ALMAGUIN NEWS, Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - Page 15

The Almaguin Palliative Care Teampresents the

TREE OF REMEMBRANCEas their

Annual FundraiserYour donation to the Almaguin Palliative Care Team will provide further training forvolunteers, and will be a lasting tribute that will live on in helping others.

For each memoriam received in memory of your loved one, a light will glow on the Tree of Remembrance, and can also be seen in front of the Health Centre in Burk’s Falls.

Names of your loved ones will also be published weekly until Christmas.

Memoriams can be mailed to:The Almaguin Palliative Care Team, Tree of Remembrance

Box 683, Burk’s Falls, Ontario P0A 1C0or phone it in to Mary Manuell 636-5893, Linda Key 384-7567,

Betty Soth 387-1652, Margret Ross 382-2852

“Let Your Spirit Glow”MEMORIAMS

Tree of Remembrance

Roy BrunnerWanda BrunnerCraig HartLeslie PutmanWilma MarshallVelma & David RobinsonScott ParkesStephen & Bryon WilsonRuby & Wilbert DingmanIrene MurdyKarl NiemiJack DaunceyJacqueline DaunceyMerle StaplesCarl BatesThe Stroud FamilyAllan & Lula WhiteBrandon NichollsMichelle KeetchGord MasonWilliam BastedoHelen NewmanAlice MurrayRaymond MurrayMichael-Jay ToughBetty SylvesterJack Cowling

Bob SimpsonDes MayhewJack MayhewGrace BrownDon & Ona WagerCarl BellThe Neal FamilyGregg RupertNorman & Maria SedoreAnne SedoreHarve SedoreHoward SineCarol ToughVelmore MiddlebrookJames Wesley EadeColin & David ShorneyBill WellerThomas ButtineauAnna & Fred CourvoisierAlvin ButtineauJesseTeenie & Allan LangfordPhillip LangfordFred BothamBill HarveyEric PolkinghorneHarold Hellam

Jessie & Ernie BoathRonald & Ruby RalstonCharles HodgsonDouglas A. JuddHarvey PringleEffie & Harold HowardRon ParkerTom BrownHelen BrownThe Mowat FamilyHenry AndrewsRuby & Waldon CarletonChristopher GirouxJean & Don GirouxElaine & Keith WhittakerBill BagnellJoey BagnellEdna ParkerClaudine BorneCyril BoltHarold & Nicki KiddStephen AllenLonnie PayneIvan PayneEileen OustenDouglas Ousten

Lorrie (Addison) HartfordBuagh Family MembersLarry JenkinsStanley StroodHarold StroodVelma StroodGordon StewartLin StewartBob RosskopfAmos & Lizzie KeppyColin KeppyBarbara SothMuriel & Wes SmithHelen & Ken ManuellDavid ManuellRusty SmithJohn KelsallHilda MorrisLily & Ernest KeyEarl NethertonBill TodRob ReedDarrah MacFarlaneFred BeckettTammy MartinDoug WicksScott Wicks

Dale GutjahrOlive & Albert GutjahrKeith & Anne KiddJerry & Richard SchmelerNellie & Peter PetrashAnna & WilliamMychalczukGulius & Lilianne RossiJack GrevesMargaret DempseyJack ButterfieldSandra Louise MorrisWilliam Terry PeggHarold BrandtGeorge & Reta HobsonBasil HoweArthur WagerShirley HallJean BoismierAlbert Ross MetcalfAnn & John BuchlerBarb SimpsonFred MooreMary Anne Murray BeardGloria Murray WarwickFerdinand MurrayRob Simpson

Ted & Dee ChurchBill FlemingLarry FlemingOfi JohnstonMary JohnstonLloyd JohnstonHoward RaaflaubFrances WallaceThe Walter Purdie FamilyKen IrelandDwayne HealeyEffie HealeyGeorge & Ida May BrownEdna & Ralph BiceBessie & Frank MasonJeanne & Frank CummingsRev. Tom & Bess RutherfordWayne LackieTrude VarcoeGordon IvanyWilliam CantwellSyril HopeGlenda ToddEarl HellamJennifer RobertsRoland RobertsBill & Mary Fishback

Have aBeautifulHolidayWe appreciate your patronage,

and wish you and your loved onesa wonderful holiday season,and a very happy new year

BISHOP’SPHARMACY

Burk’s Falls

382-3220

In loving memory of Ken Irelandwho passed away December 25, 2006.

