Members Ernest Buckley Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 Just wondering about you guys... my wife insists on getting a real tree every year which we do... then we decorate it and throw it out a week into the new year. Seems like such a waste of a good tree... sort of reminds me of how we got into our current economic system... throwing $$$ at things that we really don`t need. I understand the meaning of the tree (and I`m Christian) but I don`t understand the waste of growing a tree only to tear it out of the ground, put it in my house and then the garbage. So... What Happened To Your Christmas Tree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted January 5, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 5, 2012 Well... currently, it's still standing where it was on Christmas morning. Fully decorated. This Saturday. The city of Encinitas has the Moonlight Beach parking lot equipped with several very large metal containers. We all drag our tree over there and the city turns them to mulch for the parks and walkways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 We don't get a real tree anymore and haven't for years. We instead have a miniature fiber optic tree and decorate the interior with lights, and the outside with quite a bit of lights, penguins, and a Christmas zebra. That's right...because nothing says Merry Christmas like a zebra!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 The box was really nasty from being left out in the shed at the old house but I found a nice tree bag at the Wal-Mart after Christmas sale for about $13 so now it's resting comfortably on a shelf in the new garage until next year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted January 5, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 5, 2012 For those of you touting your greenness with yer fiber optic poly saturated faux trees, I concur. So we have one of them too! Really, my wife's a bit of a decorator. 2 trees. One 10 foot tall fake tree in the front room, and a real 6 footer in the tv/family room. So I'm green and I'm not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 With us, part of it is not wanting to see a tree go to waste. But part of it is that we are in a small place and it just makes more sense to have something much smaller. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted January 5, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 We instead have a miniature fiber optic tree... hmmm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 We don't get a real tree anymore and haven't for years. We instead have a miniature fiber optic tree Same here It's a lot less hassle Is that you in your avatar, Ernest? You've aged, old bean!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 No Dos Equis commercials in Bolton? http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20287509,00.html Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MrKnobs Posted January 5, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 5, 2012 For some years now, we've used a fiber optic tree, so no need to discard anything. Or, at least there isn't after having replaced a thermal link in the motor drive one year. When I was a kid, everyone had the real trees - all pitched out into the alley shortly after Christmas. One year, the other boys and I decided they'd make a wonderful fire safely contained in the sewer system as accessed via one of the manholes in the alley. Was quite a lovely fire indeed, we must have burned more than a dozen of them over the course of the night - with the aid of a little gasoline. Unfortunately, the trees didn't burn completely (low air environment down there, or wet from sewage) causing the sewage line to erupt about half a block over spewing raw sewage into several people's yards. The city came and pulled out the charred trees, and the cops went around asking questions for a while. Good thing no one ratted us out. Terry D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 Artificial trees...they depress me to be honest. Christmas trees are a totally renewable crop that supports one of the few remaining farming activities that can be carried on profitably by small, non-corporate, local farmers. Not that there aren't big companies involved, there are - but there are a bunch of little guys, too. It's not like, if there were no Christmas trees, there would be more trees in the ground or something...if people didn't buy them, the farmers wouldn't plant them... I particularly like the little local farms that take you out on a tractor-pulled wagon and let you cut your own. The kids never forget that. Artificial plants of any kind, not my thing. As for what happened to it - it's lying in the back yard at the moment. Usually we keep it up for the entire 12 days of Christmas, but this one got so dry and droopy, I took it down yesterday. I'll either leave it at the curb for the recycler if they are still taking them, or I'll burn it when I do my annual tree and brush clearing/trimming/bonfire IF the burn ban is not in effect. BTW: Christmas is a whole lot more enjoyable if you celebrate the 12 days - all the commercial gluttony and heavy traffic is over after day one, you can relax, and hey, it's still Christmas!! for a little while at least... nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimbroni Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 Artificial trees...they depress me to be honest. Christmas trees are a totally renewable crop that supports one of the few remaining farming activities that can be carried on profitably by small, non-corporate, local farmers. Not that there aren't big companies involved, there are - but there are a bunch of little guys, too. It's not like, if there were no Christmas trees, there would be more trees in the ground or something...if people didn't buy them, the farmers wouldn't plant them...I particularly like the little local farms that take you out on a tractor-pulled wagon and let you cut your own. The kids never forget that. Artificial plants of any kind, not my thing. nat whilk ii I totally agree. I have very fond memories of going to christmas tree farms when I was a kid. The pines grow fast, so its not an issue with resources as you note. And fake trees are not without hassle either. In fact every year I was married I couldn't stand having to climb thru the attic crawl space and/or