This is the tree that we bought in May of 97. We have always called the tree CAL's tree because that is why we bought it. CAL was born December of 96. We fell in love with the tree the moment we saw it. When we purchased the "blue spruce" tree he stood about 3 feet tall, and was so cute and full. We bought the tree from a nursery that was across the road from where my mother lived in Painted Post, NY. We both saw the tree the minute we pulled into her driveway. It was funny but I think the tree was actually screaming to us.
At that time we lived 400 miles away in Loon Lake, NY. The little tree made the 8 hour drive to LL ok. We planted him in the back yard and built an island of flowers around him. He lived comfortably until Jan 1998 when an ice storm hit our area and we were without power for 22 days. Most of the trees in that area were damaged. It looked like a atomic bomb went off. There were trees down every where. CAL's tree was not damaged.
It was then we decided to move. We loved the Boston area so we headed to Southern NH. We had a customer here that recommend we try here first. We fell in love with the area and in May of 1998 we moved. There was NO WAY that we would leave CAL's tree behind. (our dog got left behind, but not the tree - in our defense our dog was an outside dog and where we were moving was not a place that she could roam like she did in NY. Our neighbor loved her more than we did. They were a bunch of old timers and I don't think they could smell her like we could. That dog was weird. She had the worst body odor. You could not have her in the house it was that bad.) Anyway I digress.
My Dad and his wife helped us move and they recommend that they take the tree home with them and care for it until we were ready for him. GREAT. The poor little tree returned home ,yes that is right, it went back to Painted Post, NY. I never thought it would make it. My Dad took excellent care of the tree and a couple months, yes it was months that the tree survived being un-planted (is that a word?) in a HUGE tub. After getting settled in NH, he brought the tree out to us. Painted Post to NH is another 400 miles. Now you have to remember that this tree is driving 400 miles in the back of a pickup unprotected, for a total of 1200 miles.
We immediately planted the tree in an island and began nurturing it. My husband decorates the tree every year at Halloween. He doesn't turn the light on until November 1st when we have our lighting. I never help with the tree because it is his "thing" and have you ever decorated a blue spruce before. It is like 100,000 needles poking you. When he is done he is always bleeding from no less than five places. It is horrible, I would never do it.
Each year he estimates that the tree grows about 1 1/2 to 2 feet in height and about the same in diameter.
Last year he had the most lights on the tree that he had ever put on. It didn't look as nice. All you could see were the red and yellow. This year I asked him to take it easy on the lights. How do you think he did? It is hard to tell but the tree is about 22 feet tall. Next year I am sure that we will have to rent a cherry picker to decorate. The thing that scares me is how in the world are we going to dig him up if business doesn't turn around and we have to move again.
As you know it is virtually impossible to get a good picture of Christmas lights with a digital camera. All things considering I think these came out quite well. There is quite a bit of snow on the tree, which makes the lights look uneven in the photo but NOT in real life. The snow makes it GLOW!
At that time we lived 400 miles away in Loon Lake, NY. The little tree made the 8 hour drive to LL ok. We planted him in the back yard and built an island of flowers around him. He lived comfortably until Jan 1998 when an ice storm hit our area and we were without power for 22 days. Most of the trees in that area were damaged. It looked like a atomic bomb went off. There were trees down every where. CAL's tree was not damaged.
It was then we decided to move. We loved the Boston area so we headed to Southern NH. We had a customer here that recommend we try here first. We fell in love with the area and in May of 1998 we moved. There was NO WAY that we would leave CAL's tree behind. (our dog got left behind, but not the tree - in our defense our dog was an outside dog and where we were moving was not a place that she could roam like she did in NY. Our neighbor loved her more than we did. They were a bunch of old timers and I don't think they could smell her like we could. That dog was weird. She had the worst body odor. You could not have her in the house it was that bad.) Anyway I digress.
My Dad and his wife helped us move and they recommend that they take the tree home with them and care for it until we were ready for him. GREAT. The poor little tree returned home ,yes that is right, it went back to Painted Post, NY. I never thought it would make it. My Dad took excellent care of the tree and a couple months, yes it was months that the tree survived being un-planted (is that a word?) in a HUGE tub. After getting settled in NH, he brought the tree out to us. Painted Post to NH is another 400 miles. Now you have to remember that this tree is driving 400 miles in the back of a pickup unprotected, for a total of 1200 miles.
We immediately planted the tree in an island and began nurturing it. My husband decorates the tree every year at Halloween. He doesn't turn the light on until November 1st when we have our lighting. I never help with the tree because it is his "thing" and have you ever decorated a blue spruce before. It is like 100,000 needles poking you. When he is done he is always bleeding from no less than five places. It is horrible, I would never do it.
Each year he estimates that the tree grows about 1 1/2 to 2 feet in height and about the same in diameter.
Last year he had the most lights on the tree that he had ever put on. It didn't look as nice. All you could see were the red and yellow. This year I asked him to take it easy on the lights. How do you think he did? It is hard to tell but the tree is about 22 feet tall. Next year I am sure that we will have to rent a cherry picker to decorate. The thing that scares me is how in the world are we going to dig him up if business doesn't turn around and we have to move again.
As you know it is virtually impossible to get a good picture of Christmas lights with a digital camera. All things considering I think these came out quite well. There is quite a bit of snow on the tree, which makes the lights look uneven in the photo but NOT in real life. The snow makes it GLOW!
The other thing that we noticed is that the front of the tree is perfectly formed. The back side is fighting with the other trees in the small wooded section behind our house, and doesn't look as nice, but isn't that the way it always is. One side of the tree is beautiful and you place the other side against the wall.
2 comments:
it's so pretty
What a wonderful tradition for Cal.
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