When the Fir Flies

Bob’s Trees asks:

“Do you yearn for the yearly family trip to the woods, the smell of a fresh-cut evergreen, and the experience of dragging the family tree through the snow?”

Yearn? Dread is more accurate, because in the past our yearly family trips to Bob’s have threatened to ruin Christmas before it even started. Like the year of the ice storm, when cars were doing 360s in the road on front of the tree farm. Or the time I lost my shoe in the mud —and then the car got stuck in the same mud. Or when I accidentally tied the doors of my car shut. I could go on and on. Freezing weather, rain, snow, slop, filthy stinking dogs, crying children, bitter arguments —these are the spirits of Christmas past at Bob’s Trees.

So naturally, if it goes too easily I get suspicious.

Friday we drove up the hill at Bob’s, found a tree, cut it down, and had it on top of the the car in no time at all. No fuss, no muss, in and out in five minutes. How is this possible, I wonder? There must be something wrong with this tree. Will a colony of spiders hibernating deep in its branches come to life and infest the house? Will I get home and find that it’s shed all of its needles? Will it mysteriously burst into flames?

There’s no way to tell, but meanwhile I am keeping an eye on this tree that came to our home without struggle or strife. Either there’s a catch somewhere or after twenty years we’re getting good at it.

7 thoughts on “When the Fir Flies

  1. The tree we picked out a Bob’s last year was cut and loaded up in record time. That same tree also dropped needles at a record pace.

  2. Why do you always seem to expect trouble? Sometimes things do go well. That’s when you’re in tune. Embrace it!

  3. I loved our family excursion to cut down a tree. Granted, I was neither the one to cut, haul, hoist nor tie it. But I was damn good at officiating it’s selection!

    When we moved in to this house 6 years ago, with it’s higher ceilings, we continually “mis-judged” what we needed and ended up with every possible size/shape aberation. It was always rather funny that no matter how carefully we chose the tree, the flaws we missed out in the woods while high on the spirit of this seasonal experience, became readily apparent after residing in the tree stand for a few weeks! (Was it love?)

    Unfortunately, the rest of the gang wasn’t as in to the whole experience as I was… and I eventually caved in to the purchase of a (gasp, cough, gag) fake tree. I hate it, and some day hope to convince … someone with brawn!… to go with me to cut down a real one.

    May your 2008 tree remain every bit as perfect in your home… as it was when you spied it out in the woods!

  4. We took our first “family tree hunt” trip this weekend (Ellm’s). Everyone around us was in a bad mood…kids were crying, parents were arguing, dogs were fighting. Clark and I thought it was hysterical because people were trying to make memories but they were miserable! The funniest thing is, we weren’t immune. On the way back Clark and I had a “disagreement’ about whether or not we should stop to adjust the tree. He wanted to, I said no because stopping the car would wake the baby. We both won, she woke up 5 minutes later and started screaming so he pulled over and fixed the tree.

  5. Colony of spiders? Needles all a’droppin’? Has it burst into flames?

    I’m placin’ my bet that you are just lovin’ your 2008 tree!

    And so are your cats… and so are your dogs… !

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