Saturday, November 29, 2014

oh christmas tree

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Christmas trees ready for  new homes

It's been 6 years since we've had a Christmas tree in the house.

Why, are we Grinches or something?  Don't celebrate Christmas?

Well, no on both counts.

It's been more of a logistical issue.  We often travel for the holidays, and I don't like the thought of a live tree dying in the house while we're gone.  Fire hazard and all that.

And the cats.  Lots of cats to climb up or tear down the tree.

So we've just avoided it altogether.

But this year I wanted a tree.  And I wanted a tree that we got to choose and cut.

So when C-baby and her friend visited the weekend after Thanksgiving, I thought, "This is my chance!"

Friends recommended a local tree farm that was just over the ridge from us, and soon we were piled in the XUV and on our way.

cut your own Christmas trees!

After picking up the requisite equipment - namely a tarp for dragging the tree and a bow saw for cutting, we began our trek up the hill.

ready to go get our tree!

fun times at O'Gara's Christmas tree farm

The trees were planted in sections by type.

on the hunt for the perfect tree

We passed by all the short-needled spruce varieties.  We always had short-needled spruces when I was growing up.

They make lovely trees with lots of space for ornaments, but I wanted something different, something bushier, something a little longer-needled.

beautiful long-needled pine trees at O'Gara's tree farm

And then we spotted her down the aisle of Scotch Pines.

our beautiful Scotch Pine Christmas tree

She was perfect.  Symmetrical in shape, full and bushy.  C-baby and I agreed immediately, we had to have her.

But Papa Bear wanted to keep looking.  We hadn't reached the top of the hill yet.

We debated leaving someone beside her just to keep the other shoppers away until we returned (as we knew we would).

But in the end we trudged up to the top of the hill only to find more short-needled pines.

An attempt was made to use the tarp to slide back down the hill, albeit unsuccessfully.

sliding down the hill at O'Gara's Tree Farm

When we returned to the Scotch Pine row, she was still there.

{Whew!}

C-baby gazes in awe at our perfect tree

pointing out the perfect tree

readying the tarp in preparation for cutting our own Christmas tree

And so the cutting began.

logistics of tree cutting decided

hard to reach the trunk through all the bushyness

smilin' c-baby

help me, I've fallen and can't get up...

perfect little Scotch Pine!

haulin' tree

There were gadgets at this tree farm that I have never seen before, like this one, which shakes the tree vigorously to dislodge snow and loose needles and such.

shake it like a... Christmas tree?

shake shake shake....

And this one, which reminded me of something the Grinch might use to stuff and steal Christmas trees from the Who village.

stuff the tree and up you go!

ppuuuuuuusssshhhhh!!!

Wrap up a C-baby for Christmas!

tying one on for Christmas

which end is up again?

As Papa tethered the tree to the truck, we wandered around looking at things.

Christmas 'coutrements

And breathing deeply.

breathe deeply

Need a hand, Papa?

loading up the tree

just helpin'!

Even the drive home was lovely, with white snow and red barns peeking out here and there.

winter wonderland

Stay tuned for trimming the tree!

Holiday Cheers -
Gypsy Farmgirl finds the perfect Christmas tree

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