Beyond the Trees

New Year - Fresh Start

2009-01-05T15:00:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-16T23:21:00.004-05:00

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

2008-12-01T15:27:00.003-05:00

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

2008-11-25T14:50:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-07T15:48:00.005-05:00

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

2008-11-05T17:54:00.004-05:00

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

2008-11-04T13:51:00.008-05:00

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.

Christmas Tree Season

2008-10-29T10:25:00.003-04:00

We are moving into the countdown phase for the tree farm now. In 30 days, the farm will open for the 2008 Christmas Season. There is still a lot of little things to be done like chasing the mice out of the tree shed and pulling snakeskin sheds from the rafters. It never ceases to amaze me how freaked out people get if there is even a hint of snake in a 500 yard radius.

This year, I have been asked about my ability to provide an "upside down" Christmas Tree. A WHAT???!!!

After a little investigation, there are a few companies that make upside down Christmas trees for the living space challenged. Space Challenged! I get more phone call asking for the 10' to 12' tree for the 2 story family room. From a mathematics standpoint, the taller the tree, the wider the tree!! Back to the Upside Down Christmas Tree...I think its a novel concept because all the additional loot you can put under the tree (on top of what St Nick leaves you). What a great deal!

For you traditionalists, the early Christmas trees started out upside down as highlighted in this text from the "Christmas Archive".

In the 7th century, a monk from Crediton, Devonshire, went to Germany to teach the Word of God. He did many good works there, and spent much time in Thuringia, an area which was to become the cradle of the Christmas Decoration Industry. Legend has it that he [St Boniface] used the triangular shape of the Fir Tree to describe the Holy Trinity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The converted people began to revere the Fir tree as God's Tree, as they had previously revered the Oak. By the 12th century it was being hung, upside-down, from ceilings at Christmastime in Central Europe, as a symbol of Christianity.

There you go...so the next time you are in a pub and want a free ale or cider, you can wager on the history of the Christmas Tree. Who is going to argue against a Saint??

One more parting thought...if you are going to get an upside down tree, make sure it is artificial or you will be cleaning up needles well past Easter.

New Citizenship Test

2008-10-01T10:55:00.003-04:00

I saw an article in the paper today and effective 1 October 2008, there will be new standards of learning in order to become a US Citizen. I took the test and passed, but not without some serious brain power. Try this test for yourself!

Start of Bus Season

2008-08-31T00:35:00.002-04:00

The long Labor Day weekend has signaled the end of summer. It means that the roads will be crammed with school buses. Living on a narrow dirt road means that you are taking your life in your hands as you pass by one of these large yellow careening vehicles. I do not have fond memories of riding the bus as it would take over an hour each way to school. I guess it kind of set me up for the rigors of commuting around the Washington DC area (ha).

Now, as I understand it, the county school system has just recently upgraded its bus fleet. This new bus prototype is designed to alleviate the stop and go problems of traffic by having the ability to crush any vehicle in the way. The only downside is the fact you must be a high school dropout, be married to your cousin and live in a trailer park in order to drive it.

Its a Sad Day

2008-08-22T20:33:00.002-04:00

The person who inspired me to start this Blog and really my only devoted reader has decided to pull stakes and move back to the homeland. I can absolutely understand the motive and there is nothing more important that family and home.
Just know that you can not get away that easily. There is now the excuse to travel and visit. How good is it to have a personal tour guide. Plus, I understand that yellow speedos are widely accepted at all public beaches.

Lang may your lum reek.

Two Bee(s) or Not Two Bee(s)...I think there maybe a lot more of them!!

2008-08-04T12:51:00.003-04:00

I was working on clearing a patch of brush along the edge of the woods. Working in shade only prevents sunburn, not sweating (glistening for the ladies). I was working on a heavy clump of weeds when I got a searing pain in both knees. I looked down long enough to see yellow jackets (small vicious bees) swarming around my legs. I jumped, rolled, and started running and smacking like a madman. The last hit from the little yellow flying stingers was a cheap shot in the shoulder.

I am sure if anyone was nearby, I would have probably offended them with a steady stream of profanity. If my Mother had heard me, I am sure I would have an entire bar of soap in my mouth for a week.

I was born and raised in the country (not a redneck though) and I can handle most anything thrown at me....snakes, rabid animals, wild dogs, and even a rogue bull, BUT I hate bees. Its the way the attack, you never get a sporting chance. I consider myself a fair fighter, but these little winged maniacs are like berserkers. The sting everything in a 3 meter radius and do not stop to rest.

Well, I retreated and licked my wounds, but have recovered now and plotting my strategic return to exact revenge. I will keep everyone posted.

