I was driving around on the back roads of our town and came across something I remembered as a child that I had long forgotten. Christmas Tree Farms. Having not been out in this particular area in years, I didn't know they were still here.
As a child my parents, brother and I use go out looking for a tree about a week or so before Christmas. My Dad took his ax with him and we went out in the country to a Christmas Tree Farm to buy our tree. We would look over lots of trees before we found the "perfect" one. Of course my parents helped to make sure we chose one that would fit our house. My Dad and brother would take turns with the ax chopping the tree down. We paid the man, loaded in our car trunk and took it home.
One of these farms could have been the place we went to buy the trees. I am so use to seeing Christmas Trees on street corners that I had long forgotten about the Christmas Tree Farms.
I didn't find the Christmas Farms or take these pictures until January. I have some other pictures that I took of things I thought might interest you. In fact, I have pictures back to November. These Christmas Tree farms are not Amish or Mennonite owned, at least the ones I found aren't. If you live near a Christmas Tree Farm, you should go, at least once, and buy one there-especially if you have children.
Hope you enjoy the Christmas Tree Farm.
Marilyn
JEAN HAS NEWS COMING ON MONDAY !!!
13 comments:
What a great post Marilyn. Good memories for you.
We have not been able to have a real Christmas tree for many, many years. Jacob,our oldest, has asthma and allergies. It seems to exasperate his breathing.
Good Morning Vickie,
Thank you for the compliments.
We went out bought these when I was a child. As I got older my parents went to an artificial trees. I can understand with Jacob's asthma and allergies.
Marilyn
Marilyn,
Thank you for posting your memories. They triggered memories for me. When we lived in Oregon and still had our boys at home, we went either to a tree farm or up into the mountains to get a Christmas tree. One year we dug the tree and had it in a dirt filled five gallon pail in the living room. After Christmas, we planted the tree in the back yard. Later we moved from Oregon to northern Michigan, and still later (about ten years), our two oldest boys moved to California. While they were there they took a trip back to Oregon and went by the house we had lived in. The tree was still there, alive and well. I hope the people who have lived there have enjoyed that tree.
Lowell
Oh, Lowell, that was a nice story. I hope it is there for many more years. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Marilyn
When I was young we went to a friends farm in the county to cut down a tree. They didn't have a tree farm, so their trees just grew "wild". You can imagine the Charlie Brown tree we brought home. I didn't appreciate it then, but now I love Charlie Brown looking trees. I stay away from the picture perfect ones.
Another story about pine trees, is that when we built our home 30 years ago, we heard of a German custom of putting a pine tree on the roof of the house while it was under construction for good luck. So we did it. We were the talk of the town with this tree sitting on top of our roof. I googled the custom and this is what it said:
Although its precise beginnings are now obscured by time, it is generally believed that the custom began when villagers placed a live pine tree on the top of a house or barn that was under construction. The tree acted as a talisman to bring good luck and to ward off evil spirits. When the tree was placed on the roof, the homeowner hosted a celebration for all of the villagers who had helped in the construction of the house or in the barn raising. The tree remained in place until the building was completely finished.
Has anyone else done this?
Doreen
Hello Doreen,
I enjoyed your telling. I had never heard of a tree on the roof of a house before, but maybe others have. That is very interesting.
Marilyn
Hallo Doreen and Marilyn,
yes, here in Germany we do celebrate the "topping out" as an important ceremony while building a new house. At that day there will be enough food and beer for the workers, friends and neighbors around noontime: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topping_out
Greetings from Gisa
Hi Gisa,
Thank you for telling us. I had never heard it before until Doreen. It sounds like it would be a fun things to do.
Marilyn
Gisa, do you put a tree on top of the house?
Doreen
Hello Doreen,
I did see trees like this one: http://ais.badische-zeitung.de/piece/00/56/1c/b9/5643449.jpg but the traditional design would be a ring or a crown from needle tree green.
"topping off" with a pine tree is very common around here..with the steel workers and welders..when they put up a mostly steel building...it is a sign they are done..the building is good to go.
I also forgot..the firefighters will hoist a pine tree to the top..when they saved a fire and saved the people.When they return from a run....and there is no tree...someone has lost a home..or a life.
Hi SueAnn,
I have never heard of a tree on a house. Yours are very interesting.
Marilyn
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