No Cone Christmas Trees!

Ten years ago, me and my friend Sluggy figured out that we both loved Christmas and secretly wanted to go out and dork up the holiday season. We lived in Davis and drove out to Winters to one of the only cut-your-own-tree lots we could find. It was totally weird!

Since the weather isn't that cold in Winters, it was sunny and kind of warm while we wondered around and tried to find a tree we liked. There was a tractor thingy that was dressed up like a sleigh and it would drive around and pick up your tree if you wanted it. The scary thing was that it was blasting the most neurotic Christmas music, like something out of Willy Wonka.

Once we got the trees in our houses, there were tons of sappy bugs all over it, since these evergreens weren't really made for the warm weather. But bugs be damned! We were going to enjoy those hard won trees!

So, 10 years later, every year without fail, we drive out to find ourselves the best of the weird trees out there! I can't stand to see those horrible Christmas tree lots with cone-shaped trees that all look the same, like they were shaped that way.

We started dragging our other girl friends out with us, and now it's just tradition. Breakfast at he Buttercup Pantry in Placerville, wine tasting, tree cutting at our undisclosed favorite Apple Hill location, beers at Jack Russell and Z pies for dinner.

It is one of my favorite days of the year and always having a unique little sparse tree that I cut down myself has got to be the best part of the holidays!

I know that the more green thing to do is buy a live tree, but our little farm we go to is just a wild bit of hillside that they let grow however it grows! I thinks it's the best of both worlds.

Random Tropic Plant, with Feelers

I have no idea what kind of plant this is...other than 'tropical'. It's one of those generic ones you can buy at Home Depot for $1.99 in a little 4" pot. Well, I have had this one for quite a few years and it's living despite me.

When we first moved into the condo around 4 years ago, it lived on a stool next to the bar, with stuff on 3 sides. Not a whole lot of hope for sunlight, but it seemed to do just fine. Forget to water it, just fine. Hit it every time I am grabbing something, just fine. After surviving so well, I thought it deserved an upgrade.

Now is lives on the counter in the kitchen. It strains around the wall to get to the sun, but it's never had such great leaves.

In my humble opinion, Home Depot should be allowed to sell these in pots. It hates that part. It doesn't have a strong truck...just lots of these feelers that are trying root a couple feet away from the pot. I had to make a tee pee structure to tie it all together, cause it just wants to crawl around on the 'tropical' floor.

I cut off the feelers once they pass the perimeter of the plant. They try to attach themselves to the way, counter, itself. Whatever it touches. It's really not a great houseplant other than I can't kill it and it's kind of big and lovely right now.

So, I will keep it and keep trying to tie it up to itself to keep it out of trouble. Hmm, that sounded wrong.