Finding a Fraser

Every year we drive about 40 miles north of Madison to a quaint little tree farm to cut our own Christmas tree, but in the last few years it’s been getting harder and harder to find taller trees to choose from. This year we decided to try a different place just outside of Madison.

Eyeballing a Christmas tree is risky, so we bring along an 8-foot garden stake. We might look a bit silly with our big “hiking stick,” but we know we will be able fit our tree into our living room without scraping the ceiling or having to give the tree a drastic haircut.

We left early on Saturday morning so we could beat the rush. The only trade-off is that it was still quite chilly out. We parked our truck and had to hike a bit to find the taller Fraser Firs. Then it took us awhile to find a tree with the right shape. A lot of them were really wide. Wouldn’t you know it, by the time we found one we liked, we were about as far away from our truck as possible. My fingers and toes were getting numb, but there’s nothing more motivating than the pop-pop-pop of a deer hunter’s gunshots to get one moving in a timely fashion.

We got the tree home and wrestled it into the stand. We cut away the twine and were surprised at how big it was as the branches snapped to life. As long as we don’t gesture wildly or try any crazy dance moves in the next few weeks, we should be able to make it fit. The best part is that the house smells like a pine forest.