Greetings everyone on this third day of December.  Christmas is not far away and of course that means looking for the perfect Christmas tree!  These days that is not so hard to do.  It’s possible to buy them everywhere one goes.  My parents never liked the idea of buying a tree.  Real or fake.  So, every year we went out and picked up our own real tree.  We always put up our tree December 1st.  Amazingly it did manage to survive a whole month.  But we did keep it well watered.  A very important part of using real trees.

Dad says, let’s go get the tree today.  It’s too cold, I replied.  Never too cold, said Dad.  I’ll get the coffee ready, said I.  Forget the coffee, he said.  What??!!  Forget the coffee??!!  We’ll stop at our favorite coffee shop instead after we get the tree, said Dad.  I’m half out the door!  We found a good spot to look for the tree.  We had to cross the ditch however.  I volunteered to go first, I knew Dad would want me to anyway.  No, he said, I’ll go first this time.  I don’t think he trusted me.  Be careful, I said, the snow might be deep.  It isn’t deep, he called back, just look.  I did.  From a safe distance.

Suddenly Dad seemed to trip, his arms went out to the side, and he fell straight forward with a thud, face first into the snow.  I walked over to him.  Need some help?  He lifted his head out of the snow.  No, he said, I like laying in the snow.  I can’t get up, he said, my arms keep sinking in the deep snow.  Roll over, I suggested.  He did.  I helped him up.  He had tripped on a rock buried under the snow and fell into an area that obviously was deeper than the rest of the ditch.  Must be a hole there, I said, good thing you went first.  Thanks, said Dad.  You go first now, he said.  Naturally.

Walking through the trees I had to move a branch from a large spruce.  I let go.  AAAAAAAA!!!!!!!  I turned around.  Poor Dad.  You shouldn’t walk so close behind me, I said.  Bonehead, was all he said.  Okay, he’s enjoying himself.  Rather odd.  Dad’s face was a bit red from that branch hitting him.  What are you looking for?, I asked.  My glasses fell off, he said.  You’re always losing your glasses, I said.  Only when you’re around, he replied.  We must have walked half an hour through knee deep snow.  Finally we spotted the perfect tree.  Give me the saw, said Dad.  Saw?  I didn’t bring the saw, I said.

Dad just looked at me.  You left the saw in the car?  I didn’t bring the saw, I thought you were going to bring it.  There’s no saw at all?  The look on dad’s face.  Then he put his head down.  We walked back to the car.  We did mark that tree though, so we could find it again easily.  Strangely Dad didn’t want to go for coffee either.  Mainly because he forgot his wallet.  So I said I would pay for coffee.  That made him feel a bit better.  After coffee I spotted something in the back of the car, sticking out from under a blanket.  The saw!  Dad shook his head.  We went back and got the tree.  We didn’t bother telling Mom about that part.  Well, I hope you all have a great day and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

© 2019 Steve McLeod.