Trimming the Tree

SUMMARY: Of course I mean literally.

I like Christmas trees with room inside to hang ornaments. Because I have a lot of ornaments. And because ornaments that lie at an angle down the outside because the branches are so thick don't count as "hanging." That's more like lying on the tree. And who wants to encourage lying at Christmas?

If I could afford it and could find them every year, I'd always get a silver tip (AKA abies magnifica). But they don't grow 'round these here parts, apparently don't grow well in many places, grow really slowly anyway, and they cost a purty penny when thems getsk here.

Second best is noble firs (AKA abies procera); sometimes you can find them almost as nicely openly layered as the silver tips if you spend a lot of time looking in various lots and paying more than average moolahs. But often they're just barely open in some places but too dense in others. Like Mr. Tree who came home with me this year.

So a little thinning to correct to bring out the open beauty that it really wants to display is sometimes necessitated. (Compare to previous photo of unthinnedness.)

And this is so much easier than fixing a bar-knocking problem with TWO individual dogs.

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