Picking Out the Christmas Tree

The turkey and dressing had not yet become a fond memory when we took off to the mountains to the Choose and Cut tree farm to select our Christmas trees for 2012.  Friday was a beautiful day with mild temperatures and the sky was full of Cirrus clouds -- those wispy, trailing clouds that we call mares' tails.

We have driven to the mountains to choose a fresh Christmas tree since the very first Christmas we were married.  Most years, the weather has been kind.  However,  I do recall one year before our son was born when it was drizzling rain and the mud was so thick, the tree farm employees couldn't drive the wagon up the hills to collect the cut trees, so we had to manhandle our tree down the hill to the baler.  And more than once, there has been a biting wind that whipped through our clothes as we stood exposed on the mountain, facilitating a rather speedy selection of the tree.  In fair weather (or not so fair), I'm just very thankful that for 26 years we've been able to carry on this family tradition.