Thanksgiving is just around the corner now and then we are on to Christmas. I've seen some houses with Christmas lights on ever since the day after Halloween and to be fair, we have been putting our lights up now before the weather gets colder. It is a lot easier getting up on the ladder when it's not snowing outside. After Thanksgiving is Black Friday of course with everyone hunting for the perfect gift to put under the Christmas tree. But also it is time to start hunting for the perfect Christmas tree if you are doing a fresh cut tree. If you're doing a real tree, I would recommend going to a tree farm in the area. There are not a lot left in Sullivan county, but there are still a few. Also the fire departments that sell cut trees usually get them from local tree farms so that shipping costs are minimal. If you are buying a precut tree make sure to shake the tree to see how many needles are falling off. All trees will lose a few needles but obviously less needle drop is better. Many precut trees at the box stores come from Maine and Canada and may have been cut almost a month before hitting the lot. When our kids were small, we used to go to a tree farm every year to hunt for the perfect tree. These days now that we are retired and the kids have moved away, it's an artificial tree with the lights already on, for convenience. Now my kids can go hunt for a tree with my grandkids. After finding the perfect tree, when you get your tree home, cut off about an inch off the bottom before you put it in the stand. Pine, spruce and fir trees heal over quickly and even a tree that you cut just a couple of hours ago will have sap that starts to clog the cut so that water won't go up the trunk properly. After you make your cut, get it in water right away. If you are not ready in the house yet, put it in a bucket of water in the garage or in a shaded area outside. Your tree stand should have at least a one gallon reservoir for water and for the first few days it may need to be filled two or three times a day. The reason for this is that the tree was dormant outside with very little evaporation from the needles. Once inside, water will evaporate from the needles at a much greater rate. After the first week water needs will diminish but do not let the water go dry. Keep your tree away from heat sources like radiators or wood stoves as much as possible as they will dry out your tree faster. Of course most people put their trees in the their front windows for all the neighbors to see but a lot of sunlight will mean more water and usually there are radiators on the windowed walls. So if possible, put your tree near an inside wall that still has a view outside, so that the neighbors can enjoy your tree as well. Lights for your tree also need much consideration. LED lights, although more expensive, can save you in other ways. Besides using much less electricity, they do not give off any heat so that they will not dry out your tree. The small traditional mini lights are incandescent and can get very hot and pose a fire risk if the tree were allowed to dry out. Incandescent lights are half the price of LED lights but they use nearly three times the electricity and nobody wants a higher electric bill. Real trees can make your house smell like Christmas with a nice mild pine smell and as long as you house stays around 70 degrees or less and your tree is well watered, a fresh tree should easily last five to six weeks. Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving.