Grab a Shovel, It's Getting Deep in Here: O Christmas Tree

                  So several weeks ago I asked around locally were to get a real Christmas tree--without having to support the local Wally World.   Last year was the first year we had gotten a real tree but we lived in another state and another region of the US. Just blocks from our house we found a large tree lot, ran by an older couple. The prices were very fair and the workers were VERY helpful.   Just starting to get real trees and being new to the area, we wanted to hold off trekking miles through the forest to cut down a tree until next year. Plus around here ---it is many miles to pine trees of any kind.
    I had been told multiple times to go to the tree lot in Wilcox. A good 35 miles from our home. We figured it was THE tree lot in town, so did not look up the address and set off yesterday with the kiddos to find the perfect tree. It was the only lot in the area--and they had surprisingly few trees to choose from. They also really liked there trees! The little "Charlie Brown trees" were $40 bucks and anything decent sized was $65 and up.   It seems the trees were all shipped from Washington and Oregon---I guess we should have brought one down with us when we moved. We tried to Jew the pricey prices down a little bit, but they did not have much bargaining room.   They were a family company---not in it for the money--that could not go down on any prices. They did also despise Wally World---saying that many Benson residents last year had bought trees at the box store, and than a week before Christmas had to buy one of there trees, because it had died. And the workers recognized my U of W hat---so they started off with some brownie points   but those soon disappeared as we realized we had drove a long way for the fun of it.   There measuring sticks also seemed to be broken, or bought from Wally World.   We stood by a tree marked 6 feet---as the seller told us it was a 6.5 foot tree.   To bad it was on a tree stand that rose it's height at least 5 inches. I might have been willing to part with a little more cash ---they were very nice trees, if a tree stand came with the price, but they needed those also.   To make the trees appear taller, and at there rates I was afraid to ask how much the stands cost. I do believe the best part of the trip, came from our daughter.   We were standing in the lot----all outside, with basically a huge tarp over our heads, and she exclaimed how cold it was in there.
       We very reluctantly climbed back in the truck and headed to the local -highly dreaded Wally World.   All trees were a little shaggy -but the prices were much betterer for sure! ~Always.   The trees probably came from the same place---China.   With two dogs at home to faithfully drink the water out of the tree stand, I wanted to ask the workers if they had a 30 day cash back guarantee on the trees.   But asking normal non sarcastic questions is usually a bad idea in such stores, so I refrained.   For once. We actually found a very helpful worker, possibly the only one in the store.   And did not even have to leave the garden center area! Mom stayed home from all the fun, getting an area in the living room cleared out.   And the tree was soon placed perfectly.   Today will be all about decorating.   And I will surly have pictures to show off in my next post. If you are lucky. ;)

Each year---I buy each of the kiddos there own ornament. And each year that April and I have been together we buy a dated ornament. The dated ones are amazingly hard to find, especially in such a small town. Next Christmasy post, I will explain some more of our traditions. Adult beverages are usually on the list.