Flying Again 

Here is a story about decay, repair, and renewal. And waiting… After 11 years of Karinaland swing, the rope was chewed on by squirrels at the very top of the loop. My tree people told me as they were climbing, taking out dead wood in the summer of 2021. They were concerned for my safety. I felt quite bereft, and was very tempted to still swing myself; just no more visitors should be allowed. Then though I remembered how much I cherish my well-functioning agile body at age 68, and that I need it for work and income. Finding the rope turned out to be difficult and pricy, plus the expenses of installing. I just did not have the money. For a year my Karinaland swing was out of order – painful for me to not swing in our pandemic times. 

Nicky in beautiful yellow, resting at our lunch table  

Luckily, I was patient for a whole year. Six weeks ago, following a faint inkling, Nicky and I found in the garage, in a big box not opened for 30 years, several long pieces of Manila rope. It was like an excavation. The inch and half thick rope dating back to my 1989 theater piece Hildegard (inspired by abbess and visionary Hildegard von Bingen). 33 years ago, I had designed a huge wooden beam (22 feet long) suspended horizontally from the theater’s high ceiling, using the 18 inches wide beam as a “platform” to perform on, even swing a bit :)

One of our weekly working days, Nicky and I are dressed in matching greens :) to our delight

 

On June 21 the tree people were due for their yearly visit. For the swing, all the rope had to be replaced they insisted, not just the top – thank goodness I had enough! They were able to fix it with a lot of extra knots this time. They laughed watching me swing right away – after waiting so long, free again! Two days later when Nicky helped to put weight on it to settle the knots, the wooden seat broke in two, thank goodness she was not swinging. I am in the habit of releasing one arm and let myself fall back to look up into the top of the trees, this gives a feeling of flying, sailing in the sky…. 

 

Just a week later, her partner Jack had made a new seat from walnut wood. So beautiful – thank you! Nicky and I figured out the right height for seat and the knots necessary. After all these stops and starts, finally came the euphoria of swinging again. Not just me, but all visitors are invited as usual, if they dare to launch off and fly high into the trees :)  come by and try… 

 

Here is to the continuation of a lifelong love for swinging! 

 

Thank you, Nicky, for capturing heavenly swinging so well with your iPhone! 

https://karinalandriver.blogspot.com/2022/07/still-flying-in-2010-i-ask-my-tree.html

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