Tree Farm

Daelyn and I picked up 6 pizzas yesterday and took them to the school so the 3rd and 4th grades could have pizza parties, their reward for 100% class participation at the Chuck E. Cheese Fund Raiser on Monday night.

After dropping them off, we piled back in the van to head home for lunch. The smell of pizza fresh from the oven filled the van. Daelyn commented how good it smelled, then asked if we could have pizza for lunch, my very thoughts.

We headed to CiCi's where I ordered anchovy pizza - YUM! We had a wonderful meal, then headed home. Pulling out of the parking lot, I was looking both directions and thought about the tree farm right up the road. We've purchased our Christmas tree at this same farm for the last 20 years - until last year, when they closed. We loved Bailey's - acres and acres of beautiful, perfectly groomed trees, the smell of fresh-cut boughs in the air, burn barrels to gather around for warmth, hot boiled peanuts being sold at the shack, and lights strung so customers could choose even after dark. We'd stand around and take pictures while the young employee cut out choice down with a saw, then watch them load it onto the trailer and follow the tractor back up to the shed. There, it would be shaken out on a special stand to remove all the dead needles (an amazing thing to watch), then they'd put it on the prep table where bottom boughs could be removed to your specifications so the tree would fit snugly in your stand. If heighth needed to come off, again, they'd cut it per your request, carefully measuring to be sure your tree would fit into your house. Then they'd put it through the netting, wrapping it nicely so it was easy to move and boughs wouldn't be broken off in transit. If you wanted, they'd put your stand on the tree for you, saving you that step when you got home. Then, they'd tie it to the top of your car, you'd pay your bill, and off you'd go, singing Christmas carols the whole way home and often stopping along the way to look at light displays in people's yards.

Ah, the memories. Twenty years' worth. But Bailey's closed last year. The owner just was tired of trying to keep it up on his own. He has a full-time job and would spend every Saturday during the year grooming and watering, replanting and caring for the trees. He took all his vacation time over the Christmas season every year to run the farm.

"I don't need this," Syl told me. "I have a good-paying job. This is just too much for me. I didn't mind doing it all these years, but I'm just tired of it. I want a Saturday once in a while to myself and I want to go on a REAL vacation."

While I understood how he felt, I still terribly miss the farm. It was only about 2 miles from our house, but tucked away in a remote, rural area. We always felt like we had driven out into the country (all 10 minutes it took us to get there through traffic).

I sighed out loud and commented, "I hate that Bailey's has closed. I miss it."

Daelyn: "What? What's Bailey's?"

Me: "You know, the tree farm where we used to get our Christmas trees. It's right there down that road."

Daelyn: "I remember, Mama. Why did they close down?"

Me: "Well, it was just too much work for the owner, hon. He had another job and he spent ALL his spare time working at the tree farm. It was just too much for him. He couldn't handle it all by himself anymore."

Daelyn was very quiet for a while. Then, in a small, serious voice he said,

"Mama, I'll talk to my boss and see if I can get off work early so I can help Mr. Syl."

Sweet Daelyn. Only 4 years old and already hoisting the cares of the world onto his shoulders.

I snickered, wondering who his "boss" was and just what "work" he was going to leave early. He heard me and got very offended.

Okay, okay. I'm a rotten Mommy. I shouldn't have laughed when my 4-yr. old is trying to help his fellow man.