The Dog Daze of Summer

2008-08-04T12:34:00.002-04:00

For those who are not familiar with August in Virginia, it can be a rather oppressive time with high heat and even higher humidity. Usually, by now the hay has been made and most outdoor activities cease during mid-day.

If you are really interested in losing weight, exercising in this weather will shed the pounds like crazy. However, you really have to watch the water intake or you could be come very dehydrated. Its like having a bad hangover without experiencing any of the fun from the night before (I have that happen before, I was told it was a blackout...hmmmm).

DARCY THE HOODLE

2008-07-25T16:24:00.004-04:00

"WHAT???"...yes, I said Hoodle. We recently got a Hoodle puppy (11 weeks old) which is a cross between a Hound and a Poodle. She is a real cutie and has got a really great personality.

I Owe I Owe Its off to Work I Go

2008-07-25T16:07:00.003-04:00

I have no reasonable excuse for not writing other than the fact that I have been working my day job in order to pay the bills. So I will catch everyone up recent adventures.

The summer has gotten into full swing on the farm. That means that it is tree shearing time. For those of you who think that Christmas trees grow in a beautiful conical shape (ie. Classic Christmas Tree Shape), I will be the first one to tell you that trees will grow in every direction OTHER than the way that you want them to. Shearing is a very hot and labour intensive task. The tops of the trees (all 5000 of them) must be cut by hand. Once the tops are done, the side shearing is done with a hybrid weedeater with a 4 blade cutting head. This entire process ocurrs over a 3-4 week period. It never fails that we shear during the hottest, stickiest days of the year. The only good thing is the automatic weight-loss program that goes along with the shearing process.

In addition to tree shearing, there is the standard mowing of rows, building maintenance and painting, and all other farm type activities. Now, as I said before, the farm is not a primary income source so I have been ensuring that I have a day job by working very hard. The summer months are very busy months for my company as we conduct a lot training classes and strategy meetings as part of yearly planning and budgeting. Unfortunately, it requires me to travel around the country which really limits my time of the farm.

Its Raining, Its Pouring...

2008-05-09T12:08:00.004-04:00

Sorry about the break in writing to my one reader :)
Mother Nature has been very unkind to me lately. Since the races, we have had several periods of extremely wet weather, which has left my fields full of standing water. I honest do not mind the water as it is a catalyst for growth, however, it is keeping me from getting the tractor into the field. My grass is now taller than my seedlings, which means I will have to cut by hand. That is always a lot of fun (NOT).

I got some mail order chicks about 4 weeks ago as well. I went to the Dulles Mail Sorting facility and picked them up. It was really neat to walk into a huge warehouse and hear nothing but birds chirping and cheeping. We have 25 in all, 3 roosters and the rest hens. I have spent the dry days building a new chicken coop. The old one is still in good nick but it was too small to accommodate the new flock. I will probably use the old coop as a brood house in the future.

I attended a very nice Kentucky Derby party and had a Mint Julep, lost some money, and ate a lot of fattening food. It was very unfortunate about the second place finisher. It is rare these days to ave something like that happen with all the medical technology available. It was also the first time that I had ever had a 'pre-mixed' julep and I have to tell...I was not impressed. I prefer a glass of bourbon on the rocks with a splash of water. That is the way it was intended to be consumed.

So, I think I have caught everyone up on the events of the past couple of weeks. It is now pouring rain again, the tin roof on the front porch is singing and the gutters are rattling with water. The fields are wet, the chickens are dry, and all I can do is sit and look out the window.

Up and Over

2008-04-17T22:49:00.005-04:00

Photo by Martin Locraft

The Sport of Kings

2008-04-17T22:10:00.004-04:00

One of my fondest memories of Spring is attending the Spring Point to Point races. For those of you who have not witnessed the thrill of Steeple chase or Point to Point, it is a day well spent. Living in the "Hunt Capital" of the United States, it is only fitting for all of us to spend a leisurely day, socializing, drinking, and placing wagers on jockey and steed. These riders are the original Xtreme sports fanatics. I personally would not want to ride a horse at break-neck speeds over timber and stone fences.

My family has had a "spot on the rail" for as long as I can remember. Its ownership has been passed onto me. Our spot sits just down from a hedge jump. It is quite exciting to see the horses jump and on several occasions we bear witness to a less than graceful dismount. My niece and her fiance, Martin, joined us at the rail this year. Marty is a very talented photographer and has won a couple of awards for his work. He was able to snap some really nice photos and they can be found via a link on his blog site Walking Party.

It never fails that whenever I wager, my horse either scratches out of the race, throws his jockey, or decides that it is much nicer to take in the scenery than to win the race. It is usually one of guests who has no idea about horses or racing and picks the horse based on a name or silks colours who goes home with a pocket of green.

We are opening the reservation lines for next year if anyone is interested in attending.

