For years Jen and I have been walking across the street to a Christmas tree stand set up by the local Boy Scouts for our tree; along with being super convenient we were always happy to support the local troop. Usually we were over there in the evening when it was hard to see the trees without the aid of a flashlight, but we got lucky with our choices and for the most part were happy with what we were able to find. This year our advent calendar had us buying a tree on Saturday so we figured we’d buck our trend and buy in the daylight. As it turned out I’m glad we did, because all of the choices across the street were pretty spindly—and costly, as well. Like, the pricing jumped $30 or more per tree since last year, which was a shock. After looking through the selections, we decided to bail on the Scouts and hit some of the other local stands. After checking one stand and being faced with a $200 tree right at the entrance, we hit another one and found a beautiful Frazier Fir for a reasonable price that was a full 3′ taller than anything at the Scout stand. We strapped it to the roof of the truck and headed home.

Back in the driveway I put it in the stand and shook it out with a broom before carrying it inside, and we broke out the decorations Sunday evening to decorate. The house is now filled with the lovely smell of pine, and it feels much cheerier in here.