A story told in reverse

Is it just me? Is there a manageable way to re-arrange the order of photos in Blogger after you've uploaded? The photos load in to the "compose" box in the reverse order that you upload them -- I struggle with that every time, and then find it fairly impossible to re-order the pictures.

Thus, the story of yesterday's tree shopping, told in reverse:

Fraser firs cost more than balsams because they are much more lush and full -- the needles grow out in an arc around each branch, rather than just in two flat parallel lines. They smell more heavenly, and the needles stay on the tree longer. Every year, I think we should not spend the extra money and just go with a balsam. Then we go to the tree lot to look and once we see the frasers we can't give them up. The cost is relative, though; I never cease to be amazed that what we pay for a tree ($60) is exactly as much as we would spend in Chicago back in the late seventies/early eighties. The difference between living in the midwest, in a city, and living out east in the land of Christmas tree farms. Early in our marriage, Ken and I would buy a live tree and plant it in our yard after Christmas -- we still have them all, some reaching now nearly 20 feet tall. But the challenges of a live tree (dig the hole for it in October before the ground freezes! keep the hole covered and free of accumulated water so that it doesn't turn in to a tiny ice rink for birds! slowly acclimate the tree to indoor temps, then slowly back to outdoor temps, and don't keep it in the house for more than a week! keep the soil for planting in the garage so it doesn't freeze! remember to get a tree small enough to handle, since they are HEAVY with the root ball attached!) and the desire to enjoy the tree longer have us back to cut trees. While I don't question environmental arguments against cut trees, I recognize how very many local tree farms are kept in business -- and kept as farm land -- because of cut tree sales.

Surveying the stock....

Ken was proud of Dean and me for passing this moose by; we loved him, but knew we didn't need him. We, Dean and I, are getting so much more reasonable as we age....

A dusting of snow overnight leaves us with a very Christmas-y looking afternoon to put the lights on and decorate.