When our children were younger, we always had real Christmas trees, and just about every year that I remember we always went to Piper Mountain Christmas Tree Farm in Newburgh, Maine and cut our own tree down.

They certainly do it right, with hot cider, freshly made donuts, horse-drawn sleighs and they net the tree and help you tie it to the top of your car. Piper Mountain truly is "Where Christmas Memories Are Made", at least for our family.

Last year was the first year I wasn't involved in the cutting of the tree. My younger son Collin and his girlfriend Allie went to Piper Mountain and cut it down, and put it up. They picked out a great tree and put it up. It was a nice change, and to be honest, I didn't miss cutting it down, but I did miss going to Piper Mountain. If I'm going to be involved this year, it means we will have to go either this weekend or next. It gets a little difficult after that with my basketball broadcasting schedule, and my wife, Bonnie's work schedule at L.L. Bean and teaching at Nokomis High School.

When I used to be the general manager of the Ramada Inn in Bangor, we always used to put the artificial trees up this weekend, the weekend right after Thanksgiving. We needed to, because of the Christmas parties that would start the first weekend of December. I used to bring the two boys in with me, and we would put up 7 trees and decorate them, while my wife would go out shopping. It used to take us all afternoon, and I would be a sweat-ball by the time we were done, given that my kids were under ten "helping" me.  I think that's why I don't really enjoy decorating the Christmas tree. It's not a "Scrooge thing", because I love the Christmas season, but I'm much happier when someone else is decorating the tree.

I love the smell of a real tree, but as I get older, I do understand the fascination with artificial trees. Not the white artificial trees with colored lights that shine on the tree like Bonnie's father had a couple of years, but nice artificial trees. They're much easier to put up, they sit properly in the stand, you don't have to water them, and the clean up is so much easier. I think I could be talked into getting an artificial tree, if it wasn't for the tradition!

So let me ask you

Feel free to comment below, and tell me why you prefer a real tree or an artificial tree and Happy Holidays!

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