Sticker Shock at the Christmas Tree Lot

Looking for Just the Right Christmas Tree

I was looking for signs of Christmas in Paso Robles Saturday,  and I stopped at this Christmas tree lot across from Rabobank to look around and take pictures. For various reasons, we have not had a Christmas tree in over twenty years. When we did buy trees, we always bought real ones. It was fun to go to the lot and pick one out.

Christmas Tree Lot in Paso Robles

We had had a tree every year since we were married until the year our son, the lover of all things Christmas and chief tree decorator, died in an accident in August, 1991. There's never been much point to getting a tree since then. We always celebrate somewhere else now.

I remember seeing many varieties of pine and fir trees in those lots I used to visit, and some of the trees were flocked -- some even in colors other than white. I don't remember seeing trees in some of the shapes I saw today.

I  did see small living Christmas trees like this one. In fact, my mom bought one when she moved here twenty years ago. She planted it in the back yard. We finally had to remove it a few weeks ago. See the story about that below by clicking "One Way to Remove a Large Tree" in the related articles.

I had never seen any Christmas trees in tiers like the tall one on the right in the photo above. I didn't get a look at its price tag. I did see the price tag on the large tree in the middle of this photo, though. It is a handsome Noble Fir grown by Hopper Brothers in Woodburn, Oregon. Price? Only $93.99.

It is a beautiful tree, but I did get sticker shock looking at that tag after not pricing Christmas trees in over twenty years. Of course, there were smaller trees and trees not quite so "Noble" that were more affordable. For the first time in my life, though, I understand why some families do opt for artificial trees.

Grow Your Own Christmas Tree

The most economical way to get a real Christmas tree is to grow it yourself -- or get your tree on Christmas  Eve when it may be almost half price. 
You might try growing your own Christmas tree for next year.

One of the books recommended below explains how the growers do it. Lessons from a Christmas Tree Farm by Michael Kurtz, a pastor who grew Christmas trees for twenty years, is a devotional book that can be used for group study.  The picture book, Christmas Farm, is about a five-year-old-boy and a middle-aged woman who plant dozens of balsam seedlings, nurture them, and watch them grow up. And, of course, I've included in my suggestions a kit to help you grow your own living Christmas tree. It might also make a nice gift for someone with a green thumb.

Related articles

• One Way to Remove a Large Tree
• A Christmas Tree in Templeton Like No Other
• Looking at Deciduous Oak Trees in Winter
• X is for Xmas in Paso Robles

A Christmas Tree in Templeton Like No Other

A Big Christmas Tree in a Small Town

Templeton is a small rural town in North San Luis Obispo County. It does have a Main Street, and on that street you will find Matt's Music, Stage, and School. The owner, Matt Franscioni, has a Christmas tree outside his shop like no other I've ever seen. I've shown his shop here, and it stands out as much as the trees around it. The Matt's Music sign is right in front of the bottom of the Christmas tree. You can only see one of the guitar ornaments at the very top of this photo,  Like most trees on Main Street, it is too tall to get all of it in one picture up close.

Here's the top of the tree.

Matt Recycles "Dead" Guitars as Christmas Tree Ornaments

You will see that all the ornaments on this tree are real guitars. Matt calls them "dead" guitars and wasn't sure quite what to do with them, so he turned them into ornaments for his unique Christmas tree. I think this is a creative way to recycle and repurpose guitars that no longer perform as instruments. Don't you?

The tree is 70 feet tall and has over 40 guitar ornaments and thousands of lights. You can just imagine what a project trimming this tree must have been! I took this photo in the daylight so I could focus on the guitars. For a more comprehensive view of the tree lighted, see Matt's Music Facebook Page for a video showing the tree from all angles. His page also features other videos where you can see him making music.

This last photo shows you the store and the tree as you would see them from across Main Street. Notice how the trees overwhelm the buildings. If you are from a more urban area, this is probably quite a contrast to your main street through town. If you were to walk a few blocks south of here, the area becomes just a bit more commercial, with fewer businesses in houses, but you will still see big trees scattered everywhere.

Matt's ornaments are very special. Probably his guitars would be too big to hang on your tree. These ceramic ornaments which you can customize for special gifts will fit nicely on a tree of any size. Follow this link for a wide choice of ornaments for any subject, such as "first Christmas" or even Disney ornaments. They are available in metal or ceramic. Or follow the product links below for one of the many guitar ornaments available in ceramic.

 Guitar Version - What Feelings Sound Like Double-Sided Ceramic Round Christmas Ornament T-Rex Guitar Ornament Acoustic Guitar w/Sheet Music & Chrome Background Double-Sided Heart Ceramic Christmas Ornament Acoustic Guitar~Sheet Music On Barnwood Background Double-Sided Oval Ceramic Christmas Ornament Custom name yellow colorful electric guitars Double-Sided ceramic round Christmas ornament Guitar & Sheet Music Ornament Crocodile playing guitar on island Double-Sided ceramic round Christmas ornament