Sunday was the day.
Dark, gloomy, chilly. No bird song. Quiet. The day for
the annual Christmas tree hunt at Roshara, our farm. This year’s crew, Sue, Natasha, Dylan, Cory
and I set out with a saw and lots of enthusiasm to find the perfect tree. Really three trees for three families depending
on this crew to find three perfect trees.
The problem is we have too many trees from which to
choose. Red pine, white pine, jack pine,
Scotch pine, some Norway spruce and even a few Fraser fir. The Fraser firs need a few more years to
grow, so they were immediately eliminated.
I suspect we have planted around 20,000 trees in the 50
years we’ve owned Roshara. Some are
fifty feet tall, some are six inches tall.
But hundreds, maybe thousands are about the right size for a Christmas
tree.
“How about this one?”
“Too skinny.”
“How about that one?”
“Too tall.”
“This one?” “Few
limbs on one side.”
In addition to the Christmas trees, Sue wanted some birch wood. She had seen a display using birch wood, and
it sold for $50.00. We have a fair
number of birch trees scattered around Roshara, so off we were on a search for
some “perfect” pieces of birch wood.
Finally, after passing by several birch trees that did not pass muster
with Sue’s discerning eye, we found just what she wanted. Enough birch wood for a $50.00 display
without any price tag at all.
And so the morning went until decisions were made and trees
were cut, and birch wood was found. When
the morning’s hard work was loaded in the back of my truck, we all retreated to
the cabin to warm up by the kitchen stove.
It was a great day, one to tuck away in the memory bank.
THE OLD TIMER SAYS:
Something special about cutting a Christmas tree that you know you planted, and finding the "perfect" pieces of birch wood.
Upcoming Events:
November
29.7:00 p.m. Sequoia Public Library, Madison.
Roshara Journal with Jerry and Steve Apps
December
6, 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. Writers, Creativity & Aging Fitchburg Senior Center,5510 Lacy Road Fitchburg, WI 53711 I’ll be
talking about Telling Your Story. Sponsored by Retiree Rebels.
December
7, 11:00 to 1:00, Headquarters Bldg. Wisconsin Historical Society, (816 State
Street, Madison). Holiday book sale—book
signing.
December
10, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. McFarlane’s Sauk City.
Purchase Jerry’s DVDS and his Books from the Patterson Memorial
Library in Wild Rose, Wisconsin (a fundraiser for them):
\
The library now has available signed copies of Jerry’s DVDs:
Emmy Winner, A Farm Winter with
Jerry Apps (based on The Quiet Season book.)
Jerry Apps a Farm Story (based on Rural Wit and Wisdom and Old
Farm books.)
The Land with Jerry Apps, (based on the book Whispers and
Shadows.)
Also available
are several of Jerry’s signed books including: Jerry’s newest novel, The Great Sand
Fracas of Ames County. and Wisconsin
Agriculture: A History.
Jerry’s newest books, Roshara
Journal (with photos by Steve Apps) and Telling Your Story—a guide
book for those who want to write their stories—are also available.
Contact the library for prices and special package deals.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
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