Skip to main content

Getting in the Tree


Good morning everyone. Four inches of snow on Saturday ushered in the holiday season Currier and Ives fashion. We spent the day scrambling to get everything covered or off the ground before the snowfall. Lately we’ve taken several trees down around the yard trying to get some more sunshine to the house so we have been chipping branches and stacking wood like crazy. I have also generated a number of logs for the sawmill in the process.
But this being a day of “rest” we decided to take a walk in the woods and get our Christmas tree and enjoy a big family dinner. The late day sun cast golden light on the treetops and the winds which had blown so hard at the height of the storm eased to just a whisper. Woodpeckers were calling deep in the woods. The kids dragged the tree most of the way to the house. Dad did jump in on the last uphill. After pruning and adding a few branches to what was the top of a thirty foot fir the tree now stands trimmed and lit filling the house with the scent of balsam. Ours is not a fancy tree by any stretch but that is just fine with this family. Already it has given us a day together, the greatest gift of the season.

Have a great day. Be well. Do good.

Comments

Unknown said…
Fancy is in the eye of the beholder. Beautiful and meaningful is what I want in a Christmas tree and the meaning and beauty come from what we put into the tree. The love and care taken to select the tree, the home-made decorations, the family together decorating the tree all go to create the beautiful tree that I fancy.
Anonymous said…
Well now...a note from the wee hours. I do hope all of you are doing well and appreciating what you have. I was priviledged to be a passenger on the Mary Day several years ago. My brother and his wife and daughters were with you this past Summer. I do hope to be with you all again soon...with my wife. Have a blessed holiday season!

Warm Regards,

Josh Warren
California
Dudley said…
Nice management style, but I think Sawyer has a pre-Christmas present for you in his hand.

New storm on the way-good luck with that one!

Warm hearths and Happy Holidays.

Dudley

Popular posts from this blog

Hail Mary

My heart is heavy with sadness as I write this particular blog. Since the beginning of August our dear friend and cook for the last 12 years, Mary Barney, had been struggling with cancer. I have intentionally respected Mary’s privacy and I apologize to you for not sharing any news about Mary’s health sooner. On Monday afternoon Mary passed away very peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and “family”. Her departure was as graceful as the rest of her life. Many people, including Jen, have been doing heroic work to support Mary these last few weeks. Oddly enough Mary was never very excited about transitions though this was about the fastest transition she ever made. And as I struggle to let go of Mary I realize I am terrible with transitions as well. We used to joke about how we liked things just the way they are, thank you very much, so why change what is working already even if it might be less labor intensive. Hard works is its own reward. I used to joke about getting Mary a Cui...

Swimming Anyone?

Good morning everyone. Winter is still here in New England though it seems to be taking a rest these days. We have enjoyed a little bit of a thaw. We still have snow covering our field but it is thinning out in the sunny patches. Mary Day rests comfortably in the harbor, bilges dry, cover intact, waiting for the crew to return. Another busy week has passed so I will get you up to speed on everything that is happening here at the global headquarters. Jen is putting the finishing touches on year end taxes. Blockfest 2008 is finally finished. The blocks have received quite the massaging. And while we have the off-white paint out we are starting in on the lifeline stanchions, the davits, and a few other miscellaneous parts. Alex asked me last night how we were doing with our pace. We are doing great but in the back of my mind I know that there is never enough time to do it all. Having perfectionist tendencies is a curse. I want to do it all and know we will never have enough time. There se...

Black Dots Make Me Smile

Good morning everyone. Happy Ground Hogs Day to all. If today’s forecast comes true folklore tells us we will see an early spring here in our neighborhood. What does the groundhog say about your weather forecast? We start a new month, albeit a short one but a month in which we gain an emotionally crucial 1 hour and 13 minutes of light. By months end the sunrise will be at 0620, a full 37 minutes ahead of this morning. Jen and I were shocked how light it was so early yesterday even though it was overcast. So while the weather is one thing we spend much time talking about the light is what really makes the psychic difference here. One of the things you will find me talking about in blogs, especially in summer, is seals. We have more lousy, unfocused pictures of little black dots on the ledges and every one of them makes me smile. Each picture reminds us how delighted we are to see seals. Harbor seals (phoca vitulina) are the most common seal here in Maine and their numbers have gr...