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November 30, 2009

The perfect tree will be ‘holy’



By Darragh Doiron

The News staff writer

Perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and those beholding Christmas trees have their eyes on fullness, base size and price.

“They all want a perfect tree. There’s no such thing as a perfect tree. If you find one, I want to see it,” Sandy Turner said.

The salesman roamed a forest of Fraser, Noble, Nodrman and Plantation Firs at Santa’s Tree Shop on U.S. 69.

Turner said tree hunters are looking for trees with “no holes,” but, all trees, as God grew them, have bare spots here and there, he said. Christmas trees are just “holy.”

About 40 trees left the lot on Black Friday, and Turner said he expects sales to be steady throughout the season, with sales going according to when shoppers get paid at work. Trees in a range of heights and prices can set one back up to “four bills,” or about $400, he said.

He took a sleigh ride down memory lane and recalled when his mother spent $5 or $6 for a live tree and that was a big deal. He also recalls many a year of aluminum trees on a rotating color wheel.

There will always be artificial vs. live tree debates, but there’s something cozy about fragrant pine aroma wafting through a holiday home.

Port Arthur siblings Teairra, 11 and Steven, 8, shopped early in the season with their mother, who said the family’s always had a live tree, but this year Steven got to pick and chose a flocked beauty.

Once a tree makes it home, a little care will keep it green. Turner’s tip for the freshest tree: Keep that water bowl filled.

ddoiron@panews.com

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