The Christmas tree.  Some swear by the artificial ones.  Others can't imagine not having a real tree.  And then, there's the type of tree.  There are pines, spruces, and firs.  And then, there are varieties among those - the Balsam fir, the Douglas fir, the Fraser fir, and others.  How to choose?  And of course, if you have opted for a real tree, where do you go to get your beloved, needle-dropping friend for the next month or two?  The local lot in town, one of the big home centers, dare I say Walmart?  Or maybe, just maybe, you'd like to go and cut your own tree down.  This cutting down your own tree fascination has become quite popular lately.  Folks sometimes mark their selection months ahead of time.

Well, there is one way to get a Christmas tree that is quite unique.  Every year or so, Saquish Rowing Club gets an intrepid gang together to row about 4 miles, from Plymouth Harbor to a place called Clark's Island.  A friend of the Club owns land on the Island, and to save some money on taxes, he "runs" a Christmas tree farm (thereby qualifying for some agricultural tax break).  But, he needs these trees of his "farmed," and that's where the Club comes in: row to the Island, cut down a tree, throw it in a boat, and head home.  So that's exactly what Jess and I did today!  Sounds great, right?  Well, you need to factor in the 32-degree weather, the 15-knot winds, and the nasty chop on the water.  Needless to say, it was a challenge.  At one point, I looked over to the nearby shore and realized we weren't moving forward at all.

The Island was great though and scouting for a tree was fun.  I have no idea what type we got, but I do know ... it's surely one of a kind!

See the photos and video here.