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| Great Lakes Boxer Club UKC Licensed Conformation Club #MI-110 |
| Featured Article December, 2009 |
| The Perfect Christmas Tree Submitted by Marge Gubry of Meg's Boxers |
In our house we don’t have a fake Christmas tree, we have the real thing. A beautiful pine with all the great smell a pine tree can
have. We have always taken the kids out to the tree farm and rode the hay wagon out into the field and cut down just the right
tree. It is always crisp and cold with a bonfire and hot chocolate and of course the candy canes given out by the farm.
Sounds good right? Well let me tell you searching for the right tree isn’t all that you may think. First there isn’t a bright light
appearing over the tree like the Griswold's had. Second you have to meet my husband to know what I am talking about. Joe has
to find just the right tree and it may take a whole day for this. The kids are grown now and it is just the two of us.
First you have to know that it is cold in Michigan so you have to put on long johns, warm jeans, a warm sweater, heavy socks,
coats, hats, gloves, and boots to go to the farm. Now Joe doesn’t just settle on the first tree farm because in his heart he knows
there is a better tree at the next one. We get to the first farm and climb on the wagon and head out to the field, we walk up and
down the tree lines marking off possible trees. When we get to the end we start over trying to remember which one he liked the
best. Now when the kids were little it was easier to mark the trees. Joe would have a child stand in front of a tree that he liked, to
mark that tree. It wasn’t until they got older did they tell him they would walk to a different tree to see if he would remember the
tree that he had chosen. He didn’t.
We then climb back on the wagon to ride back to the car, with out a tree, to check out the next tree farm. At the next tree farm
we climb on the wagon and head out to the field and walk up and down the tree line marking possible trees. When we get to the
end we start over trying again to remember which one he liked. We have been known to go to as many as 4 or 5 tree farms in
one day repeating the same routine at each one.
When Simon (our Boxer) was younger, we took him with us. He thought it was great fun to ride the wagon and smell all those
trees, but after the third time of climbing on the wagon even he looked at us like, you have got to be kidding. Now when he hears
Christmas tree he climbs in his bed and pretends to be asleep. I have this vision in my mind that he watches from the window to
make sure the car is pulling out of the drive, and then breaths a sigh of relief, climbs on the couch and spends a nice afternoon
sleeping in a warm house. Smart dog, wish I had thought of that.
The search ends when I say "Pick a tree, any tree!" or "I have to go to the bathroom, NOW!" which ever comes first.
Our kids all have bought fake trees now and just take them out of the basement to decorate. This year I think we will just go to
the local tree lot and Joe can walk up and down the tree line, while Simon and I stay in the warm car.
have. We have always taken the kids out to the tree farm and rode the hay wagon out into the field and cut down just the right
tree. It is always crisp and cold with a bonfire and hot chocolate and of course the candy canes given out by the farm.
Sounds good right? Well let me tell you searching for the right tree isn’t all that you may think. First there isn’t a bright light
appearing over the tree like the Griswold's had. Second you have to meet my husband to know what I am talking about. Joe has
to find just the right tree and it may take a whole day for this. The kids are grown now and it is just the two of us.
First you have to know that it is cold in Michigan so you have to put on long johns, warm jeans, a warm sweater, heavy socks,
coats, hats, gloves, and boots to go to the farm. Now Joe doesn’t just settle on the first tree farm because in his heart he knows
there is a better tree at the next one. We get to the first farm and climb on the wagon and head out to the field, we walk up and
down the tree lines marking off possible trees. When we get to the end we start over trying to remember which one he liked the
best. Now when the kids were little it was easier to mark the trees. Joe would have a child stand in front of a tree that he liked, to
mark that tree. It wasn’t until they got older did they tell him they would walk to a different tree to see if he would remember the
tree that he had chosen. He didn’t.
We then climb back on the wagon to ride back to the car, with out a tree, to check out the next tree farm. At the next tree farm
we climb on the wagon and head out to the field and walk up and down the tree line marking possible trees. When we get to the
end we start over trying again to remember which one he liked. We have been known to go to as many as 4 or 5 tree farms in
one day repeating the same routine at each one.
When Simon (our Boxer) was younger, we took him with us. He thought it was great fun to ride the wagon and smell all those
trees, but after the third time of climbing on the wagon even he looked at us like, you have got to be kidding. Now when he hears
Christmas tree he climbs in his bed and pretends to be asleep. I have this vision in my mind that he watches from the window to
make sure the car is pulling out of the drive, and then breaths a sigh of relief, climbs on the couch and spends a nice afternoon
sleeping in a warm house. Smart dog, wish I had thought of that.
The search ends when I say "Pick a tree, any tree!" or "I have to go to the bathroom, NOW!" which ever comes first.
Our kids all have bought fake trees now and just take them out of the basement to decorate. This year I think we will just go to
the local tree lot and Joe can walk up and down the tree line, while Simon and I stay in the warm car.
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