Total Tree, Total Fun

April 12, 2011, 7:30 a.m.

Total Tree Care the Circus Act
Come for the Tree Trim, Stay for the Entertainment
The prior blog entry, a rave review of the latest Janet Schlapkohl stage play, "triangle," began, "Iowa City, designated by the United Nations as one of the Planet's three 'Cities of Literature,' is host to arts resources that are broad and deep and go well beyond "literature." "Go See 'Triangle': April 8-10; Great Entertainment, Important Lessons," April 8, 2011.

So you know about our local writers, theater, music, pottery, graphic arts, and more.

But did you know we also had our own local circus act? Yes, we do. Our own local Flying Wallendas. Here is a video of the Wallendas at work:



And here is a still picture of Total Tree Care's Seth Bihun on his way up a tree.




Along with a couple of his tricks -- climbing two trees at once:














And balancing on the end of a cut limb:




I haven't had such fun since I was a little boy, walking along the tracks at the old Iowa City Rock Island Railroad Station on Clinton Street the day the circus came to town. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus

There's a lot of speculation regarding when humans came down out of the trees and started walking on Earth. A BBC program gives the credit to "Lucy," who lived over three million years ago.

But few ever ask how Lucy got up in the trees in the first place. That's what interests me.

I'm reminded of the story we used to tell in Texas to describe some of the fellows in what Molly Ivins used to call "the Lege." We called 'em "post turtles."

And what's a post turtle. Well, when you're driving down a country road and you see a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle. You know he didn't get up there by himself. He can't get down. He can only see in the direction he's been turned. He doesn't belong there; he can't get anything done while he's up there; and you just want to help the poor, dumb thing down.

Unfortunately, post turtles are not an endangered species. There seem to be more of them in Washington and Des Moines every year.

Clearly, Lucy was no post turtle. She knew how to get up the tree, and get down.

So does Seth -- and his band of happy trapeze artists with chain saws -- who serve to remind us both how we got up the trees and how we got back down.

This is one professional troop of tree trimmers. They leave clean cuts on the trees, and -- unlike most young boys who like to climb trees -- clean ground underneath.




Look around. You probably have a tree somewhere that could do with a haircut. Give Seth and April a call. This link will take you to their Website. It may take awhile. With a show like theirs, the future performances are pretty well booked. They'll let you know in advance when they're coming. Then you can sell tickets, invite the neighbors over, sit back away from the action (the Total Tree Care folks are sticklers for safety), and watch the show.

Total Tree Care is providing yet one more reason why Iowa City is a City of the Arts and Creativity. (Want more evidence? See Josh Cramer's IC/CR/eatives.us.)

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