Friday, after a wonderful day of turkey and family, we headed out to hunt down our tree. (If you read last year, you remember we could not find a tree at the tree farm so we broke tradition and bought one at a local lot. This was not popular with our children, at all. So this year we headed out earlier so we wouldn't miss all the good trees, and go on our traditional tree hunt.)
How to hunt a good tree. A pictorial study in Christmas tree hunting.
Most important first step ever: find a good tree farm.
Grab a saw and a tree cart at the shed, and head out for the hunt.
Notice we have on appropriate tree hunting attire, and gloves in my boy's back pocket. It kind of makes me sad my kids are too big to ride the tree cart like they used to when they were little. Sniff.
We skipped the marshmallows and fire this trip, since it was warming up to over 60 degrees Friday. Below you can see they put out a sample of each type of tree(covered with candy canes for you to grab) so you know what you are looking for and where to go. This year all the trees had a good showing.
We did a lot of walking to make sure we saw all the trees before we decided on ours.
We didn't do it, but wouldn't it be fun if we rang the big old school bell when we found our tree and everyone shouted or something?
My kids used to love to climb the wood chip pile after the hunt, but alas, they are too big for that, too.
We all followed our fearless leader around the farm. He turned and commented he felt he was being followed by paparazzi at one point. (Can you guess who has a new camera?)
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| We showed amazing forethought in having two children. We are able to use them both as tree markers. If you find a good tree, you have to mark it with a kid, or you will forget which one you liked while you search the area. Ours are pretty good at keeping tabs on our trees. |
This one was enjoying having fun with the saw.
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| Taa Daa, Alas, after lots of searching and debating, we found our perfect tree! (Or maybe we were just ready for lunch and this one was closest?) |
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| It was right down the row from this adorable barn and tractor. I had to really work hard to resist the urge to jump on the tractor and ride around the farm. |
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| We called in the expert to saw down our tree. |
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| After we had roped and tied it down, we carted it back to the shed to get it ready to bring home. |
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| The super cute barn had one of those stars that I love, and a fancy little chicken coop beside with a dozen eggs for a dollar sign on it. Love that color green! |
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| The tree handler takes your tree and puts it on this thing that shakes it really hard to get all the loose needles or critters out. No critters in ours, but it does prevent a Christmas Vacation squirrel incident later on. |
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| Then he loads it on this here contraption (I feel like I have adopted a Beverly Hillbilly accent) which does two things: 1) lines the tree up straight, 2) shaves off the end while putting a whole in the center so it will easily fit on the tree stand. |
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| Cool contraption, ehh? My hubby and kids actually discussed their desire to own a tree farm at this point in the day. They made it look too easy! |
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| Next they bind it up for you to take home, and all this for just $45 American dollars, fond memories, a walk in the woods, and a 9 foot tree. |
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| Then we headed off to our Jeep so we could carry her home to decorate, after we got some of the twine of course (these people really do think of everything, which might be why they have been in business 40 years)! |
You can't see it, but that string has a pair of scissors attached and there is a big bucket of twine at the bottom of the pole. I loved that.
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My hubby got the tree strapped up on the roof, and we headed home to soak her in a bucket of water overnight.
I know that an artificial tree is easier, simpler, cheaper, and a lot less work, but I love a real, live tree from a farm!
I love knowing we are supporting a local farmer, since I grew up as a farmer's daughter.
I am so glad we went back to our roots and got a tree from the farm this year!
Well, where do you weigh in: real tree or artificial? |
3 comments:
How about no tree.!?!?!?
Love the pictorial essay and hope to see many many more pictures in future blogs. Only flattering pictures of your Mother may be shown due to copywrite restrictions.
Don't forget to show your daughter's quilt on here!
I'll say it----TREES! You may now take my picture.
That was fun going along with y'all while you picked out your tree. Love all the pics and can't wait to see many more taken with your new camera.
I like the idea of a real tree but I prefer the ease of an artificial one. Plus, you only pay for it once and I'm cheap like that.
Also, one year when we had a real one, out cat tried to climb it and knocked it over in the middle of the night. He doesn't do that with an artificial tree.
Glad you won't have any squirrels in your tree this Christmas!
Well, seeing as how your tree was only $45, I am thinking of driving way out to your neck of the woods for a tree! I swear ours our double here, but I could be wrong. That seems logical since I insist on fighting an artificial tree and it's lights and hinges year after year after year. Pretty sure your way is more economical in the long run! And more sane, which is worth a lot. ;) I am mostly afraid that I wouldn't water it enough and therefore would be featured on the nightly news as yet another tragic family who's home has burned a week before Christmas because some idiot didn't water it. And left the lights on 24/7.
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