A lot full of Christmas trees on Christmas Eve

[undeterred]

I can remember years that if you waited too long there wouldn't be any trees left by the 22nd. There must be at least 75-100 unsold trees as of this afternoon. I'm in Wisconsin, where its not that expensive to get a real tree. I don't think everyone suddenly got a fake tree this year... its the economy.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. We didn't buy a tree this year.

Most of my family lives out of state now, so there's really not much reason to have a tree for just my husband and me. We're not missing it.

[G_j]

2. a lot near me, has a bunch of trees, now marked FREE. nt

[Obamanaut]

3. Stopped by the ATM at our Publix market yesterday morning. Sidewalk

half filled with unsold trees, sign advertising them at half off original price.

[LiberalAndProud]

4. Maybe they got the fake tree at the end of season last year.

I loved real trees growing up, but the pine needles on the floor discourage me now that I'm the one who is supposed to do the cleaning up.

[monmouth]

5. Many people lost their homes this year....n/t

[Nikki Stone1]

21. Exactly.

...

[Subdivisions]

6. I have an artificial tree. Despite that, I've left it in storage and bought a real tree.

Not so this year. Used the tree money for presents and put the fake tree up. Doesn't smell the same but I'm not too disappointed.

[L0oniX]

7. ...trees that will never soak up carbon again.

[madrchsod]

14. real trees are more eco friendly than plastic ones

[L0oniX]

17. Yes but plastic ones last forever if you don't break them where as real ones need replacements.

I have a Obvious Arts masters degree too.

:evilgrin:

[whistler162]

8. Local Lowes had 4 or 5 fro $5 each.

[janx]

9. It's the economy for me this year, in addition to the fact that

only my youngest daughter and I (and she doesn't even live in the house anymore) would get to enjoy it. So there have been no visible effects: no lights, no decorations, no tree, etc.

This is the first year in 28 that I haven't done so, and I've always gotten a real tree.

[county worker]

11. We had a year where we were next to being homeless.

I had lost my job and became clinically depressed. We were losing our condo that we bought a few years before. We had no tree or lights or presents or any kind of happiness at all.

We spent Christmas eve walking around the neighborhood looking in the windows of other houses to see their lights and decorations thinking that Christmas might rub off on us. It didn't. We went back home and my wife cried all night and I fought off the tears all night.

I will never forget that and even though we don't do a whole lot of decorating we still try to celebrate around this time.

This year I feel there are a lot of families who are now like we were back then. I want to cry for them.

[Thirtieschild]

10. We haven't had a tree since 2002, donated lights, most of our decorations to charity

Seems pointless for just the two of us. Decorated this morning - put out a Nutcracker, a woven angel and a bowl of Christmas balls.

[grasswire]

12. free trees everywhere here yesterday and today

I actually like getting a little free tree on Christmas Eve. But there's absolutely no room for one in our tiny little space this year. So we have a little potted thing from Trader Joe's that has battery operated lights on it. Bah.

[madrchsod]

13. where i live in northern illinois-home town of st ronald

no one had christmas trees for sale. menard's and other stores had a hand full. we have only three tree farms with-in 40 mile radius. i guess you guys up there should send some more trees next year!

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

15. I put up 9 battery Blinking Candles in the lower windows this year.

That's it. Old fashioned looking from outside, that fits my house built in 1890's.

Gotta go check the Lutefisk.

Merry Christmas everyone.

p.s. the economy is bad, agreed.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. What a waste :^(

[madokie]

18. They make excellent fish attractants when placed in lakes and streams

places for the young to escape some of the bigger crowd so they can grow up to maybe land on our dinner plates ;-)

[dysfunctional press]

19. the lots around us almost always have had bunches of tress left at christmas...

there doesn't really seem to be any more than usual left around here. :shrug:

[theophilus]

20. The lot here in my town sold out about a week ago. n/t

[PufPuf23]

22. We have a simple tree of California Bay Laurel

or pepperwood (my term) or Oregon Myrtle or California Bay Laurel (Umbellaria californica) depending on who and where one mentions.


The smell is nice and one can place a leave on the fireplace insert for more aroma.

It smells good; I had 6 extremely large Douglas-fir near the house cut in 2001 and have been selectively saving the pepperwood and pepperwood seedling where there is not now garden within reach of buildings. One of the DF lost branches and destroyed part of the house (then vacation home) back in 1998. More sun now and trying to shift to pepperwood on the homesite edges; if left alone, there would be Douglas-fir here again and house would melt away in two generations.

Live in an ocean of National Forest and my own Douglas-fir timbrland but this pepperwood needed to be trimmed for the downspot on the "outhouse", a separate apartment over the garage/shop.

The only manufactured ornament is SF 49ers related.

Merry Christmas

[cayanne]

23. Fake trees are usually made in China

or somewhere like that. Real trees are grown on tree farms where they are replanted. With a real tree the farmer, the seller and the owner of the tree lot gets the money. My husband has sold trees for 30 seasons and this year he sold out on the 13th. If you like supporting China buy a fake tree. If you want to support the working stiffs like my husband and the growers. buy a real one. Also, the growers always hire on to cut and bale the farmed trees. The growers also hire on during the year to have the trees planted and pruned.

Support US workers and buy a real tree every year.