Interesting how plans and projects shift when you're catapulted from the workforce into "golden retirement". Rather the difference between what's gotta be and what might be. When I retired in 2000, on the day I hit the Big 6-0, a huge range of possibilities began to bubble up, which gave me great reason to celebrate, as well as high anxiety. Suddenly, 24/7 became a hellava lot of time to kill. So how to fill my hours, with creativity, accomplishment, and great expectations all part of the mix?? Fortunately, I have always been a project kinda guy, as my bio will suggest. But this project needed to go on and on (retirement, remember), and then needed to become an exciting part of my life when finally finished. Somewhere along the way The Treehouse was born.

As in all my building projects, I've never had the talent to put my plans on paper, which has driven others nuts if they were part of the process. But truth be told, I could see the completed treehouse, and all the chapters to get there, soon after day one. I somehow knew it would take five years to build, and only missed the mark by about six months. Working from May to October, a light day was three hours, heavy day was six to eight. Our yard is mostly sprinkled with smaller trees, though way in the back, hidden from streets and all but a few friendly neighbors, is a beautiful honey locust, 75 feet tall, 40 inch diameter at the base, and over a hundred years old. A male locust, mind you, with 4 inch thorns so watch where you grab. I'm a lover of heights, and balancing way out over some cliff is my idea of a great afternoon. High support branches on this tree would mean the floor had to be 30 feet off the ground, then a roof deck on top of that - the perfect tree for my crazy vision!!

Unlike treehouses in my youth, I wanted no ladders to the ground. So, connected to the house is a footbridge 15 feet above the ground, 60 feet long, ending in 3 sets of stairs to the treehouse and roof. When I'd drop a hammer, which was 11 times per day, it would mean 62 steps and the footbridge down to the dirt, and the same up, in order to smack a better nail. (And we built a ranch home so we'd never have stairs...go figure!) Then what-ifs, like electricity, heat, running water, dimmer lights, ceiling fan, 5 thermopane windows, fridge and microwave, cable TV and stereo, padded carpet, wall coverings shipped from a bamboo plantation we visited in Mexico. We're talking really crazy ideas here, but amazingly they all seemed to find their way to the finished product. And to top it, carpeted roof deck, with pantry, another stereo, and running water for all the hanging flowers. Quite a switch from the last treehouse I built 55 years ago.

When I began, I figured mine was not the only treehouse around, but never realized how much this fascination is shared all over the world, with soaring popularity especially in the past decade or so. I've since come across several beautiful treehouse books, plus a wealth on the internet (that I've listed under Links and Sources). I pride my treehouse, however, for being somewhat unique on several levels. It was built from first to last by one person - moi:))) I had others help a total of 4 separate days in 5½ years. I mention this only so others planning a project don't get discouraged reading these truly wonderful books, when they see that most of these treehouses involved a team of designers and carpenters, many professionals, and often tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Mine was about 20 grand. Some treehouses are open to the weather. Mine is pretty tight (knock on locust wood), a real trick, since two of the large branches start thru the floor and exit up thru the walls. Most treehouses are maybe 10 or 15 feet off the ground, and 20 is pretty high. Mine is 30, and eye level standing on the roof is 50. Many treehouses are supported by 2 or more trees, and wood or steel supports into the ground are common. Mine is a single tree, inverted pyramid knee braces supporting the 10 X 10 floor, total 200 square feet that includes the roof deck.

For those planning a treehouse, remember that a few boards, a few hours, and much love and energy would be a great start...and might be all you'll ever want. Regardless, for those eyeing retirement, get a plan! Especially men (sorry, guys, but women seem to know how to keep busy), the golf course and grand kids (we have 5!!!) don't totally do it. Find a project, a reason to get out of bed with expectation in your mind and a smile in your heart, whether it's to reconnect with family, build a bird house (or tree house), start a garden, volunteer. Endless possibilities. "The best is yet to be" (Browning). Or maybe not - the decision is totally up to you.

Jack Barnhart