HUSBANDI remember the day I met you,The day God made you mine.

I remember the day He took youAnd will till the end of time.

Among my tears and heartachesThere is one thing that makes me glad,That you chose me to share with you

Those precious years we had.~ Your loving wife, Grace

DADMay you always walk in sunshine

And our love around you flow.For the happiness you gave us

No one will ever know.May the winds of love blow softly,

And whisper so you can hear.We will always love and miss you

And wish that you were here.For all that life has given us,

And all that’s left to doWe will know no greater treasure

Than days we had with you.~ Forever in our hearts, your family

Brian & Brenda, Mark & Patti, Dulcie & Trevor

GRAMPAWe only have your memory dear Grampa

To remember our whole life throughBut our love will linger forever

As we treasure the image of you.~ Your loving grandchildren,

Chloe, Richelle, Jerrad, Jocelyn,Lauren & Tyson

In Memoriam

During this holiday season,we’d like you to know

that your businessis greatly appreciated.

Looking forward toserving you in 2008

from the staff and management of

E-mail: wardtim-brmart@on.aibn.com

Burk’s Falls

382-3027 Fax: 382-2053

ANNUAL MEETINGMagnetawan

Agricultural Societywill be having their annual meeting

for the election of their officersSaturday, January 5, 2008, 2 p.m.

at the Magnetawan Community Centre

Everyone welcome!Tea, coffee & sweet tray

In Supporting Our Community This Holiday Season

Join

Us

Join

Us

Through December visit the Blue Canoe and purchase an Ice Lantern,

making a $10 donation to the Good Happenings Food Bank

Committed to creating a Community that Shines

100 Ottawa Ave., South River • 386-1595Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

NorthernEdgeAlgonquin.com/BlueCanoe.html

PHOTO BY LAUREL CAMPBELL

THE PERFECT TREE: Ariawna Vince, aged 3, and her father John find and cut their perfect Christmas tree at Long’s farm in Laurier. This picture perfect scene could be hard to recreate on your own property.

How to cut your own Christmas treeRob Learn

Staff Reporter

Living in this expansive land of rocks and trees, where many folks have more than an acre or two to call home, it’s natural that a lot of people want to find their own central Christmas decoration – the tree.

Have no fear, cutting your own tree is an admirable pursuit that, in theory, should make for wonderful holiday memories that will last a lifetime.

Or you’re cheap.Either or both ways, cutting your own

Christmas tree isn’t as simple as taking a leisurely walk through the woods until you stumble across the perfect candidate.

This is going to take a plan, some cunning and the proper equipment.

The plan is going to involve three phases. First: you’ll need to distract your spouse/partner’s attention long enough for you to make a break for it – alone. Success here will pay some big dividends in time management. A five-minute ruse could trim hours from the search. Valuable minutes during short winter daylight hours will tick away as you confer and debate the merits of the bottom branches on this tree compared to the “one we saw on the other side of the hill.”

There is only one queen, one pope and one Dick Cheney. There can only be one Christmas tree evaluator.

That said, bring the kids with you. They’re handy not only for lugging a bit of equipment, but also for scouting out prospective trees and breaking trail. In fact, having more than one kid is preferable. They, of course, will want to be the one to find this year’s Christmas tree and will get to those look-good-from-a-distance specimens for evaluation.

In fact, even if you find ‘the tree’ relatively close to the homestead, don’t commit to it right away. You want to tire the kids out.

Having the proper search party assembled, it is time to think about equipment. An axe may seem the logical choice, but if it’s handy think about the chainsaw. While noisy, a bit cumbersome and not at all romantic, it does offer advantages over manual hewing methods.

Quite often ‘the tree’ is attached to 10 to 15 feet of tree that your home won’t accommodate — and that you can’t afford to decorate. A chainsaw can quickly bring ‘the tree’ down to your level. As well, cutting that pretty little bushy spruce with an axe will mean getting more intimate with it than you’re probably prepared for. If you do settle on the axe, bring safety glasses and a witness.

