More harvest activities!

We started flying early in the morning. There is usually less wind and fog. Today wasn't windy or foggy but it was raining like crazy.

We have one guy out in the trees. He wears a bright orange vest so he can be seen by the helecopter pilot. When the pilot spots the hooker, he flys right over him with the hook. As quick as he can, the hooker places the rings on the slings in the hook and off they go. This is usually just one continued motion. Our hookers are really good and so is the pilot.

The trees are carried to the landing. The pilot gently sets the trees down and off he goes for more. When the trees are on the ground, there are two or three guys that go as fast as they can and pull the slings out of the pile. Then they get out of the way for the next bundle that is on its way.

When there is a little time, they will roll up the slings in sets of two and get them ready to go back out in the fields again.

These guys work hard all day, rain or shine and almost always have a smile on their face.

And then there are these guys that just showed up cuz they heard there were donuts and hot chocolate.

Harvest time here

I was thinking that it might be kinda cool to show you what we are doing here at the tree farm each day. I will try to have my camera handy and take some pictures and post updates. I won't guarantee anything except that I will try. Up until yesterday there wasn't much activity as far as harvest goes. It was mostly office work and getting the chainsaws and bailers ready. Today is a different story. The cutters have been busy. The pickups are loaded with slings and the rains have started. So in a little over a month, we might see the sun again! It's not fun to work in but it is good for keeping the trees fresh.

In the fields the trees are marked with colored ribbon and/or tags. Each one is different for each buyer and they are all color coded to tell from a glance what size the tree is.

A cutter (the guy with the chainsaw) can cut around a thousand trees per day, some times more or less depending on the field. Some trees are on steep hillsides. They walk up each row, look for the ribbon for the buyer that we are cutting for and in a matter of just a few seconds, they cut it down.

After the trees are cut, the next guys come with slings. Then they carry the trees, usually over their heads, to an area that they bundle 10 or more in a set of slings. From a distance it looks like the hillside is moving as they gather the trees and carry them.

They loop the ropes around the bundles and thru the rings on the end of the ropes. Then they move on to another area and do this again, and again, and again. The size of the trees makes a difference in how many trees go in to each bundle. They usually weigh a few trees so they know how much each bundle should weigh. It is really important that the bundles don't weigh too much for the helicopter. Tomorrow morning the helicopter will be here.

Ready....Set....Go!!!

We have been busy with marketing and scheduling and now it is time to get the chainsaws going. Today we started cutting our Christmas trees. It seems so early but it has to be this way to get them all harvested and ready to deliver. Not all trees are cut at the same time. We have buyers that want their trees early and some that take theirs later. Then there are all those who want theirs at the same time.

We do our best to keep them standing as long as possible to keep them fresh. There have been times that we were cutting, bailing and loading them on the truck at the same time. That's fresh!! There is so much involved. We have to organize all the orders, schedule the helicopter and plan how many guys we will need to cut, sling, hook, bail and load. Hopefully everything works out just the way we want but a lot of the time weather "happens" to change your plans. If it is foggy or windy, you can't fly. Then you get bumped out of your spot and you have to reschedule your fly time. The hard part is that all of the other growers have the same demands.

Their customers want their trees at the same time and so we all have to work together. We like to be organized so we know what is happening but it can't always be that way. That is when you breathe in......breathe out.....pray...and make a new plan and then pray some more. I know that the devil would like to see us screw up. I know that he wants us to be afraid and confused, but we won't let that happen. There will be new challenges everyday. We will face each one of them with confidence. I know that we can do this. We have Jay looking out for us and with God on our side, that devil can't hurt us. He might as well just get the heck out of the way cuz we have got things to do.

Happy Birthday Mindy

Twenty six years ago you made your appearance in this world. From day one you were sassy and sweet. You were also very independent. You let me and Dad know from the beginning that you could do things your way.

Your big beautiful eyes and contagious smile always got you out of trouble. Well, almost always. I remember one time when Dad spanked your bottom and it hurt him more than it did you. Those big eyes could melt his heart.

Another time when your smile didn't work was when the cops called me and dad one night to tell us that you and your friends were rearranging reindeer in peoples yards at Christmas time. That was funny, sorta.