the garage rafter to pull that tangled up mess of tree out of there and then reassemble it, knowing that I'm gonna have to find a place and way to stash it after the holidays. There is something nice about being able to drag the real tree out to curb after christmas. Just BE CAREFUL. Water the thing daily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted January 5, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 5, 2012 Having to put up a real and a fake every year I can tell you, the fake is more work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rjt Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 My tree is now resting in the garage for another year. I will say, living in Oregon--the home of Christmas Tree Farms, real trees are a crop, just like corn. They grow fast, are planted just to be Christmas Trees and provide income for people. At least out here, buying a real tree isn't seen as a waste of resources or not being green. Usually, Boy Scouts pick them up for $7 or something and recycle them. I use a real tree sometimes, and both are nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members drewl Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 They get recycled.Put it out with the garbage, a special truck picks them up where they are taken and processed into mulch. Nothing like the beautiful smell of a real Christmas tree for a few weeks every year. I miss mine already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TieDyedDevil Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 Mine is still in the forest, roots intact... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Mark L Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 No Dos Equis commercials in Bolton? http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20287509,00.html Best, Geoff I wasn't being entirely serious, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted January 5, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 For some years now, we've used a fiber optic tree, so no need to discard anything. Or, at least there isn't after having replaced a thermal link in the motor drive one year. When I was a kid, everyone had the real trees - all pitched out into the alley shortly after Christmas. One year, the other boys and I decided they'd make a wonderful fire safely contained in the sewer system as accessed via one of the manholes in the alley. Was quite a lovely fire indeed, we must have burned more than a dozen of them over the course of the night - with the aid of a little gasoline. Unfortunately, the trees didn't burn completely (low air environment down there, or wet from sewage) causing the sewage line to erupt about half a block over spewing raw sewage into several people's yards. The city came and pulled out the charred trees, and the cops went around asking questions for a while. Good thing no one ratted us out. Terry D. Even then you were a trouble maker.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted January 5, 2012 Author Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 BTW: Christmas is a whole lot more enjoyable if you celebrate the 12 days - all the commercial gluttony and heavy traffic is over after day one, you can relax, and hey, it's still Christmas!! for a little while at least...nat whilk ii I agree. Christmas doesn`t officially end until this Sunday. Its a shame what has happened to Christmas for most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted January 5, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 5, 2012 It was the day after Thanksgiving. I pulled into the Home Depot parking lot. It was chilly and my windows were up. "WTF?!?! Christmas trees! Already?!?!? Sheesh!" I can be an old grouch at times. I parked, open my door and... that smell. Christmas!!!! That wonderful smell! It's CHRISTMAS!!!! Have a holly, jolly Christmas... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jeff da Weasel Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 We use a real tree, bought from a local grower on his little lot. I literally walk across the street each year and carry it back in a manly fashion (though I made my son help this year just to be a Dad-like guy). I like having the tree here, but my personal rule is that it has to GTFO by New Year's Day. We too have a recycling truck that grabs them from the alley behind our place. The whole alley looks like a forest (at least surrounding the dumpsters) for a few days as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 Having to put up a real and a fake every year I can tell you, the fake is more work. That's for sure. My parents always had a fake tree, one of the large ones with the wired branches where you shove them in a pole. What a pain in the rear that was...because, of course, you know who had to assemble it... I'm really okay with the small fiber optic tree. And when I say small, I mean a table-top fiber optic. It looks festive and looks fine. I don't care whether it's artificial or this or that or the other thing as long as I like looking at it, but then again, I'm probably not as traditionally minded as a few here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ed A. Posted January 5, 2012 Members Share Posted January 5, 2012 I just put my 3 foot live tree out on the curb for trash pickup, it does seem like a waste of a perfectly good tree. Next year I'm getting one uncut, potted in a planter then I'll plant it after Christmas if the ground isn't frozen solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators MrKnobs Posted January 6, 2012 Moderators Share Posted January 6, 2012 Having to put up a real and a fake every year I can tell you, the fake is more work. Our fake is pretty easy. Just pull the box out, stick the bottom part of the tree in the stand, then the top half in the bottom half. Then plug it in. Done, lights included. Unless you want some ornaments, but that the same on real or artificial. also not owning a real tree or a can of gasoline is part of my probation for the crime listed above.... Terry D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted January 6, 2012 Members Share Posted January 6, 2012 Oh, that's a much better fake tree than my parents' old-school one. That was a pain in the rear, putting in each branch individually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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