December 20~A Christmas Tree Story 2015~

I do want to share my Christmas Tree story before I get to our fun Christmas.  I drove back home on Sunday, December 20 and it was a beautiful day. Sunny and in the 50's. On my way out to Dover I had noticed a tree farm with a sign advertising Christmas trees at exit 29 off of I-68 in Maryland. I told myself that on the way back if it was nice and I had time that I would stop and cut my own tree for this Christmas.  Part of me said, "just keep driving and buy a tree at Home Depot when you get home" but the other part of me that is becoming a little more spontaneous said, "stop and take a look, how many times will you have this opportunity to cut your own tree from the top of Savage Mountain." So I took the #29 exit hoping that there would be signs to help me find the tree farm.  There were no signs and I was beginning to think I would turn around and get back on the interstate when I spied a small sign at the end of a gravel driveway. It wasn't the large tree farm that I had seen but instead belonged to an older man who had planted trees years ago on his small but very hilly plot of land. He gave me a saw and told me I could go to the bottom of the hill because most people didn't go there and I might find a tree I liked there or I could walk up to the top of the mountain near the tree line where there were several rows of blue spruce.  He also said if I didn't want to cut it I could just hang the saw in the tree I liked and come get him and he would cut it for me.  I started off carefully down the snowy hill and there were some very nice scotch pines and fur trees that would have done nicely and I made a mental note of their approximate location and row. I have never been one to be satisfied so easily and I was curious as to what might be at the top of the mountain. I guess I can thank my Dad for his "let's see what's around this next bend" mentality. So I headed back up and past the old man's house and on up the mountain. I became breathless on several levels, one because from the top I had a spectacular view and also undoubtedly due to my fitness or lack there of, because of the high elevation. (Big Savage Mt. is near the Eastern Continental Divide and stands at 2,982 feet above sea level).  I followed the 3 rows of blue spruce trees along the tree line until I was sure I had found the perfect tree, knowing that I had better start cutting while I still had enough oxygen to finish the job.  As I was nearly through the trunk I could hear the old man's ATV coming up the mountain and with a huge sigh of relief I gladly helped load my tree onto the back and accepted his offer to ride back down. As we rode down the hill he told me that he had grown up on a farm near here and had spent his entire life in the shadows of the Big Savage Mountain.  He had the sweetest little dog that followed him everywhere and was a little put out that he had to ride in the back as I apparently took his seat up front. At my car we stuffed the tree inside thinking that it would be less of a worry than trying to secure it to the top of my car. A task that would have been easier if I didn't already have my car stuffed with Christmas presents that Trish had sent out with me. Long story short, we got the tree in, I paid the wonderful gentleman his $20 dollars for a 7 foot blue spruce and came away with not only a beautiful tree but a great story as well.  As I was leaving another couple, I'm pretty sure they were local, pulled in and the guy said to the older man, "the tree you sold me last year died, so I guess I need to get another!" I drove out the long gravel driveway with a giant smile on my face and the ultimate air freshener inside my car.