Cut Your Own

I know, I know, it was the day after Thanksgiving. Still, it was unanimously decided by the entire family that yesterday would be the perfect day to get our Christmas tree. And also that, this year, we should drive to Maple Row Tree Farm in Easton, Connecticut and select and cut our own tree. So we did.

Maple Row has been in business as a tree farm since the 1950's and comprises about 200 acres of tree plantations.  The grow eight different species of Christmas trees, i.e. Douglas Fir, Frasier Fir, Balsam Fir, Concolor Fir, Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Eastern White Pine. The species are mostly grouped into stands, and you walk around with your saw, inspecting, discussing, and dissing each one, until you find the perfect Christmas tree. And this can take a while because there are a lot of great trees here.

Once you select and fell your tree (we picked a fir), you tag it with a number, load it on a tractor trailer that is circulating the lot, and then walk back to the main building where they wrap your tree.

You then tie it on top of your car, and drive carefully home down the Merritt Parkway, hoping all the time that the tree stays tied on top of your car.  And then you carry it into your house, put on some Christmas music, and spend the next couple of hours adding lights and ornaments and making frequent comments about what a beautiful tree it is. And it really is a beautiful tree. [NOTES: I didn't see any other cars on the Merritt Parkway with a Christmas tree tied on top. Is this not allowed or were we just one of the first tree buyers? Main reason for buying our tree so early this year is that I leave for Laos on the 10th of December (more on this later) and I won't be around during the normal Christmas tree buying week].