New Year - Fresh Start

Well..the New Year came in with bang...literally. I had saved back a couple of packs of firecrackers from July 4th to ring in the New Year. Unfortunately, the dog got outside and the heard the fireworks going off. Let me tell you, for a sporting dog, she wanted NO PART of that foolishness and it took me 20 minutes to coax her out of the barn and back into the house.

The Tree Season Endeth

Whew...During the tree season, there is no rest for the wicked or the weary which means that I am doubly tired. In fact, I had to crack open my spare tin of coffee to ensure that I had enough caffeine to keep me plugging along. All in all it was a great season...The trees looked good and we had a lot of new business. I guess the current economy has made people step back to a more traditional Christmas celebration.


The Cold Wind Doth Blow
In an earlier post, I made reference to the winds that hit the tree shed (no not the broken winds that happen inside the shed) but the cold North winds. True to form, Mother Nature sent an Arctic blast down on us and I cannot remember when I was ever so cold. My finger were numb and the skin actually cracked on the tips. It made tying the trees on the vehicles even more challenging.

First Weekend

The Christmas Season is in full swing. This has to be my most favorite part of the year. I love seeing the kids come out, especially the little ones, and look for the perfect tree. We have a lot of repeat customers who make the experience a true family tradition year after year. Its funny to see the older kids come in and follow the parents around. You can tell they have been saying "C'mon Dad, do I have to wear the elf hat this year, its so lame." They try to hold back the smile until no one's looking but it never works. They will still take a candy cane when they leave even though give me the sheepish grin and say they will take for their younger brother or sister.

The farm brings out the best in everyone and even a little craziness! Last weekend, we sold an 18 foot spruce. The poor guy was just shaking his head when his wife pointed out the tree. It took 3 of us to wrestle the tree into the baler and then in the back of the truck.

Part 2: I got a picture of the 18' Norway tree set up in the stand. They used a 12' step ladder and still could not quite get the angel on by hand. They were such a nice family and now I am on the hook for an even larger tree next year!

November Winds

I have been working a great deal out in the trees these past couple of weeks and by the time I come in and get settled down, I am not moving a whole lot and brain does not have the power to witty.

Our tree shed (sales shed) sits at the upper end of the property near the road so that we can control the trees coming in from the fields and out to the cars. The shed faces due west so that we can take advantage of the winter sun and view the sunsets over the mountains. I think that Winter skies are my favorite.



The shed location is great as long as the wind is not blowing which in November and December is 95% of the time. There is a gap in the mountain that channels the coldest wind ever across the tree field and right into the tree shed. We have a small wood stove that we keep running the entire season...its funny to watch the workers come and jockey for position around the stove.

So much for my lunch break...back to the cold winds. Opening the farm in 4 days.

The Farm in the Fall

No sooner than I make a post about the "Grey Days", the sun pops out and we have a day with lovely weather (although the forecast calls for rain tonight and tomorrow). Here is a shot of our front drive.



The Bull Run Mountains are a little past peak today but I thought the triangle of yellow was interesting against the rusted oak leaves. The triangle is formed from hickory trees in a place called Chilly Hollow.

Tree Delivery to Scotland

I have a good friend in Scotland who has asked for a Christmas Tree to be shipped across the big pond. Normally, my visitors will tie their tree to the roof of the car or shove it through the boot so it only the base is sticking out the back. I have never asked how they get it out again.

So, My friend wants me to work out a deal with the airlines to tie the Christmas trees on the top of the plane...It would give them that festive holiday look. We could even go as far as putting a wreath on the nose of the plane and tinsel on the wing tips. Kind of like the streamers on the end of tricycle.



I sketched up a before and after picture of what the tree would look like. I am certain that my dear friend will have some fun comments on this.

Grey November Days

The trees outside my office window are wearing bright yellow and deep crimson bonnets now. I wish that we had the bright blue skies and golden Fall sun to give them the glow, but we have hit what I call Grey Days.

Every Fall we have a period of 1-2 weeks where the days are dark and dreary. With the time change, darkness falls very quickly. The Grey Days want you to curl up on the couch and do nothing. Its tough to get outside and get chores down when its cold and damp. On top of that, my dogs smell exceptionally 'doggie' when they come in from the garden. They shake off the wet and leave muddy prints all over the wood floors. I end up staying in the kitchen where they can spend time on their beds trying to dry off.


You can do nothing more that peer out the window with a cup of hot tea and hope for a few rays of sunlight. Winter is peeping out from around the corner and blowing kisses of frost upon the window panes.