in the trees" feel, but it's super secure at the same time. I found the design in a tree house book that Santa brought with him a few years ago.

At first, working on the tree house was going to be a family thing. I planned on having the kids sawing wood and hammering nails. It'd be a good experience with hard work, family time and a sense of we did it. I was really serious about that too. I made it clear that we either do this together or it doesn't get done.

It didn't quite work out like that We make a list every weekend of things that we need to do and my wife has taken to writing Daddy's Tree House Time on the list. That's kind of what it turned into. It's me in the woods, mostly alone, sitting on a ladder and staring at all of this wood that that I nailed together and hung from a tree.

A few days ago I was sitting on the ladder drinking my tea and Matt's post from last week popped into my head. It seems Matt has been forced into a confined spot in the basement. It contains everything that is Matt.

My in-laws live in my basement. I think I've unwittingly been pushed out of the house and into the woods. My "spot" is about 50 yards behind my house. But it's quiet, there's a stream running right next to the site, deer run by, I love being there.

Now, I really just wanted to write about my tree house. I mean our tree house. But, I think I've decided this tree house isn't going to be finished any time soon. The kids will get to enjoy it some day, But I'm going to put up one board at a time.