THE TREES...

I showed this picture last week 

of our new faux tree.

 How many of you thought

 this was the actual tree set up? 

 Well,

 my daughter did,

 so I just wanted to 

set the record straight.

  This is not the real tree. 

 This is only a picture on the box

that the tree came in.

  

Just let me say right off 

that I am not 

being compensated 

for this post in any way. 

 I just wanted to tell you how

 special and remarkable 

this tree is. 

 It is not only 

big, and full and realistically pretty, 

it also does tricks

 and was priced

under $200.

 2013

We have not had

 a large faux tree

 for a few years.

  

We always had a large tree 

when the kids were growing up, 

and it was always a real one 

that we cut down ourselves,

 but the last few years

 we had a small faux one

 that sat

 on a table...

2014

...then we had a white one

 that also sat

 on a table...

2015

...the first year

we decided to have a real tree again

 and it was found 

on a lot...

2016

...we thought it turned out

 pretty well 

so we thought we would 

do it again...

...I think I mentioned

 that after that

 we decided 

it was an experience 

that we did not want

 to have 

again.

So,

 now back to the story of 

this amazing tree 

that does tricks.

 The tree comes in three sections 

that are easily marked. 

 They click together 

with no problem 

and if you are looking for a place

 to hook the lights together 

at each section 

(like the last one we had)

 there isn't any. 

 The wires are all concealed 

in the trunk of 

each section.

When the tree is put together

 you have to fluff the needles 

at the back of each branch. 

 They are made of 

something like paper and 

are easily moved

 to fill in blank spaces.

  The tips of the branches are 

hard and not easily moved and 

really look like

 real needles.

There is no getting down

 on your hands and knees to find

 the on and off switch.  

Just a tap of your toe

 gets that job done, 

and this is where the

 amazing tricks 

come into play.

  You can tap your toe 

nine times, 

and each time the lights change.

  It goes from

 white lights to colored,

 to white lights blinking,

 to colored lights blinking,

 to white and colored lights blinking, 

slow, fast or not at all.

 You get the picture.

  And,

 did I mention 

that you get all of the above

for under $200?

You will notice 

the paper lanterns that I put together 

and I'm still waiting for

 the larger lanterns to arrive

 which will fill in 

any blank spaces you might see.

 Now,

 after all the bragging I have done, 

there is only one thing 

that I don't like about this tree.

 I may be alone 

in my thinking 

and could, possibly,

 be putting my neck 

on the chopping block, if some

 die hard environmentalist

 heard me say this: 

I DON'T LOVE LED LIGHTS!

They are too bright and

 the white ones have a yellow cast...

I have seen white ones 

with a blue cast, 

and I don't love those either, 

and I find them all 

very hard 

to photograph.

 2017 to infinity

Neither

 the Captain or I 

like any of the flashing tricks. 

 I prefer the white lights

 and he likes the colored ones.

  

So we have compromised:

  We leave the white lights on 

during the day

 and tap it to the 

colored ones 

at night.

Even though 

I don't love the LED lights, 

I don't not love them 

enough 

to turn them off and...

...don't tell the Captain,

 but I am really enjoying them

 at night time

 too.

...Judy...

We bought the tree at

 Lowe's

 and it was on sale for

 under $200.