Happy Holidays from the Snow Goose Festival

A Christmas Card from Rex Burress

 RIVER WATCHER

A TREE GROWS FOR CHRISTMAS

Rex Burress

Since more "American Made" live Christmas trees from tree farms are being recommended instead of the foreign-made artificial trees, I’ve been thinking about some Christmas tree adventures I have known.

The authentic-looking plastic trees were not perfected in 1940 Missouri country days, nor was there many tree farms, and in northern MO country where I lived, neither were there conifers in the woodlands. The only greenery that would qualify was the Eastern Red Cedar, and a small grove of 50-foot trees grew on our farm next to Floyd’s Timber.

When snows were on the ground, I kept a bird feeding station under those cozy boughs as part of my Missouri Nature Knight membership mission. Near Christmas day, Dad would go down with me as I pulled my sled through the snow, burdened with hay and seeds. We were out to cut a cedar branch to fashion into a Christmas tree, greenery that I proudly sledded back to the house. Sometimes two or three decorated branches would fill a corner, sufficient for Santa to place gifts. We had no fireplace, but he got in someway!

My Grandfolks lived in the Black Oak community where there wasn’t even a cedar tree, so they cut a little pinoak that had some brown leaves still hanging on, and strung some popcorn in the branches.

In speaking of the green value connected to conifers and tree farms, and the aid to the atmosphere those spiny leaves provide, I’m not sure where the oxygen came from in those midwestern hardwood forests where leafless trees and gray timbers dominate the winter. Air was there as I’ve lived to tell about it! I think it is an Earth of sharing the planetary environment, with winds spreading things around. Planetary plants and animals have been spread around, too.

In later years when my children were in that prime Christmas age, our tree was usually a Douglas fir from the store, but one time when living in the Mayacama Mountains, we went to the dense forest along the east canyon wall, followed deer trails to the hilltop into a dense grove of baby firs, and chose one. It was a difficult decision, and when it came to cutting the nominee, that was difficult, too! There’s something in the tree-lover against cutting a live tree.

The day in the woods was a memorable pre-Christmas day, even though there was no snow on the ground, as depicted in a tree-cutting snow-scene oil painting I gave to the Oroville Chamber. In that White Sulphur Springs canyon near St. Helena, the winter woods was cozy-green, enhanced by Douglas firs, live oaks, madrone, and a shelf of redwoods–all evergreens that sheltered mushrooms, lichens, and moss. There was an ever-flowing hot springs, too, that made you wonder what was underground.

We sat in the silent circle of redwoods and ate our lunch, fantasying about dwarfs and fairies that surely must live there in paradise. We always entered the wooded wonderland-flat shelf under an arched bay tree, crossing our heads three times while saying "Zingo," a ritual that imaginatively increased our ability to see something special, and left by the same path, repeating the appeal that forgave us for cutting one of THEIR trees!

I suppose Fairyland Springs, the acre of chain ferns in the crater basin, the everlasting Red Treasure Creek, and the trail to Zingo Tree are still there–at least they are alive in my mind after 35 years since that foray in the forest! Some things live forever in legend, even though trees come and go in the natural cycles of life, leaving behind their woody remnants, either to enrich the soil...or grace a home.

"The woods are full of dead and dying trees, yet needed for their beauty

to complete the beauty of the living."

–John Muir

"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he

plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit."

–D. Elton Trueblood

13th Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Join us for our BIG YEAR at the 13th Annual Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway this coming January 26-29 in Chico, California. Register online today!

- Over 70 exciting field trips, including over 20 NEW excursions!

- Wide variety of informative indoor workshops & presentations

- Banquet featuring Keynote Speaker, Greg Miller, famed Big Year birder

- Pacific Flyway wildlife and habitat artwork featured at our Art Reception

- FREE EVENTS for all ages to enjoy...especially the kids!

Visit our website and register now for best availability.

Have a wonderful holiday season, and we'll see you in January!

The Snow Goose Festival Registration Team

www.snowgoosefestival.org