For the past several years, we got a Leyland cypress tree from one of the local tree farms for our Christmas tree. While not as traditional as a spruce or fir, they had the advantage of being fresh cut, and therefore more fragrant, not to mention less mess for cleanup.
We also avoided the firs and spruces because there is something special in going to woods, or at least the farm, tromping in mud and ant-hills and finally finding just the right tree, losing it in the forest, and then finding it again. A Christmas tree without muddy knees and sap-sticky hands is just not quite authentic, don't you agree!
Well, that was then in Louisiana; this is now in Vermont. About three miles up on the other side of the valley from us is a tree farm full of firs and spruces, with NO ant hills; even with every thing soggy from snow-melt, the hill side was dry enough to avoid wet knees almost completely.
We now are the proud harvesters of a 7 ft Frazier fir tree, which is something to behold. It weighs a good 7-10 lbs more than any equivalent trees in BR, so I'm sure it won't be drying out anytime soon. I actually have to tug on the needles to get them to turn loose, even the dead ones. I expect the entire house will smell like pine-sol before the weekend is over.
