The Rural Voice, 2001-12, Page 6AAA AAAAAAAAAAA
* Warren D. Moore
A Forest Specialist
A specializing in:
♦ * Woodlot Managem
* * Timber Marking and Ma
A* Tree Pruning, Tree Re
* • Tree Planting Service
A * Provincial Tree Marker
ABlyth Certified Managed 523-9855`
Forest Plan Approver j
A ♦ .l A ♦ A 1
Nave a
Woncleilui
\\ Pynµ
El ma Steel
°// and Equipment Ltd.
("Your Great Steel Place
* ✓ Large selection of inventory •
✓ Scheduled delivery to central
southwestern Ontario
✓ Experienced, professional
service.
2 CONVENIENT LOCATIONS
° Listowel
tA1
•
515 Tremaine Ave. S. °
1-800-669-2931
OR 519-291-1388
FAX 519-291-1102
Owen Sound
1399 2nd Ave. East
1-800-567-7412
OR 519-371-8111
FAX 519-371-6011
FOR YOUR
STEEL
REQUIREMENTS
2 THE RURAL VOICE
Carol Riemer
Finding the perfect tree
Christmas is a time that evokes all
kinds of memories. A wreath on the
door, a flickering fire, snowflakes
melting on the windowpane and the
Christmas tree, its lights aglow,
alongside cherished decorations of
years
gone by. A long-
standing
tradition, the
Christmas tree
will be a
welcome
guest in many
homes this
season.
Unable to
resist the
romance of
cutting our own
tree, we're
anxious to set
out, while the
weather looks promising, and the kids
are still eager.
Amid a flurry of toques, mitts and
scarves, my husband takes charge of
the saw, while my daughter and son
ensure a ready supply of hot
chocolate and homemade cookies.
Filled with enthusiasm, we quickly
hook up the trailer, and the four of
us pile into the car. My husband
knowingly nods, as I give him
directions to the tree farm, but I have
the uneasy feeling that he doesn't
quite hear me.
Another chorus of "Jingle Bells,"
a few more miles with the heater
working overtime, and my suspicions
are confirmed. We're lost.
Diplomatically, I suggest we turn
back. There's no reply. Stubbornly
refusing to admit defeat, my husband
is determined to find his way. I know
we should stop and ask directions,
but by now, his resolve has deepened.
For better or worse I resign myself to
a scenic, more roundabout route.
Eventually, we reach our destination.
After we park the car, a helpful
young man points us toward a
waiting wagon.
Once we're aboard, a team of
Clydesdales pulls us steadily toward
a dense stand of spruce. A deep
breath of frosty winter air, and we're
off to search for The Perfect Tree.
My husband, dedicated spruce man
that he is, can't understand my
loyalty to the Scots pine. Typically.
our children are equally divided. so
there is only one answer.
Branching out. my daughter and I
search for what seems to be miles, in
the hope of finding a perfectly
straight Scots pine. She inspects the
bottom, while I check the top.
Meeting in the middle, we can never
quite reach a consensus on where the
trunk begins and ends.
Meanwhile, my husband and son
have mysteriously disappeared. We
discover them eyeing a gigantic
spruce of incredible proportions. Tall,
conical and relatively straight, it
appears to be exactly what we have
been searching for. The decision is
unanimous. Out comes the saw, a
glint of steel flashes in the bright
sunlight, and the deed, as they say, is
done. Waiting for the wagon to
return, we stamp our feet to keep
warm. With the tree tied and
bundled, it's time to head home.
But the fun is far from over.
Coaxing the tree into the house isn't
much of a problem, but trying to set it
up proves to be a greater challenge.
With the patience of a saint and
subtlety of a surgeon, my husband
cuts a little from the bottom and then,
a little from the top. With one last
slice, the cantankerous conifer finally
succumbs, as a bout of radical
surgery gives new meaning to
trimming the tree.
With a trunk not as straight as we
thought, and its height much more
than we bargained for, this special
spruce comes wrapped as a gift of
treasured memories. Once decorated
in a shower of lights and sparkling
ornaments, it will take on a magical
transformation. Next year, we'll try
to remember the important things
about picking a tree. It doesn't matter
how tall it is, or what shape it takes.
In the end, The Perfect Tree is the
one the family brings home
together.0
Carol Riemer is a freelance writer
who lives with her husband and two
children near Grand Valley, Ontario.