Some years ago Mike planted 200 small fir trees as shelter to hold pheasants. He feeds the birds here too (that's what the plastic bins are) so, between food and shelter, he knows where to find birds on a shoot day. We harvest our Christmas tree from this little plantation every year.
The sun finally came out today, after weeks of miserable, unending rain (which I have been complaining about ad nauseum in my blog). Thank god - I was starting to feel like that girl in the closet from the Ray Bradbury story I remember seeing on PBS when I was young. I was inspired to go find our tree today and enjoy the sun while it lasts.
I'm not very spiritual but I always wait for a tree to pick me, one that kind of speaks to me. C'mon I know you all do it too! You want to feel your tree is special. Imbued with the magic of Christmas.
Every year the tree gets a name. This tree is called Bertie. Here's Bertie in situ:
A handsome specimen. Here's me being lazy and using a chainsaw to cut him down (I wanted an excuse to try my new chainsaw helmet - an early gift!):
Anyone who knows me can tell you that that's my best side. We've taken Bertie home and I hope to put him up this evening along with the basket of holly I collected today:
I hope all your Christmas preparations are in hand, and that you have found your own tree. If not, email me - Bertie's got lots of relatives looking for a home for the holidays! I'll lend you my chainsaw.
6 comments:
Ha! I was going to write, why Jen, is that a new side of you we haven't yet seen? and then I read about it being your best side and cackled out loud.
Have fun decorating your tree and have a nice, season-appropriate adult beverage for me.
Has Bertie got a sister that would like to come and live at Poppy Cottage? Jose has her tree with girly stuff and Jasper and I want a real one with hand made decorations (OK, he is not so keen with the hand made bits but I am)
I'll text you. Also have your books to return. Where has this year gone??????
I was just thinking about planting up some firs - where did you get your seedlings from? We buy a potted one every few years, and then replant it, and either dig it up, or chop the top off, but this year we have drawn a blank, and in the interests of economy I don't want to buy a new one. I think we will use an old branch - unfortunately we live too far away to come for one of yours!
Pomona x
"All Summer in a Day", I totally remember that short film, my first taste of SciFi, aside from Stars Wars, of course. Kind of haunting. Glad you finally saw some sun!
I hope the tree decorating filled your heart with cheer, like a Charlie Brown special might.
Paula - we like cackling out loud! I shall have a sherry for you
Colette - Did you get your tree?
Pomona - I will find out where Mike got them, or the name of a decent wholesale nursery near you. Apparently a good cash crop too if you have the right land (which is usually not good enough for other crops anyway). But a branch does just as well. It's the smell I think that makes it feel Christmassy.
Sara - I know! That film haunted me for ages. And I recently saw 'The Day After' - the made for TV film from c 1979 about what would happen in the event of a nuclear war. My mom wouldn't let me watch it when it was on the first time. She was right - even at 40 I was not prepared for it. I'm going to stick to 'Emmett Otter's Jugband Christmas' from now on.
Hi Jen,
Nope not yet and don't have a saw to come and pinch one of yours.
Waiting to see a photo of Bertie all decorated!!
Hope you have a good shoot yesterday.
Colette x
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