I climbed the Martin pole the other day. We forgot the perch on top. The Martin parents need a place to stare down and threaten you when you check for neighbor's that might need to be evicted. My neighbor had already had the materials, so of course he accused me of the forgetfulness. So, up the ladder I went.
The top of the pole is 20' off the ground. We used an extension ladder. I crawled up there real ginger like and nailed that perch on above the pulley. I was praying for my life the whole time. The thing about me and heights is that it's important for me to keep my head level with the horizon. If I try to look up or down too much I get disoriented. So, when I looked down for a safe place to drop the hammer so I wouldn't have to carry it down, everything seemed okay except that when I looked back up at the ladder in front of me I was shaking like a crapping dog. Had to grab the pole to steady myself.
Pole worked good. Seems strong and stable enough.
We hung the houses around the pole and got them winched up there. Maybe a bit late for the scout martins this season, but they should come around in two, three years. No more than a decade, hopefully. House looks nice though!
