Tree Houses

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I mis-read the 'terraced houses' thread title as 'tree houses' briefly and then thought man, I LOVED my tree house and I want one again. Did any of y'all have one? (See also, forts. I still build forts).

― luna (luna.c), Friday, 26 September 2003 04:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Shit yeah. ... two, I think. Yeah, two.

Sort of behind the garage/barn (it used to be a barn, but we didn't have horses or anything, so it was the barn/woodshed/toolplace and a lot of the old rusted farm equipment was in there from when the place was an active farm), there were some crabapple trees which were all in that cupped-hand type shape. Thick trunk coming up, three main branches going out from it. Perfect for treehouses.

Wait, tree fort. That's what I called it. The tree fort. Cause there was no roof. The first one was basically boards nailed across the tree, which was fine for sitting and having a think ("... I think I want to watch G.I. Joe") or grabbing onto from underneath and swinging or something. The second one had a lot more area -- you could bring your G.I. Joe guys up there, have a little war, throw the loses over the side of the tree, as you do, and then pick some crabapples and see if they taste good yet or if they still taste kind of like tea mixed with ass.

― Tep (ktepi), Friday, 26 September 2003 04:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate you guys. I always wanted one but we didn't have the trees for them, nor did any of my friends.
But my dad built this swingset fort thingee. There were swings at one end, then monkey bars that led to a 7' by 10' platform that was about 7 feet off the ground. There was a hole at one end with a motherfuckin' fire-pole to slide down.
I got a zip line--this one:
http://store4.yimg.com/I/extextoys_1750_2268191
and hung it from the platform, which we called The Tower, and strung it to a tree at the opposite end of my yard. That was so much frickin fun. Kids I had never seen before would come and beg for rides. Left it out in the rain for a whole weekend and the cable rusted and no more fun for Andy. :(

― oops (Oops), Friday, 26 September 2003 04:54 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, forts were what it was all about in the forest where I hung out after many school days. Never really tree houses, because that took building something in a tree and being fairly organized. Our forts were more one-with-nature. We wouldn't alter too much, but just claim an interesting area as a fort, after maybe terraforming some mud or thrashing some plants. For example: A tree sticking out into a creek would be a fort, or a small clearing surrounded by bushes. I still remember some of the fort names. The Monkey Bar Fort, Bouncey Tree, Itchweed Valley (this was more of an area), Forbidden Forest (named after a Commadore 64 game), and various names of people: so and so's Fort (some of these keep their names even long after that particular person moved on from the scene.)

― A Nairn (moretap), Friday, 26 September 2003 05:26 (twenty-two years ago)

We lacked a garden with sturdy enough trees for treehouse-building. There was a knackered old swing frame, which when open on its side and covered in sheets formed a servicable (if not weather-proof) tent. Later on I got a PROPAH tent - yay!

― robster (robster), Friday, 26 September 2003 07:28 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.peartreehouse.com/images/FinalImages/peartree_treehouses.jpg

http://www.peartreehouse.com/images/FinalImages/historic_treehouses.jpg

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Friday, 26 September 2003 11:33 (twenty-two years ago)

My favorite treehouse:

http://www.peartreehouse.com/images/02img/17Jan/famous_treehouses.jpg

All images from: http://www.peartreehouse.com

― I'm Passing Open Windows (Ms Laura), Friday, 26 September 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

I didn't have a tree house/fort, I guess I had a hill fort. There was a steep hill behind our back yard, and I my dad built a platform with rails that looked out over the decline. I think he made a little sign that said Fort A_____ (my last name) too. When we moved, he had to tear it down, so that the people who were renting our house wouldn't hurt themselves on it and sue us, but by that point I was too old for it anyways.

― NA (Nick A.), Friday, 26 September 2003 12:20 (twenty-two years ago)

At our first house, which my parents had built (and yet somehow still looks like every other suburban house from the 70s- olive green and colonial), they also had a matching playhouse built in the back. We had a series of little trails. One went to the firewood pile, one to a sandbox, one to a hammock, and one to our playhouse. It was the size of one of those large sheds. It had electricity, a front porch, and a loft. It was perfect for playing house. We had the fake fridge and stove thing going on and some desks and chairs. I remember hanging out there alone listening to Tiffany on the radio. And my sisters and I would try to spend the night out there, but they'd always get scared and insist that we all go back to the big house.

― Sarah MCLusky (coco), Friday, 26 September 2003 12:34 (twenty-two years ago)

My friend and I made a fort in his backyard between a row of hedges and his fence. I took this thin yet strong black metal wire from my dad and strung it low to the ground, around strategic entry points to the fort. It was so thin that you couldn't see it even from a few feet away. If anyone tried breach our fortress of solitude, they'd hopefully fall on their face.
We got tired of waiting for someone to come, so we went and 'attacked' other kids in the neighborhood then ran away, luring them into our trap.
Somehow, no broken bones or chipped teeth resulted.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 26 September 2003 19:04 (twenty-two years ago)

i had one, in the huge oak tree in the backyard. i don't remember being in it much, but i sure liked the fact that it was there.

i think there's still a plank or two nailed to that tree.

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Friday, 26 September 2003 19:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I tried building one once. It was a resounding failure. We did have a standalone playhouse in the backyard that was cool, though.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 26 September 2003 21:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I had one. When I was 4 and my parents were expecting Al we moved house and they sweetened the pill of moving from the only home I'd known when they informed me the new place came with a treehouse! My Dad was always keen to get rid of it because it was a bit rotten and k-unsafe and indeed after a few years it went, but it was terrific while it lasted. I was never an athletic kid and couldn't climb trees but the treehouse was different, really easy to get up to.

I sort of can't believe we had one now, my parents still live there and that garden looks so different, not the sort of garden you'd expect to find a treehouse in. I also wonder sometimes if my memories of it are false, like the really really strong memories of flying round my bedroom I had as a kid and had to sadly admit to myself weren't real.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 26 September 2003 21:45 (twenty-two years ago)

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