A tree swing

A few weeks ago, or maybe last weekend, when I took my son to a playdate, I noticed they had a rope hung from a high tree branch. The kids loved to swing on it. Of course, my kids wanted one. So how did they get the rope on the high branch? Apparently they shot an arrow with a thin thread tied to it over the branch, then tied the thin thread to a rope and pulled the rope over. So I promised to make one in our back yard. That weekend, we walked around and found a good tree, with a high branch, unobstructed.

Today I went to that house again and this time they loaned me the bow and arrow and some thick rope. So when I got home I tried it. First I tied a string to the arrow and tried shooting it up. Of course, I didn't know how to shoot it, so I took a few tries to get it right. When I had confidence I aimed it up at the branch. I kept getting tangled in branches of smaller trees, coming close to the large branch but never quite. After about 15 tries the arrow got stuck in a branch. I pulled and pulled to get it loose, and then the string broke. So there is the arrow hanging from a branch, high up, and I can't get it. I hope the neighbors are watching this comedy.

Next, I tie the string to a small stone, and throw the stone up. The branch I'm trying to reach is about 30 feet up. Maybe when I was younger I could reach it on the first try, but not today. Over and over I threw the stone, missing completely. Once the string got tangled in thin lower branches and when I tried to pull it out, it broke, so I lost the nice stone. I made another. Kept trying to throw, over an d over. Missing just by a foot, my arm getting tired. Can you picture it? A stone tied to a string, and me trying to throw it over a very high branch.

Finally, as it was getting dark, I got it. The stone went over the branch! It came down low enough so I could grab it and tie it to the thick rope, which I then pulled over the branch. So that's how I left it, because I don't have a seat to tie to the rope. Also, I don't know how to tie a knot that will hold - a slip knot. I'll deal with that tomorrow. I was very happy to get it to work. But it's awfullyl close to the tree. I hope the kids don't smash into it one day.

Now in my backyard there is a rope hanging from a high, thick tree branch. And also an arrow stuck somewhere, and bits of string all over. I hope the neighbors enjoyed the spectacle. It's all about the suburbs, anyway.