Rope Swing

BHE

Age Two

One of my favorite memories of visiting my grandparents HAS to be swinging on the rope swing. My grandfather would take two large ropes, loop them over the biggest branch of the old oak tree, and tie them together at the bottom. He would then fashion a seat out of an old plank by cutting v-shaped notches into each end and fitting it over the rope. Instant swing!

Anyone who is familiar with OLD oak trees knows that they have incredibly large roots. Once, I was showing off teaching my sisters how to swing really high and I leaned back just a bit too far. The next thing I knew, my sassy sundress-clad back was scraping across one of the biggest roots ever documented in the northern hemisphere. Lesson learned. Keep your back in the upright position when preparing for landing.

To this day, there is a homemade swing on that same oak tree. A tire has replaced the wooden plank seat, but the sentiment remains.