You didn't really like the hunting and camping that we always did. After all, you were a princess and being in the woods without running water just wasn't your thing. Dressing up and being a princess is what you liked best. You were a good little sister for Stacy. She was shy and you were NOT. She could get you to do things that she was afraid to do.

You were also a good big sister for Casey and Taylor. You taught Casey how to ride his bike and Taylor how to burp the alphabet. You were always a little on the crazy side. Even when you were little, you had no fear. You would jump off the high dive at the pool at age 4.

You are still the funniest one to pull behind the boat at the lake. You might be a princess but you aren't a sissy. Dad was so proud of you when he got to coach you in softball. When you won the state title I don't think there was a happier, prouder dad anywhere.

Now that you are all grown up, I hope that you always have a smile on your face, that you never give up your independence and that you someday have a little princess that is just like you. Love you to the moon and back again. Happy Birthday, Love Mom

I need a better attitude

There are so many things happening right now that are negative. So much discouragement. There are trees sales that aren't happening, friends with cancer, broken marriages and so much more. As hard as I try to stay possitive, it sometimes is almost too much. And then.......I drive by a field of cows. I see these cows in the pouring down rain and wind. I see them in the heat of the sun. They are in the same field day after day, night after night. They eat the same thing over and over. They never go shopping. They never hang out with their friends. And I say to myself, come on girl, it could be worse, you could be a cow. Today I will work on my attitude. I will be positive and look forward to what I have to do instead of being fearful. I will do my best and then try hard to improve. And, I will do it with a smile.

coolness in the boys bathroom

Since the girls have their own homes now and I have boys only living here, I decided we needed to do something different with their bathroom. I like the wallpaper. The rugs are ok. But it just needed some coolness. We needed to make it more manly. I saw in a magazine where they had made a toilet paper holder out of a pipe wrench. And I saw where they made a towel hanger thing out of faucets. So... I went looking. It was so weird, the first yard sale I went to with this mission in mind had two pipe wrenches and four faucets. It was like they fell out of the sky. So I grabbed them up and took them home. Then I had to figure out how to put it all together. Uncle Charlie said I needed a flange. I never heard of a flange. Now I know what one is. I got five. One for the toilet paper holder and one for each faucet. Cody welded the pipe wrench to the pipe. Then we screwed the pipe to the flange. Then we screwed the flange to the board and then we screwed the board to the wall. Cool, huh?

We did the same thing for the faucets. We screwed them to the flange and then to the board and finially to the wall. I like this. The boys think it is awesome.

We even have a pickup truck on the counter to hold toothbrushes. No more sissy bathroom at this house.

It's funny when I go to the hardware store in town and ask for something like a flange. They look at me and smile. They wonder what is she up to this time? I just smile back and say thanks.

Christmas Trees

Jay was an outstanding athelete. Our kids were good at sports, too. Me, not so much. I tried but wasn't very good. I don't like playing games either. I don't play cards. I don't even play the Wii. I do love to watch sports tho, just not good at playing them. That's how it is with me and Christmas Trees. It seems like marketing trees is a lot like playing games. Some people won't sell you nobles unless you take their dougs too. Some like to play numbers games. If you take so many, you can have them at this price. But if you only take this many, the price is more. That makes sense but if they tell you they want a certain amount and agree on a price and then back out later, you are stuck with them or have to sell them for the lower price. Well, I don't like this part of it. I know we have the best trees around. I am confident that we have the best harvest crew and can handle what ever you want. So, if I tell you how many trees we have and how much they are, all you have to do is tell me what you need and we can get it done. No games. I can get up early and go out in the rain and snow. I can work long hours day after day until we are finished shipping. I can do all that, I just don't like the marketing games. All I want is to do my very best, to sell the trees, to work hard and get thru harvest, to fill all orders on time with quality and efficiency, to make all customers happy, to keep the legacy going that Jay worked so hard to build. I need to get a good attitude real soon. I need to stay positive and if I'm not good at games, maybe I can be a good cheerleader. Maybe I can stand on the sidelines and keep a smile and do what I know how to do.