Posts Tagged ‘tree’
Zilker Tree Lighting 15 Seconds of Fame
As is our new Texas holiday tradition we headed down to Zilker Park for the lighting of the “tree”. We first enjoyed the enormous yule log fire and then counted down as they turned on the lights. Once the crowd thinned down underneath the tree we headed inside to do some spinning. The photos look a little blurry because of all the people walking and spinning, kicking up the dry Texas earth.
I started with Wesley in my arms and spun him around and around as he stared up at the lights. After just a few rotations we met Steve Albert, KVUE reporter, and his cameraman, Woody. They asked if we’d like to be filmed and we said sure. By the time they had gotten all set up and had me mic’d up I was spinning Jillian around and Amber was getting Wesley dizzy.
Jillian loved the spinning even more than Wesley. She would get this mellowed out zombie look and go limp. When I stopped she would sit up looking all dizzy and then ask for more. As I say so eloquently in the video I don’t think she would ever have stopped on her own accord. And I must admit it is rather dazzling looking up at the lights.
They filmed us for a while, asked me a few questions (and to my defense I was rather dizzy and not thinking straight), and then told us it would be on at 10. We went home, eventually got the kids tucked in and sure enough the Zilker Tree Lighting was their top story. I managed, with some effort, to get a copy of the video off their website. Feel free to skip ahead to about 1min 25sec.
And yes a few people at work actually saw us on the news. I was in the elevator with Jack today and he said “Hey I saw you on the news!”
Going Native: Searching for a Texas Christmas Tree
Friday afternoon we headed out to hunt down our Christmas tree. I knew we were in for something different than what we were used to in Washington. Back home we have a lot of tree farms fairly close by, the trees look just like they do on the Christmas cards (firs mostly, but with lots of other species as well). Down here mostly you have Pine. Pine are a good tree. Nothing against them. I’m sure they are great for something. Unfortunately they don’t make a terribly great Christmas tree. As an example look at this tree:
Real Trees for Christmas, The Green Option
Amber and I have been debating about getting a natural Christmas tree or getting an artificial one. Originally I think we had both assumed that the artificial one was better for the environment. After all not cutting down a tree is a good thing. Is it?
The real issues were 1) cost (not ugly fake trees are really pricey) and 2) tradition. I like to cut down my own tree. Tales of trees gone wrong, stands that wouldn’t, caterpillars, room filling boughs, cold nasty weather, fights and long car rides are all part of our Christmas tradition. Memories we now view fondly even if at the time they seemed terrible. We have even gone to the forest and cut down wild trees (with a permit of course).