Buying the Christmas Tree in California

We just received the post card reminder from the place in Fallbrook where we bought our first California Christmas tree last year - guess we need to start thinking along those lines again.

Since my family and I celebrate Christmas, we have always had a tree in the house (and sometimes 2). We have bought live trees for many years, and part of the family tradition has always been a jaunt to the tree farm to select the right tree and cut it down (in some cases we go early to tag it, then return a couple weeks before the holiday to do the cutting). We actually haven't bought a cut tree off a lot for more years than I can remember - there's something about the smell, the fact that the tree keeps its needles, and the tradition we started when the kids were very young.

Cutting down our first California tree was an interesting experience. We wondered what kinds of trees would there be (coming from New England, where there are evergreens everywhere, you have a very wide selection of tree types, sizes, and shapes)? Would we still be able to cut our own? How far would we have to go?

We located a tree farm in Fallbrook (Mission Pine Christmas Tree Farm, at 4062 Mission) and ended up there in early December last year to cut the tree down. What an odd experience - cutting down a Christmas tree in 70 degree weather in shorts and sandals! And they were playing "Santa Baby" over the loudspeaker to get us in the mood!Typically we went tree cutting when it was in the 30s or so in New England (that was part of the fun, at least so my wife said), often with snow coming down, or cold rain. Having wanted to be in CA anyhow, and loving warm weather, I was in my glory - but it was an odd feeling nonetheless. My wife and I laughed about the other experiences we had with three cutting...the coldest was when we lived in Minnesota and visited the local tree farm to cut our tree when it was 29 degrees BELOW ZERO. Man, you just can't imagine that kind of cold unless you have been there!!

Needless to say I am looking for to our tree cutting venture again...when it is WARM!! And I don't mind sweating a bit, either.