I did it.

My throat feels parched and my palms sore and my arms weak, but I did it. I finally climbed the tree in my front yard.

It's not a tall tree. From the very top I would barely be able to see over my roof. But the first branch is above my head, so (as I figured when I began trying to climb it last year) in order to sit in the very lowest notch I would have to grab onto it and haul myself up almost five feet. A few minutes of trying that, even with my feet braced against the trunk, was enough to tire my arms out.

But today I did it. On this day in December when it's warm enough to frolic--December in New York and 60 degrees. I conquered the first branch of the tree. All it took was trying something a little different, roling onto the branch a different way than I'd been trying to.

I WIN.

I can't wait to climb it again.