Soggy Seattle

2008-04-10T22:08:00.003-04:00

Sorry, I have been out on the West Coast most of the week and it was a very busy week for me. In addition to being a tree grower, I also work for a LARGE technology firm. Yes, that's what I said... I have to have a day job so that I can have a second job as a farmer and afford to own a farm. Kind of ironic isn't it??
At any point, the weather in Seattle has got to be on the top ten list for cities with the "most depressing weather". It was gloomy from daybreak to twilight with period of light rain and drizzle the entire time. Now...please do not think that this is/was my only visit to the Pacific Northwest. I have seen absolutely glorious days in the months of June, July, and August. I have very vivid memories of azure blue cloudless skies, the primal marine forests, and towering mountain peaks with their capes of white. Thats what is on every postcard in every shop in Seattle.
It is a clever deception! For 9 months out of the year, the blue skies take leave of the Pacific Northwest and head South to California and Arizona. I know this for a fact as the locals tell me that is where they go to visit the sun during the bleak months.

STUCK IN THE AIRPORT
As it turns out, the week I am on the road is the same week that American Airlines has cancelled 1000 flights. I do not fly that airline as I have NEVER had good luck with flights. Fortunately, my flight was not impacted by that situation, HOWEVER, I am now delayed on a red-eye flight because of some silly tornado and heavy storms in the Mid-West. Leave to Mother Nature to screw up my travel plans.
Now I am forced to stay up into the wee morning hours (I do not think that anyone would be kind enough to wake me so that I do not miss the flight), which means that I am going to be so knackered in the morning that I will be absolutely worthless for the rest of the day (I do not want any snide comments regarding my last remarks). I guess I will continue to sit here at the bar, people watch and drink until its time to board my flight...hopefully be before last call.

No Fool Here

2008-04-02T22:28:00.004-04:00

Well, yesterday was April 1st or better known as April Fool's day. As kids, my brother would be sure to remind me that the day was named after me. Well that set off the fights and yelling, only to be followed up by my mother or father having the last say on that.
I have seen some mighty fine April fool jokes in my day. I can remember when a popular local radio station announced an immediate format change due to new ownership. The broadcast for the entire day was done in Spanish. It worked so well that they lost market share and sponsors!!
I can honestly say that I have never been one to save all my pranks and practical jokes for a single day. I will call my brother and leave a message for him. I can imitate a wide variety of voices, so I might be an Indian Tech Support Analyst one day and a Chinese takeout delivery guy the next. Yeah, its probably not politically correct but its still very funny.

Haven't Seen you in Ages

2008-03-31T17:27:00.004-04:00

My neighbor, probably after a lot of nagging from his wife, has started to build an addition onto their very small house (900 sq ft). There is a great deal of activity over there with heavy machinery moving dirt and rock to create the basement. Being naturally curious (ok, I like to watch the bulldozer and backhoe), I stopped in to have look at the hole. (I was asked later where I have been for an hour and I said without thinking, "Oh,nothing much, I was just looking at Bill's hole"...needless to say, that was met with odd looks and sniggering).
At any point, one of the guys running the bulldozer was a very old friend whom I had not seen in 20 years or better. He saw me standing on the side, waved, and shut his machine down. JL got down off his machine, stuck his hand out and said with a big grin, "Hello John, I haven't seen you in ages." We shook hands as he leaned over and spit a little tobacco juice on the ground. He said again, "Man, I haven't seen you in ages." He then proceeded to speak with my neighbor, Bill and he said, "There's old John, I haven't seen him in ages." Now JL is college educated, a very talented musician, and most importantly, one of the nicest guys you will ever run across. All that being said, I think years of riding on a bulldozer have shaken a few bolts loose. JL proceeded to tell everyone that would listen to him about our friendship and more importantly that he had not seen me in ages. I swear to you, this went on for about 15-20 minutes. We caught a bit more and as I was leaving, we shook hands and said that we needed to keep in touch. We agreed that sounded like a good plan. As I turned away, he said, "Yep, lets keep in touch because I haven't seen you in ages."

Former Residents

2008-03-25T09:58:00.003-04:00

I had previously posted about working on the back green and hauling large amounts of debris out. As I was scratching about, I noticed that I have a great deal of quartz strewn about under the trees. On a geological note, there is a large ridge of quartz deposits or veins that run for about 2 miles in length near the farm, but I am not technically part of that vein.
I picked up a couple of interesting pieces and they turned out to be Indian Artifacts. I have a couple of nice arrow tips and what looks to be a broken spear. A little research on Loudoun's history places these artifacts in the pre-1300's. Some speculate as much as 1000-300 B.C.. Wouldn't you know that I had just shutdown my mad scientist lab for the summer and my carbon dating equipment is in packed away in storage.

