Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Christmas Tree Adventure!!

Up early we were today to go and cut down our Christmas tree - this was a new experience for Kazi and I.  Since my parents passed away - my mom in 2000 and my dad in 2003 Kazi and I have travelled up to my sister's home in Bracebridge so we had a really nice but artificial tree that we didn't have to worry about drying out while we were away.  When she was little we used to buy a real tree but I would get it in the city from one of many churches that sold trees for a fundraising venture. I never considered venturing out into the country and sawing down a living tree.  The is our 2nd Christmas together - Michael, Kazi and me - last year we
travelled to Bracebridge, this year we are staying home and creating new traditions.
After getting lost - well WE weren't lost according to Michael - he just couldn't remember exactly
where the farm was - we were guided by a kindly stranger and found the farm.

The Christmas Tree farm was out near Coldstream, about a 20 minute drive from the city.
The couple's daughter, who is about 14, has a developmental disability and has decided she wants
to be a farmer when she grows up. She's got a good start already: several sheep - that's Buddy above - and a few Rhode Island Red's (chickens for you non-farmer types)!

Here's Kazi doing her best chicken-call; the chickens all ran back into the barn so she's going
to need to work on that one a bit more:)

It was a perfect day for an adventure - a little bit of fresh snow and not too cold.

While trudging through the fields looking for OUR tree we were "surprised" by a number of very speedy
moles zipping away from us as we disturbed their nap. They were not much bigger than a
mouse - I didn't realize they were that small.

Hmmmm...why is it every tree looks perfect from a distance but when you get up close they
have all sorts of defects?

Enjoying the adventure:)

Happiness is being outside, roaming through the fields without a worry in the world.

This is it!! This is our tree!!
And it was.
It had its imperfections but it spoke to Kazi and we found its
flaws endearing and with all of us in agreement we started to cut it down.

On second thought.....nope this is it!!

Getting the sawing started.  Isn't it amazing how Michael can pose so nicely for
photos no matter what he's doing?
Yes, he's well aware of how photogenic he is:)

I didn't realize I could saw and smile for the camera at the same time
but apparently......OUCH.....I can! 
The wagon came along at just the right time to give us a ride back to the house.
My, that tree is looking kinda big....can little Cora handle it??

Enjoying the bumpy wagon ride back - hold ON!!

What a cute....TREE!! OK, Michael you are cute too!

Getting ready to head inside with the owner for some
FREE cider and cookies:)

Getting our photo taken for the Wall of Visitors in the background.
Say....Christmas Tree!!

We got our tree, Bruce the Spruce, home safely and now he's
sitting in a bucket of water waiting til he can come inside and get decorated.
This will happen tomorrow because both Kazi and Michael had to head off to work and
they don't want me to decorate without them.
So I'm blogging and doing laundry.
Tonight Michael and I head to Sarnia with our friend Troy to visit another friend Susan.
We are going to dinner at Lola's - the first of many festive get togethers.
I'll post my Weekly Wrap tomorrow.

What are you putting up this year - real or artificial??

10 comments:

  1. Ah, looks like you had a fun day together! I haven't gone Christmas tree cutting since I was a kid.
    No tree this year, I don't think, unless a miracle happens and we pull the main floor together.
    (we do have a fake tree, btw, but it does look great when it's all lit up!)

    Love your background picture - very pretty!

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  2. Love all the pics, look like it was a great day! :) Your tree looks awesome too! We have an artificial tree, but I absolutely *LOVE* the smell of real tree's... *tinge of jealousy* ;)

    PS - Thanks for adding me to your blogroll! I'm adding you too! :)

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  3. I love your adventure, and that you caught it all on camera to share with us. I think Bruce was the perfect choice and I,m hoping we get photos of him decorated ??

    When I opened your blog this morning I went Ahhhhhh at the gorgeous photo of all the trees and the snow, and then I realised that it is partly the reason I find it so hard to get in the Christmas mood here in Oz, the weather is just sooo wrong

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  4. I forgot to say artificial, I don,t like the shape of the real trees here in Oz.

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  5. I'm a real tree kind of gal, plastic has just never cut it for me. The only time I had plastic was when I was single and living in basement suites and then the tree I carted around with me was only 1 foot high! It'll be another couple weeks though before we get our tree as I find they don't last very long.

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  6. wow beautiful! I like the cartoon too LOL!
    I don't put up a tree..hate taking them down and usually I'm at my mom and dad's a few weeks at christmas though this time I'll be up there just that week and leave the day after or 2 days after Christmas.
    one of these days I may do one..debated it this time but my sewing area is the onlyplace I could put one and keep the doggies away from it but I'm needing that space for my sewing right now!

    Susanna

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  7. We have a fake tree. Every year I talk about getting a real tree but back out in the end.
    The boy's and I put ours up yesterday. Darian likes the process of putting the tree together.
    Can't wait to see pictures of your tree all set up and decorated.
    Hugs

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  8. Great tree cutting adventure!

    I'm putting up artificial, pre-lit. Yes I'm lazy!!!!

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  9. Thanks for posting this adventure for us to enjoy vicariously. I feel like I was there! Cold toes and all!

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  10. So glad we got our tree on Saturday. It hasn't stopped snowing since Saturday night. I look at the trees outside my window and they are heavily laden with snow. Bruce is lucky to be inside with us, looking beautiful...er..handsome and keeping warm and dry:)

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