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Where to go and cut down a tree

Posted by Joseph / December 2, 2007

5 Comments

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Nothing better than the first big snowfall to get me in mood for the holidays.

Time to get out the lights, stockings and the old plastic Christmas tree from the basement. Decorating is an art, one I've never seemed to master. My trees never seems to come together despite what I think is the perfect placement of grade 3 hand-made ornaments, irresistible new ones and just the right amount of multi-colored popcorn tinsel. I'm still a big fan of popcorn tinsel, does anyone do that anymore?

I keep telling myself one of these years I'm going to cut my own tree. Just one time. I figure I'm going to wait till I have a family so I can show the kids how tough their father is. It has to be the best way of putting the ho-ho-ho in gun-ho family fun.

Conveniently, for the ambitious holiday spirits out there, here is a map of tree farms in and around the GTA where you can cut your own Christmas or holiday tree.

How come I've never seen the irony until now, city slickers go into the country-side once a year to chop down nature in order to celebrate giving and love. I figure this isn't PC anymore, is it? Doesn't it clear the forests for new growth or something?

Still, I'll have to do it one of these years... just to show my kids (myself) I can wield an axe.

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Tiny Dancer (aka Rhonda) / December 3, 2007 at 09:55 am
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Never been successful with the whole popcorn tinsel look myself, is there a trick to stop the suckers from shedding their little corny dandruff on the rug? And I've never chopped down a tree for the same reason you're just realizing. What's the point in killing a tree for a month's worth of amusement? Always seemed pretty selfish and wasteful to me, long before we gave a crap about the environment. We've been using the same fake tree for about 15 years now (went up on Saturday in keeping with my no-Christmas-in-my-house-til-December rule, which would be a law if I were Queen) and it's holding up very well. I must admit some trees did sacrifice themselves for me when I was a kid, but it was out of my hands!
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Jane Murray / December 3, 2007 at 10:13 am
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Hello? Its called a tree FARM. As in, for every tree you chop down, they plant another one in its place. That's their business. Nobody's raping and pillaging anyone's forest. Do you stay awake at night thinking of all the poor corn you chop down every year? Or the destruction of our environment cause by harvesting tomatoes?
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joseph / December 3, 2007 at 12:16 pm
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Hey Jane Murry, thanks for the correction. I always thought they were just trees on someone's farm... that makes more sense and I'm glad there is no "raping and pillaging" involved, I'll feel better when I go get one for that month to display in my house. I'll reconsider popcorn tinsel next year too, as Rhonda has pointed out the hassles involved have always been annoying... but it's great for the dog. I not sure where the tomatoes thing came from, but I'll be sure not harvest any next year.
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Gloria / December 3, 2007 at 01:55 pm
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Jane Murray: Actually, yes, some people do think about corn and tomatoes at night, because intensive agriculture on an industrial scale does wreak havoc upon the environment. See: recent movements for organic/local/sustainable farming.
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chephy / December 4, 2007 at 04:13 pm
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Last year I bought a huge, lavish, real Christmas tree.

After Christmas was over, I trimmed the tree down to a few bare branches and am using it as a place to hang my bike-related paraphenalia (locks, gloves, helmets and what not). It is one of the most oft-used pieces of furniture in my house now.

And by the way yes, they do plant trees in place of chopped down ones. However, a bunch of resources has to be spent on growing the tree and then getting it to the consumer (extra miles in car = extra gasoline burnt). It does waste resources. Veggies we need to live. Christmas trees - not quite to the same degree...
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