My First Tree House /
I
built my first tree house when I was about six years old, right after I built my first birdhouse. I only had two short boards, some rusty nails in a can, and the little carpentry set I had recently gotten for my birthday. I chose a tree across the street in a vacant lot where we all played. It had two large branches that forked straight out on one side about 20 feet up. It was the perfect spot to start a tree house. The only trick was how to get up there. I don’t know where the idea came from. It could have been one of those old Tarzan movies or any number of places. Maybe I had seen Robinson Crusoe doing something like it. Anyway, there I was, six years old and climbing that almost limbless tree with one end of a rope tied around my waist and two boards, a hammer, and a can of rusty nails tied to the other end. I made it! But as soon as I got everything up there, I dropped my rope. At first I didn’t think much of it. I laid the two boards across the limbs and began nailing away. Suddenly and without warning the wind picked up and the tree swayed side to side. I let go of everything and down went my hammer, nails, and one of my boards. It probably only moved a few inches but it felt like several feet. I grabbed a limb and held on for dear life. When I looked down, what was only 20 feet before was now at least 200 feet away. A powerful sensation overcame me at that moment and told me that I was going to fall out of that tree and break my little neck. I saw my entire six years flash before my eyes in an instant! I don’t know if it was my mother screaming and crying, or the Holy Ghost, or all the neighbors crying, but something told me “don’t let go!” I hugged that tree so tightly that I can still smell its bark to this day. My poor mother! I’m not sure how long I was really in that tree, but my memory tells me it was quite a while before my dad got home from work. And it didn’t take him very long either before he convinced me that falling out of that tree wasn’t nearly as bad as what was going to happen to me if he had to climb up there and get me! So, I came down just exactly as I had gone up and I never went up that tree again.
Backyard Heirlooms Architectural Sculptures Functional Garden Art ` Tree Houses Custom Birdhouses ` Kid Scapes
525 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 413.528.3095 Follow us on Facebook Open Sat & Sun from 10am-5pm atbackyardheirlooms@gmail.com
14
June | July 2016
www.OurBerkshireTimes.com
By Allen Timmons
But it didn’t stop me from building tree houses. I just learned from my mistakes as I got older. You ask, what did I learn from this experience? Several things. First and most importantly, the only thing worse than fear is more fear! Second, screws work better than nails when building tree houses. And last but not least, don’t ever get yourself into something you can’t get yourself out of! Making a living from your creativity has got to be one of the most satisfying experiences imaginable. I feel so grateful and so blessed to be a part of this life. I love what I do and I hope that you do to! ~ Allen Timmons, Backyard Heirlooms, Great
Barrington, MA, www.facebook.com/backyardheirlooms
Q & A with Allen Timmons Q: Allen, please tell us more about Backyard Heirlooms. A: I design and build one-of-a-kind custom heirloom-quality architectural sculptures. These include but are not limited to birdhouses, doll houses, playhouses, and tree houses. Q: How did you get started? A: I have been doing this since I was six years old, but it didn’t become my profession until the birth of our daughter in 1992. That first look into her eyes changed our lives forever! She and my wife inspired me to greatness, so that year I brought my work before the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and became the first state-juried member in their history in my medium. Q: What do you offer? A: I bring dreams to reality! I have a unique talent and ability that allows me to see very clearly my clients’ dreams and vision. I love working with them and helping make these various projects come to life. I offer 52 years of passionate experience in my craft plus 24 years as a professional. All my work is signed and dated and of the best quality anywhere in the world. Oh, and I love what I do! Q: What is your philosophy? My wife, Nancy, and I live a simple life. We’re blessed with many wonderful friends and every day we meet and make new ones. I believe that you get out of life what you put into it. We should never expect to receive more than we give and we should always be willing to give what we have. I am the richest man in the world! Q: How can our readers find you? Backyard Heirlooms is located at 525 South Main Street in Great Barrington, across from the Wainwright Inn. We’re open Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from 10 to 5pm and by appointment. (413) 528-3095, atbackyardheirlooms@gmail.com. I am also on Facebook and will soon have a brand new website.