Oregon Christmas trees travel miles, starting late in November. An entire family will set up camp somewhere in Arizona, California, Nevada, etc..They would live in a trailer, set up their trees and garlands on an empty lot, and spend three, four weeks selling trees away from home, away from other family members. They probably do not own the farm where the trees were cut; they purchased a whole lot, and transported the same to other states, making this trek for generations. Their Christmas tradition is to offer you the best looking, best smelling trees you will ever see, a bit of Oregon they enjoy all year long.
In the picture above, branches of cedar cut from my yard are hung here and there to make the place smell like Christmas. I have no need for a full tree here, but we do break down about this time, a week before Christmas, and so, Hubby and I will go to a You Cut Farm, get down on our knees, and chop down a fabulous Noble that will touch our ceiling.
These trees, four to eight feet in length, have been raised for cutting, cultivated close to each other, trimmed for maximum symmetry, and watered during droughts. The Oregon tree industry is huge, and it provides lots of people with income just at the right time. My tree will probably cost me $25=40 depending on size, and it will still be a bargain! A similar tree in the city would be double or triple.
It also would not be this fresh.
If you see a trailer at a tree lot, chances are that a family from Oregon is providing you the fresh trees. Ask where the trees are from, and let the family know you appreciate their trekking down to your neck of the woods to bring a bit of green (Oregon's or...) to your family.
Merry Christmas!
On the menu, our favorites:
Roast beef
Root vegetables
Peas
Apple Pie with ice-cream
And for nostalgia: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, while Sinatra sings in the background.
We have more than several lots in Bend ... with Oregon grown trees! I love your idea of hanging fragrant branches. Our tree is not real ~ now I'm out the door to purchase a few! Your header photo reminds me I have cauliflower baking in the oven, smothered in lemon/butter/garlic .. ready to be sprinkled with Romano cheese a little later! Talk about 'smells.' I am going to prepare salmon for our holiday dinner. Hope your day is good, Rosaria.
ReplyDelete'trimmed for maximum symmetry'. This is exactly why modern christmas trees hold no interest for me. they are mass produced, trimmed into an artificial cone shape, all identical. gone are the days when I was a kid where we went to the tree lot and had the poor kid shake out tree after tree until we picked the one we liked best. and they were unsymmetrical, lop sided, and totally and beautifully naturally grown to be the shape the tree wanted to be.
ReplyDeleteah the tree.....behold the magic of it
ReplyDeleteRosaria,hold the transformative magic of Christmas ...hold it in your heart....though your feet are blistered...dance in love
There is nothing quite like a tall, fresh Noble and they are my favorite and they do smell wonderful. I get one every year from the same family who grows them in North Carolina and sets up a lot here in Lafayette. Your menu looks fab, too. Enjoy your tree and have a Merry Christmas, dear Rosaria!
ReplyDeleteWe too opt for roast beef every year -- with traditional British accompaniments of Yorkshire Pudding and roast potatoes and veggies I haven't decided upon yet! My husband is happiest with what he calls a 'traditional' tree and walks by the beautiful and fuller Scandinavian type of tree. We have yet to buy one -- I think tomorrow is the day! Happy Christmas, as they say in this part of the world!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post very much. We watch the Christmas Tree lots pop up on street corners and don't have a clue of where they came from or how they got there. I will look for the trailer! Love the smell of fresh pine. Have a happy holiday, Rosaria!
ReplyDeleteLove this post, Rosaria! The images of your tree and the cedar boughs, the roasting chestnuts and the lovely roast beef dinner equal a very special Christmas. Many blessings to you and your family this holiday season.
ReplyDeleteSending you Merry Christmas blessings from Texas. We get many of those tree lots although we have defaulted to a fake tree several years going. I grew up in Wisc. cutting a tree from our own woods so know the memory of fresh cut. Happy New Year!
ReplyDelete