The Snow Is Falling 

Welcome back everyone for another season of fir tipping and tromps through the woods on our farm. We wanted to post just a quick update that wreath making is underway! The first snows now bow the boughs slightly. As we gather the balsalm fir, it is not uncommon to jostle the bough, causing a snow catapult that occasionaly can result in a fair amount of snow to face. Of course, brothers would never purposely fling snow at each other right?

Jon and Tristan start to gather the tips once the fir needles set.

The process to gather fir, pine, cedar, moss, pinecones, and other forest can vary depending upon whether snow has fallen. When we have no snow, but it is cold enough to begin gathering fir needles, we can usually take our tractor down the trails we cut through our woods without much problem.  As the season progresses, or if we get an early snow fall, we sometimes will bring our tractor as far as we dare without getting it stuck, and advance on foot with our loppers in hand.  Its wonderful to be in the woods, out of ear shot of the road. In snow, the crisp crunch of snow under foot adds to the natural forest sounds. 

Here are few pictures from Jon’s recent outings. As you can see, we were able to get a a few fir tips before the snow started falling on Monday. Snow or no snow, it is tons of fun to gather the evergreens.  We only wish it would stay light longer.  Sunset today is 3:58pm!