The Hunt For The Perfect Christmas Tree

I said yesterday that I would post pictures of the trees we cut down in the Pike National Forest.  Every year, on the day after Thanksgiving, we hike into the park and cut down 2 trees -- one for our friends and one for Brian and me.  With USFS tree cutting permits, of course.

Our friends like big Christmas trees.  They usually scout out a 16 foot tall or so spruce before the snow falls.  Usually not too much more than a mile or two off the road.  And they usually try to find a tree that is uphill from the road, so the hike back, carrying the tree, isn't too awful. NOTE:  the first year of the annual tree hunt, 10 or so years ago, we carried an 18 foot spruce through a foot of freshly fallen snow uphill to the car.  We learned our lesson.

This year the tree was big, even by our friends' standards.  Bigger/wider than the car.  It was also very sturdy.  Usually we plop the tree next to the car and there is a little compression.  But this tree was stiff. And very challenging to secure to the top of the van.

Channeling our inner lumberjacks - TIMBER!

Brian working hard

Their tree waiting to be loaded on the car

To give you a sense of how big this tree actually is, Janet just sent me this picture of Erik hanging the strings of lights.

15+ feet of spruce

Brian and I always go for something rather smaller.  This year, though, I think we set a new record for smallness.  Our chosen tree is less than 3 feet tall.

Our tree

One big advantage of a small tree -- it fits inside the car.  Both on the way home from the National Forest and on the way home to Texas.  Can you imagine driving 750 miles with a tree tied to the top of the car? Sheesh.

So our new tree will be set up on a tabletop, probably in the sun room.  And we'll have to buy a tree for the living room.  But the little tree will be much more special...

And yes, I still have pumpkins on the back porch.  Perhaps it's time to get rid of those...