Another bonus to the chainsaw is that if you failed during the first step of the plan, you can quickly interrupt spousal debate with a couple of pulls on the starting cord to cut the bone of contention down, “just to see what it looks like.”

The other piece of equipment you’ll need is a tape measure. Some people in this world, especially in the yuletide season, have no idea how tall seven feet (the maximum Christmas tree height, considering the stand on the bottom and the star on the top, most homes can accommodate) is.

And even if you feel you have a strong

grasp of the measurement – by, say, being seven feet tall – your partner will not believe you.

The tape measure will prove invaluable and will save a lot of sweeping, vacuuming and chainsaw fumes in the house if the ‘the tree’ is brought across the threshold prematurely. A bit of rope comes in handy for dragging your trophy home and a bit of rope and a snow machine even more so. But remember, even with the snow machine, the kids walk. Tell them you’re low on gas.

Now strike off to find your tree. Don’t head to the deepest thickest woods you know of unless the kids are really getting out of hand. Generally, the best trees are out in open areas where exposure to sunlight lets them fill out. Edges of fields, roads and golf courses are usually good places to start (Ixnay idskay, ainsawchay andway owmobilesnay atway olfgay oursecay).

Figure out how far you’re prepared to walk for ‘the tree’ and then walk there. It matters not how many perfectly good candidates you walk by, just go. By going there you will dismiss the lingering doubts (yours or your partner’s) about whether a better tree was just over the next knoll. You’ll also have a good defence if you return with a tree that doesn’t cut it as ‘the tree,’ and you’ll tire out the kids.

Now you’re ready to actually start looking at trees. Start thinking like Francis Ford Coppola – eye up the trees with only the final product in mind. Use your hands to frame the tree and circle it a bit to pick out deficiencies. As you spot the deficiencies, and there will be deficiencies, try to determine whether the special effects artists — tree trimmers — will be able to mask them. And think about where that tree is going to be placed. If it’s against a wall you really only need half-a-‘the tree.’

Then get in close. Make sure that trunk is straight; that it is only one tree you’re looking at and not two intermingling.

Once a tree satisfies these criteria and the kids are panting it’s time to cut. Approach the tree buttocks first, swaying your rear end side to side as you back in parting the prickly branches. Backing up to one side will help make room for your surgical instrument of choice. Now just cut. It doesn’t have to be pretty.

You can make the butt (the tree’s, not yours) look like Paul Bunyon himself slashed it once it’s on the ground. Just get out of there before those branches pressing up against you rob you of an eye or your self-respect.

Measure the tree where it falls. Why drag back more tree than you need? As well, if you successfully pulled off the first step, don’t go ruining things now when you’re so close to victory. If you measure the tree in the driveway and find out that two feet of beautiful branches need to be disposed of, you don’t want to have to get all Mike Harris on it in front of loved ones.

And if you didn’t pull off step one, you’ll have the whole walk back to console the spouse/partner or, in a worst-case scenario, you’re already in the back 40 to start the search all over again.

If this sounds like a bit of an ordeal don’t fret. Done properly, cutting your own Christmas tree brings no better reward than sitting quietly with your partner/spouse enjoying the beauty you

harvested after the exhausted kids have tucked themselves into bed early.

EPILOGUE – Went to cut down Christmas tree on Dec. 15. After an hour fighting with kids to get them dressed, I left them behind. Went to garage and found chainsaw, did not find chainsaw gas. Grabbed axe. Waded through snow across the back 40 for an hour before settling on the first ‘the tree’ I found. It was atop a 30 footer. Cut tree down with axe. Cut top off of tree. Dragged it home in the twilight on what was now a well broken trail after hours of wandering. Wife loved tree. Tree was stood up and allowed to thaw out. Looked lovely. Noticed sap oozing out of everywhere the squirrels had chew off the cones. Kids noticed sap oozing. Mom noticed sap on furniture. Tree fell over. Tree went outside. Went out for another hour walk Sunday morning – this time in blinding snowstorm. Cut down and dragged back the last tree I looked at the day before.