The Hunt for Green December

The Sun's rays creep through December's afternoon sky at low low angles as if to pry under the the few drifting clouds and lift them off the Earth and rightfully back into the heavens.  The day's given light is diffuse and brief. The season and tradition bids the Suneson family to heed these heavenly signs and plan an hour's journey to Kadee Tree Farm to select, cut and place an evergreen within the walls of our winter home in celebration of life and the

Ducks fly south.
Sunesons drive east to cut a tree.
All heeding the signs of the season

spirit of Christmas Joy.  We have made this trip most Decembers for the past 23 years.  It is a good and favored tradition.

The date for this year's trip to Kadee Farms was moved perilously close to Christmas due to Inga and Grant both arriving back home on the 15th from places half-a-continent away just a week before the 25th.  Of course Sue's job at church gets real busy this time of year with big program events falling on the 16th and 17th, while Mark had plans to fly to his cousin's wedding in Indiana on the 19th - leaving the 18th as the only possible day to 'hunt for green December' as a family unit before Kadee Farms closed its gate for the year.  The complications piled up when Sue and her car were involved in a collision an hour before our scheduled departure [see previous blog, No Good Deed...].

Putting the wreck in the garage (to be dealt with later) and the setting sun in our rearview mirror, we sped east to the verge of Texas' "Piney Woods" territory to find this year's Christmas Tree.

A severe drought two years back had killed a lot of Mr. Kadee's trees, and in addition the usual annual harvesting attrition left but some slim pickin's for our seasonal tradition.  We tromped across barren plots of pine stumps looking for an agreeable tree; one without a forked top, symmetrically filled out branches, needles that did not look too wan and it must have a straight trunk and reach a height of 6 to 8 feet.  By unanimous vote, we began cutting a tallish tree that had its lower bough already trimmed away, so as to show off its shapely conical form starting above the 5-foot trunk.  With a few stokes of the bow saw, she toppled to the ground just in time as the Kadee tractor and trailer came by to haul us and the 9-foot Virginia Pine back to the processing hut.

A Long, Tall Texan
(Virginia Pine)
Gets unanimous family vote for
Suneson Christmas Tree 2013

Everybody gets a turn  as a lumberjill or lumberjack.

Advice is freely given by Brother Grant
as Inga saws the trunk 5 feet off the ground

We imported this Lumberjill all the way  from Oregon
The Great Northwest Woods

Back at the processing hut, the specimen is measured as we sip hot spiced apple cider.  

This year's 9-footer will require the purchase of a new tree stand to set up our Christmas Tree next to the staircase - but I think 2013 is a year we had the best looking tree yet.  And after all, I think it is fitting considering the timing and "tragedy" that preceded its selection.

Merry Christmas.  

Now; lets go get some smoked brisket at Big Daddy's Barbecue Smokehouse to make the day complete!