Today I want to finish up the story of the trip to the Christmas Tree farm in Manvel. Not that there is that much else that went on. All the cool grandkid stuff has been noted. There are just two other things that caught my attention.
One was the actual operation of the place as a business. I mean beyond charging people to come in the gate and watch their kids play. They really did sell Christmas trees, and we saw the process several times while we were there. You jump on a trailer pulled by a tractor, which then hauls you out to far reaches of the tree farm. That's when you pick out your tree and mark it with the tag they provide. Then you hitchhike a ride on the tractor trailer back to the front and tell them where your tree is. They then send someone back out with you to chop it down for you. That would be kind of disappointing to me. I thought the whole idea was to chop down your own tree. I guess they save money on insurance this way. Less chance of someone chopping off a hand or a toe. They throw the tree on the trailer and haul it back to the work station near the front gate. There they put it on some kind of machine that shakes it like, hmm … to borrow from a renowned literary source … like a bowl full of jelly. That shakes off any excess needles. Never saw WalMart do that one.
The other event that I failed to mention last time has become the source of a little family tension. One of the activities available to guests is an old fashioned burlap sack race. Our grandkids gave it a shot and seemed to have lots of fun. So much so that Nathan and April couldn't stand it. I don't know which of them issued the original challenge, but both of them are so competitive that it doesn't matter. The race was on. It was just the two of them. Plenty of room to run, one might say. The cry to "go" sounded, and they were off. They were neck and neck for a time, but word has it that the official announcer blinked and suddenly April was sprawled on the ground and Nathan was making the turn and headed for the finish line. What could have happened? A random hole in the track? A simple misstep? Or was there foul play afoot? The initial still photos were inconclusive at best. But after a day or two of wrangling back and forth, a bystander, who just happened to have been filming his children in innocent play nearby, stepped forward with an actual tape of the event. It was unclear if any footage had been deleted, but the initial review of this unexpected instant replay appeared to show some unwarranted veering out of his lane by Nathan. The angle makes it difficult to say with absolute certainty. Sources close to track officials say that an official announcement may be forthcoming. Rank and file viewers are demanding action, and unnamed sources have posted the video in question on FaceBook, calling for public opinion. Check it out for yourself on Kel Vaughan's FaceBook page.
Isaiah 26:12 says, "Lord, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us."
Father, thank you again for chances to spend time with family that is just plain fun. Amen.
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