Buying a Christmas Tree.

CAJUNLAWYER

CAJUNLAWYER

Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Messages
19,077
Reaction score
62,921
Location
On da Bayou Teche
With wife & daughter to get a tree. It's 40 degrees cloudy, damp with a wind of around 15 blowing. In other words a chill you to the bone cold. We're at Lowes and I pick out the first tree I see and hold it up for inspection/approval. The both like it a lot so I'm thinking-great lets go. But Noooooooooooo. They have to go through the rest of them to make sure they are not missing out on a prettier one because after all how can you pick the perfect tree if you get it on the first try?? So here I am and I'm not putting this tree down because two other people are eyeing it and I know one of them is gonna grab it the moment I let it down So I sit there for 15 minutes in the freezing cold holding this Christmas tree and directing customers to plumbing parts and informing them that , no I can't pull down something because I'm holding the tree for another customer until my wife and daughter come back and say that yes that is the tree! Christ-I knew that 30 seconds after we walked into the store. :rolleyes:
It's sitting in the back yard now and from my observation, the cat has already sprayed it, Angus has peed on it and Otis is barking at it. At least my three "special children" have approved.
 
Register to hide this ad
I also dislike shopping for Christmas trees. Today the wife says she wants to get an artificial. I like that even less. Our daughter has been in the hospital in Chicago twice in the last 2 weeks and she is scared we may once again have to drop everything and make a mad dash North. She is afraid that if we are gone a real tree will dry out and burn the house down. I really don't want that to happen. Can you rent a tree or hire someone to come by and water it?
 
CAJUNLAWYER said:
With wife & daughter to get a tree. It's 40 degrees cloudy, damp with a wind of around 15 blowing. In other words a chill you to the bone cold. We're at Lowes and I pick out the first tree I see and hold it up for inspection/approval. The both like it a lot so I'm thinking-great lets go. But Noooooooooooo. They have to go through the rest of them to make sure they are not missing out on a prettier one because after all how can you pick the perfect tree if you get it on the first try?? So here I am and I'm not putting this tree down because two other people are eyeing it and I know one of them is gonna grab it the moment I let it down So I sit there for 15 minutes in the freezing cold holding this Christmas tree and directing customers to plumbing parts and informing them that , no I can't pull down something because I'm holding the tree for another customer until my wife and daughter come back and say that yes that is the tree! Christ-I knew that 30 seconds after we walked into the store. :rolleyes:
It's sitting in the back yard now and from my observation, the cat has already sprayed it, Angus has peed on it and Otis is barking at it. At least my three "special children" have approved.
Click to expand...

Ain't it grand? :-/
 
I sold Christmas Trees for 24 years and you have nailed it, the perfect tree is found early but then you have to look at them all to be certain. I always hung my trees, makes them look fuller and taller.

Today would have been a perfect day to sell, temp was about 20 and bright sun with just enough snow to get you in the mood. When it's this cold even the pickiest customer will look at about 5 trees, shiver and take the first one they like just a little.
 
way to spot the prime timber, and brave the elements .hope you didnt bring home a squirrel
every year the family pulls together for the christmas tree adventure ,we pull boxes from under the stairs or the closet in guest room -maybe its in the crawl space?-. looking to find the perfect tree, sometimes we find it sometimes we find the one from '09? its all an adventure i hope we find a good one this year .
 
I guess I’ve got it pretty easy. Come tree time, I go into the woods with a chain saw and look for the cedar with construction tape tied to it. I made the mistake one time of cutting a tree that didn’t meet my wife’s approval. Now I just hand her a roll of tape and tell her to go and mark the perfect tree.
 
You done good Caj! :) I employ a similar attitude when shopping for Christmas trees. I call it "defensive Christmas tree shopping". I've been know to be holding onto as many as 4 of them waiting for "final approval from the elves. :rolleyes:
 
When I bought my house in Colorado 25yrs ago my sister gave me an artificial tree because she was moving and didn't want to take it with her.She worked at a store that basically liquidated any and all ornaments after the Holidays.I bought a little over $50 worth of lights,garland,tinsel and balls.Believe me when I say it was enough to decorate two or three trees and the fireplaces.

Needless to say 25yrs later everything is still in their bag in the basement.The problem wasn't decorating the tree.It was having to "undecorate" it after the Holidays.It isn't like the tree would need water and I could keep the blinds shut so the neighbors didn't see it.Hell,I never go into that area of the house anyway...It wouldn't have bothered me any.