Oh well, I picked up some flower bulbs from my mother yesterday, so stay tuned to your TVs and radios (this blog too) for any important discoveries as I start to work in the flower beds.

Getting in Shape

2008-03-19T23:05:00.005-04:00

I have finally gotten the new treadmill out of the garage and into the basement so I now have a complete workout facility where I can turn the music up loud and look like a complete fool with no one watching me.
The tread mill is a rather complicated thing with lots of settings and incline capabilities. I set it up and got on it. I figured I would start out slow, so I pressed 3 (out of 10) and the belt started to turn. HeY! this is not so bad, I can do this pretty well. Those are famous last words! Being a guy, I started pressing buttons to try this or that. It was less than 2 minutes before I was completely exhausted. Well, I will try again tomorrow and try to keep my hand off the shiny buttons.
Luckily, I did not have this fellow's luck.

St Patrick's Day

2008-03-17T18:57:00.003-04:00

In honour of a good friend who loves Cider...Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!

The Back Green

2008-03-15T19:49:00.004-04:00

It was an exceptional day to work in garden or the back green (back yard in American). My green is currently not so green. Its more of a burnt umber with lots of sticks, various acorns, hickory and walnut hulls left over from the pre-winter feeding frenzy of woodland creatures. I raked and shoveled 900 thousand carts of crap and ferried it out into the far reaches of the wood. I figured if I said a million, no one would rightly believe me. My back and arms muscles tell it was well over the 2 million mark.
I have a companion named Piper, a mix of hound and spaniel, that has a knack for getting into mischief. Any time that we head into the wood, she loves to run out in front of me and look for things to roll in or bring back to the garden and bury. As it turns out, she had been using the very leaves and debris I had been raking to hide her precious treasures, so every time that I raked a pile, she promptly sniffed it over from top to bottom and gave a worried expression on her face. I noted on more that one occasion that my neatly raked piles would be scattered about and there would be Piper, tail curled up over her back, prancing with something in her mouth. She would usually stop at the far side of a tree and peer around to see if I was watching. If she did catch me, she would stare me down and then move to new spot. If she could talk, I am sure she would be saying some like, "bloody hell, can't he leave my things alone?? What I did this to his things?" I am certain that I will find my work boots on the back green in the morning as retribution.

Where is Aldie?

2008-03-12T12:14:00.003-04:00

I recently purchased a used All-Terrain Vehicle for use around the farm. Well, it might have some pleasure aspects to it as well, but primarily to be used as a farm vehicle so that I can write it off on taxes.
At any case, I took it over to the Honda dealer in Winchester which is roughly 30 miles away. I gave my name and address to the young man at the service desk. When I said the town was Aldie, he looked at me and said, "What State is that"? WHAT????!!!!
Now let me explain Aldie to you. It is a small unincorporated town that sits on one of the main East-West routes from Winchester to Washington, DC. You can not avoid going through it and it is most well known for its Historical Grist Mill and a very narrow stone bridge. Of which, large trucks must yield to oncoming traffic so as not to damage the truck or the bridge.
I was almost offended to think that people today do not know local geography and was very tempted to ask him what planet he was from. Better yet, I should have asked him what grammar school he attended as I would need to check his education records to ensure he passed the 4th grade.
When I go back to pick up my ATV tomorrow, I am taking a small gift with me. A Map.

Spring Chores

2008-03-11T10:53:00.000-04:00

The recent time change has sent this body into a bit a spin. Aside from the loss of sleep which seems to a continual event, the time is drawing near for strenuous outdoor activities such as checking fences, picking up dead fall and removing old vegetation (including all the dead spruce and pine from last year's drought). With in a month's time, the activity will be fever pitched as the new trees arrive from nurseries and will need to be planted to avoid loss.
At our farm, this is the time for a lot of short tempers, broken equipment, and lots of bad weather.
It is very common event that best laid plans are thrown out the window and pandemonium wins the day. We have never not gotten through a planting season, however, we have had some close calls. As a result of one such near catastrophe, we started to incorporate bucket planting. We contacted a couple of landscape firms who were throwing away perfectly good 7 - 10 gallon buckets. On the open market (nursery and garden centers), those buckets are about $5 each so if you hire landscapers, ask to keep the planter buckets. They are good for starting all sorts of plants.
One the spring chores that I will have is to go down to the shed and pull out buckets and get them ready for planting. We have found that bucket planting takes a great deal of risk and loss out of the planting equation. We have a mulch soil mix brought in and we add pine fines to it in order to allow the roots to have maximum spread and density. We do a spring planting of last year's buckets using a 12" auger on a tractor, which by the way, is the same diameter as the 7-10 gallon buckets. Once that is done, we have a buckets ready to go for next spring.