Tree

Yesterday, we had that horrible snow storm that went from snow to slush to rain to slush to sleet and back to snow again. I had to work until midnight, and wasn't able to shovel the driveway until later today. We had some very interesting clouds at sunset. These are to the east, lit by a sun peeking through a gap between the cloud cover and the western horizon. This effect lasted only a few minutes, but was pretty nifty while it lasted.



After Karate this morning I went down to Big John's tree farm (with Laurie's mother) to pick up our tree. The drive to and from the tree farm was an idyllic tour through a crystal wonderland. Our poor tree was plastered with frozen crust, and most of the snow clung to its branches throughout the cutting, dragging, baling and trunk-stuffing.

Laurie wanted to have it in the house for decorating as soon as possible. I recommended we leave it in the baled state until the snow within had melted out. We placed towels around the base to sop up the melt water as it dribbled out. Alas, Laurie felt that the snow would melt out quicker if we sprang the tree from its baling twine. My thought was that a baled tree would drip in a smaller area than a fully opened tree would. Laurie felt we could handle a little snow, so I tentatively sipped some twine...

SPROING! SPLAT!

"Well," she says, "we should get the dustpan and broom for all of that ice..."

"What do you mean 'We' Kimosabe?" I ask...

The next hour or so was spent collecting ice clumps and changing out towels as they became saturated, the soft and gentle sounds of indoor rain, the smell of pine...

I highly recommend the experience. Please try this out for yourself...



Later, after dinner, we got the lights on the tree, and began to hang our ornaments.