Maybe next year!....Nah,Who am I kidding?
 
We got our tree today too!!!

We go to a farm about 20 miles away that has hot cider, coffee, hot cocoa and cookies to warm you up. All free, and they usually have cheese and deer sausage laid out on a big platter.

The whole fam damly goes, wife, three kids and the dog, Abby, and Abby promptly runs off to the edge of the woods to do her thing... Dogs can't hunt trees without lightening the load a bit I guess.

The weather was a little cool for a long hunt, it was 6 degrees out and the wind was blowing pretty good. Luckily we found a really nice looking 12 footer after a short search and sawed it down.

I dragged it to the edge of the woods and retrieved the truck while the kids and wife dove into hot cocoa and cookies in the shed.

Got the tree home and up in no time and it's guzzling water so that's a good sign. Later we went Christmas shopping and found some great gifts, then stopped at Texas Roadhouse for steaks and beers / sodas.

Now the presents are wrapped and the dog is sleepy, so it's time to turn in. :D

.
 
Before we finally broke down & bought a Costco plastic tree with lights already on it, we used to go to the growers & pick one out to cut down ourselves. Since it is likely to be cold with snow on the ground here in Washington, I always took a pint of Yukon Jack along for "courage." My wife would choose a tree & I would take a slug (with the excuse of "toasting this year's tree") all the while knowing that she would find at least 3 or 4 more trees that she liked better. Sometimes we would travel to multiple tree farms & I became more & more agreeable during the course of the day. Many years she ended up driving home due to the fact that she had picked out so many "perfect" trees & of course, I had to have indulged her choices with a snort. Well, at least we always ended up with good looking trees. John
 
50 years ago along with me and my first 'bird dog: Sally', Mom, Dad, my sisters the family went out to the mountains to cut the perfect tree. Snow was knee deep and it was cold.

We found the tree, dragged it down the mountain to the ford station wagon and got it on top of the vehicle.

In the process of tying it securely for the trip home, we had to open the hood to tie the overhanging tree stump to the frame around the radiator.

Sally, the 'bird dog' leapt into the engine compartment and took up residence on top of the air filter and motor. It was the warmest place she'd been for hours.

My memory is that it took us longer to get Sally out of the engine compartment and into the car than it took to locate the tree.

Sally would not leave the car in subsequent years when she saw the family leave the car while someone was carrying a saw.
 
Our prayers are with you & your daughter

max said:
I also dislike shopping for Christmas trees. Today the wife says she wants to get an artificial. I like that even less. Our daughter has been in the hospital in Chicago twice in the last 2 weeks and she is scared we may once again have to drop everything and make a mad dash North. She is afraid that if we are gone a real tree will dry out and burn the house down. I really don't want that to happen. Can you rent a tree or hire someone to come by and water it?
Click to expand...

Solution #1 ; Check with your local nursery/yard & garden store. Many have potted live trees you decorate for Christmas & plant in your yard afterward. A living tree will last much longer than a cut one.

Solution #2 ; When putting your tree in the stand, recut the base by 2 or 3 inches so it will not have dried sap on the trunk to impede water drawing up. Water your cut tree with 1/2 7up & 1/2 water. The solution will keep your tree fresh longer (also true with cut flowers). Also, before leaving, lower your thermostat to 55* or so. The lower the temp, the slower the tree will dry out.
 
cussedemgun said:
Solution #1 ; Check with your local nursery/yard & garden store. Many have potted live trees you decorate for Christmas & plant in your yard afterward. A living tree will last much longer than a cut one.

Solution #2 ; When putting your tree in the stand, recut the base by 2 or 3 inches so it will not have dried sap on the trunk to impede water drawing up. Water your cut tree with 1/2 7up & 1/2 water. The solution will keep your tree fresh longer (also true with cut flowers). Also, before leaving, lower your thermostat to 55* or so. The lower the temp, the slower the tree will dry out.
Click to expand...

Solution #3 ; Let the neighbors check in on your house while your gone and let them water the tree.
 
we used to buy a tree every year, then wife wanted a fake one she said buying a real tree was messy to many pine needles to vacum now i just set it up be happy and decorate . no more watering, real trees have gotten very expensive down here in florida anyway
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top