The Great Christmas Tree Hunt
-----------------------------------------------
Elizabeth Farm/ Brickerville, PA
Ride Out to the Fields
---------------------------------------
It's that time of the year again... Christmas is less than a month away and the most essential of holiday decorations at the Martin household is the all-important center piece, the Christmas tree. When I was a kid, Christmas was always such a magical time of year and I always looked forward to going out to look for our tree. My father was a Douglass Fir man. I now know that Christmas is always a magical time for kids because all they have to do is show up. As a kid, you don't see the blood, sweat, and tears parents have to endure as they navigate their way toward the big day.
Elizabeth Farm Horse Power
-----------------------------------------------
Over the years, my family and I have always enjoyed a real Christmas tree with the exception of one experimental year with plastic. The only place we can put our tree in our living room is right in front of our large bay window, which looks great. However, it is also the spot where a large heating vent blows hot air from our furnace into the room, which often drys out our tree. A few years ago, we decided to give an artificial tree a try so we could keep it up longer, avoid daily needle cleanup and the risk of fire. We set it up and burned a Christmas tree scented Yankee candle for effect. Can you say epic fail? It just wasn't the same and our dabble in fake trees ended after one forgettable season.
The Ultimate Christmas Tree?
-----------------------------------------------
This year we decided to try something new and avoid the Christmas tree lots that sprout up all over the county with pre-cut trees for sale. I had heard of a Christmas tree farm north of Lititz where you can cut your own tree fresh from the field. As we headed north toward our destination, we passed a convoy of vehicles with their chosen Christmas masterpieces securely bound to their roofs as precious cargo, yet to be delivered. We had a little trouble locating the entrance to Elizabeth Farms because the tree plantation is so vast at 250 acres and borders both Routes 501 and 322. My daughter Katelyn openly expressed her concern that they would be sold out before we found the farm! After a few navigational mishaps, we found Hopeland Road and the farm lane that led us to Elizabeth Farms and a parking lot filled with about a hundred cars.
The Staging Area
----------------------------------
We were newbies in this neck of the woods and navigated our way through the complex of Christmas tree harvesting stations in search of the starting line. We soon found the little booth to register our name for our tree tag and sign the legal wavier exonerating Elizabeth Farms of any legal or financial liability if we were injured by horse, tree saw or random acts of God. Any activity that requires a legal get out of responsibility document has to more exciting just by the risk of potential pain and suffering! I love it! We got in line and waited our turn to board the festive green and red wagons that would transport us to the trees. The wagons were pulled by impressive teams of draft horses that were all decked out in their holiday work gear. They were beautiful animals and the star of the show. Giddy-up kids, it's time to make a family memory!
Haul Back to the Barn
---------------------------------------
The ride out was great fun; a throwback to a bygone era. I felt just like John Boy riding the team up Walton's Mountain in search of a Christmas miracle. The power of the horses was immediately felt as the wagon jutted forward into motion. The irony of the fact that the man guiding our team to the field was a big guy with all white hair and matching beard was not lost on me! On Dasher! On Prancer! The team trotted at a swift pace giving us a thrill as we bounced out of our seats along the winding trail. We soon arrived at the staging area where a happy elf came on board to give us instructions about the process of hunting and gathering the perfect tree. I was hoping this would be a quick and easy find. After all, I was sacrificing some good college football games on television for this fun family experience. How hard could it be?
Christmas Tree Forest
-------------------------------------------
Now with saw in hand and family in tow, I entered the maze of evergreen trees in search of the perfect Douglass Fir to enrich our holiday experience this year. My wife prides herself as a gifted critic in multiple categories of everyday life, especially me... and... apparently as a world renowned connoisseur of Christmas trees. We looked at tree after tree and penetrated deeper and deeper into the evergreen abyss in search of perfection. Our favorite holiday movie, Christmas Vacation, came to mind multiple times with several classic scenes fondly discussed in detail. I was feeling more and more like Clark W. Griswold as the search exceeded an hour. I was just hoping that my cousin's R.V. wasn't going to be parked in my driveway when we finally returned home. On with the extensive search...
Goldilocks and Accomplices
--------------------------------------------
The quest continued and we began to resemble Goldilocks and the three bears with my wife playing the lead role... this ones too tall, this ones too thin... We began to consider trees that we previously considered. However, no one could ever agree which direction that specific tree just might be found. My daughter Katelyn feared we might aimlessly wonder the evergreen labyrinth for eternity and never be seen again! This surprisingly seemed like a real possibility... so we decided to abandon the mission of giving previous trees of honorable mention a second glance and continued searching through new territory of virgin timber.
Lumberjacks at Work
---------------------------------
Finally we all reached the breaking point and the only criteria considered in our final choice came down to two essential questions. Was it green and would it fit in the living room. We soon stumbled upon the perfect tree, the clouds parted, and a bright ray of light descended from the heavens. I thought I might have heard angles singing in the distance. My teenage son, Tyler, who was now turning blue for not complying with our parental request for him to wear his heavy winter jacket, had the honor of cutting down our holiday prize. I love winning these little power struggles with my teenage son and watching him suffer. It almost makes the role of being a parent at this stage of endless tug-of-war battle-of-wills worthwhile... Almost! 
Animated Christmas Display
---------------------------------------------
The beautiful tree fell to the ground. It was dead! We killed it! We dragged it into the farm lane, and waited for the modern tractor to collect our prize and take it back to the staging area. The wagon, full of fresh-cut trees, soon appeared along with all the people who had completed their successful search. Trees were matched with their owners and both boarded a horse drawn wagon back to the farm where they were measured, bagged, and tagged. We then went to the Christmas Village were we enjoyed a complimentary hot chocolate as we got in line to pay for our tree. Tyler began to get his color back but continued to shiver uncontrollably. It was awesome!
Our Bagged Catch
--------------------------------
We did a quick tour of the animated holiday display in remembrance of Christmas from the 1950's in the large barn. A very cool and unique display! A nice man carried our tree to our vehicle and helped lift it into position on top of our car. We then used about fifteen bungee cords to secure it to our roof rack. It wasn't going to move an inch, it was practically glued to the roof. As we left the parking lot with our prize catch in full view of envious passersby, the car in front of us lost their tree on the sharp curve on Hopeland Road. Never bring string or rope to a job requiring the sophisticated technology of the bungee cord. I was going to pull over and offer to help but hey... we were missing football! Besides I only had fifteen bungee cords and they were all in use. I couldn't spare one. Live and learn buddy!
Final Product 24 Hours Later
---------------------------------------------
Well, we got it home in one piece and within an hour we had our trophy mounted in the living room. And... I still had time to catch the kickoff of the 7:00 SEC game between Florida and Florida State! The sweet evergreen smell permeated the entire house, which even a Yankee Candle on steroids couldn't match! In all seriousness, it was a great time, enjoyed by all! Even Tyler... well sort of... Next year we plan to go again and make the experience an annual family tradition. I'll bet Tyler will even wear his heavy winter coat without an argument! Well... maybe? The price was fair and the festive ambiance was priceless. The farm has been in operation since 1752 and the scenery was beautiful. The farm's future looks as bright as the new fallen snow! Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!
-------------------------------------------
Happy Holidays Campers!
-------------------------------------------
Please See My Additional Photos of our Adventure at...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjmartin/sets/72157628901810259/
Elizabeth Farms
Hopeland Road, Brickerville PA
------------------------------------------------------
http://www.elizabethfarms.com/
Great story! :)
ReplyDelete