Technically I watched John cut down the tree. It was huge.
I can't tell you how long we have been cutting our own trees. I tend to view it as ecologically sound. You need a tree, you cut a tree. So many tree go unsold at the end of the season, it makes sense to me to use what I harvest from a tree farm that only planted the trees to cut them down at Christmas.
As I get older, it actually gets easier because the youngin's do the work.
This year was unusual.
We parked the car next to a tree that we all thought looked pretty good. But you can't cut the first tree you find, that is an unwritten rule in the cut your own tree handbook.
You have to wander for at least 30 minutes looking for a better tree, only to realize the first tree was the best but, damn it to hell, which one was it?
No excuse this year...we parked next to it.
We used to go to Sinnissippi Forest, on Lowden Road just outside Oregon. I semi-knew the owners and just enjoyed the experience. They had thousands of trees. Most were in the main yard area, but there was the Sand Ridge lot and the Wilderness lot, where the bigger trees were. Once Sinnissippi closed, the Sand Ridge was sold to the Prairie Preservation Society of Ogle County and they have continued to sell the existing trees as a fund raiser. No trees are being replanted, but the area will be restored to prairie eventually.
But I digress.
The tree today had to be 12, 13 maybe14 feet tall. We only wanted the top 8 feet. The bottom was not well developed and had lots of scraggly areas, the top was good.......full and compact.
John brought a battery powered saw. No, it's not cheating, it's a matter of convenience. Two years ago it took us half an hour to cut the tree with both of us using the not so sharp bow saw. Our arms were killing us.
Today it took two minutes. Unfortunately, it fell on John. Fortunately, he was not hurt.
It was heavy, mainly because it was so large. We cut off the bottom and trimmed up some branches and put it in the car.
Once back at our house, we cut off another couple of feet to get it to the right height.
By then it was considerably lighter.
Now it is up and partially decorated. I did not buy enough LED lights, so I need a couple of more strands to complete it. Young Camryn came over and helped string lights and hang ornaments, which is always a fun thing to do.
I don't know about you, but I tend to get emotional at Christmas. Hell, I am emotional all year, but it is worse at Christmas.
Don't get me wrong, I love the season. But sometimes the memories, like the Ghost of Christmas Past, have a pretty strong effect on me.
I know there will come a day I no longer have a fresh tree, cut with love, and that will be a sad day indeed.
But for now, I am loving that partially decorated tree.
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| How about this one? |
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| Hunters, before their prey |
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| Oops....can't close the car! |
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| Ready to decorate |
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