[Leica] Best Black Friday Deal in Town

[Aram]

Christmas Trees, $5, any tree on the "lot" and by lot I mean the 
Gifford-Pinchot National Forest.  Yep.   Pick up your permit and head for 
the hills.  This year we tried the same spot we tried last year, but the 
going was rough.  I was not expecting so much snow, so did not put my 
snowtires on yet.  But we managed.  Here is my wife heading down the side 
road to the clearing where we found a nice tree last year.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/W/t/Christmas+Tree+Cutting-3857.jpg.html

Even if you don't find a tree, it is pretty in the snow.  The last few years 
there was no snow, which made life easier, but less enjoyable.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/W/t/Christmas+Tree+Cutting-3859.jpg.html

After about 30 minutes of wandering about, we settled on this one.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/W/t/Christmas+Tree+Cutting-3862.jpg.html

We had bitten off more than we could chew. You are allowed to take trees up 
to 15 feet, and this was under that limit, but the trunk was HUGE and the 
tree was HEAVY.  We trimmed a few feet of the bottom and tried sledding it 
out.  Nope.  Took another foot off and still nope.  Then another foot and we 
were able to slowly drag it with ropes while I played dog sled.  MUSH!  My 
new knee was up to the task, but it took about 30 minutes to drag it about 
100 yards.  Slowest 100 yard dash I had ever made.

Here it is on the truck ready for the trip home.

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Aram/W/t/Christmas+Tree+Cutting-3863.jpg.html

Hardest I have ever worked for a tree except maybe that one year we cut a 
big one down, but than had to haul it up hill to the truck.  Now we always 
search uphill or level so we do not have to do that again.

It is sitting in the garage now, soaking up water.  In a few days we will 
see if it fits in the door so we can decorate it.  It may be an outside 
tree.

For those in other countries not familiar with Black Friday, here is a link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

Comments welcome.
Aram

Aram Langhans
(Semi) Retired Science Teacher
& Unemployed photographer

“The Human Genome Project has proved Darwin more right than Darwin himself 
would ever have dared dream.” James D. Watson