Boy Scout Christmas Trees

If you celebrate Christmas, it's time to get your Christmas tree up and decorated.

If you want a real as opposed to artificial pine tree, I suggest you shop locally for your tree at the North Fork Boy Scout Christmas tree sale located right here in downtown North Fork.

The Boy Scout tree sale is located in the North Fork Library parking lot all day on the weekends and after school lets out in the afternoons during the week. The lot opens for the season on the first Saturday in December.


Library Parking Lot Entrance

These trees are very fresh so they last a long time. They are trees that are cut in the process of thinning to maintain healthy forest growing conditions. So when we buy these Christmas trees, not only are we getting a fresh locally grown product and are helping to support the Boy Scouts, but we are also putting trees that would be cut anyway to good use instead of cutting a tree grown specifically as a commercial Christmas tree.

They have quite a selection of trees in all different shapes and sizes:


Since these are trees that grow naturally in the forest, they each have their unique natural personality. They are not pruned and manicured to all look the same. They are all beautifully different. They fit right in with the spirit of our small town North Fork community. Unique and natural.



They are also inexpensive. A 6 foot tree can be purchased for only $15.

So come on down to the library parking lot and select your favorite tree from the many sizes and varieties available.


Here's a nice one...

After you make your selection, the crew of Christmas Tree Elves is on hand to measure your tree and help you take it to your truck or car. Here they stand at the ready:

Christmas Tree Elves ~ some a bit camera shy...

After tree selection and measurement are complete, this nice man will gladly accept your money and give you a receipt:

Then you can load the tree, or trees, into your vehicle and drive home happily anticipating the decorating process.

We did just that a couple of Sundays ago. We each bought a tree, loaded all 3 of them into our truck and drove home merrily.

The visit to our local Christmas tree lot was pleasant, easy and fun. No long drives, no traffic, no huge crowds. And we felt good knowing we were shopping locally, supporting our local Boy Scouts and also helping to maintain the health of our precious forests.

You really should go check them out and buy a tree!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

© Copyright 2008 North Fork News

First Annual Stone Fruit Festival in Clovis

Stone Fruit Festival Orchard Setting


Comfortable Paths and Benches were available


Way back last month the day after the Summer Solstice, we attended the first annual Organic Stone Fruit Festival/Jubilee held in Clovis at the Mokichi Okada Association orchards. We learned of it by invitation and advertisement from Kern Family Farm, our own local organic farmers right here in North Fork. They were there running the children's activity booth.


Hansel Kern and Friends


Creating Pine Cone Bird Feeders at the Kids Booth


Finished Pine Cone Bird Feeders


Cute Bunnies, also at the Kids Booth

At the festival there were about a dozen local organic stone fruit farmers represented. Each had a table and tent canopy nestled amongst the orchard trees and along a nice walking path. Our modest entry fee of $5 allowed us to sample fruit (peaches, plums, nectarines, pluots and apricots) from each farm. Most farmers also had their fruit for sale at the big fruit stand in the front of the event.


Tasting Booths & Tasters



My favorite Sweet & Juicy Peaches



More Tasters Wait Their Turn


We tasted and sampled until we were almost completely full! We then each purchased a bag of organic fruit to take home. All the fruit was priced at $3/lb.


The Fruit Stand


Beautiful Apricots

There were delicious flaky pastries and sweet & tangy paletas (Mexican popsicles) for sale both made from the same organic fruit. The pastries were provided by La Boulangerie de France. The paletas were made by La Reina de Michoacan. We ate some of each even after filling up on all of that fresh fruit. The peach pastry and the plum paleta that I personally snarfed down, were magnificent!


Flaky, Juicy Peach Pastries ~Don't they look good?



Peach, Apricot, Nectarine and Plum Pastries

It was a fun and interesting event. I look forward to attending again next year.





© Copyright 2008 North Fork News

Pine and Oak

NORTH FORK
ABOVE FOG AND BELOW SNOW
AS WE ALL WELL KNOW.
STATE CENTER IS VERY NEAR
OF THAT WE ARE VERY CLEAR.
BUT SOMETHING SEEN BUT SELDOM SPOKE
IS THE MEETING OF PINE AND OAK.
ELEGANT PINE AND SWARTHY OAK
COME TOGETHER IN THIS PLACE
SEEN SOMETIMES IN FOND EMBRACE.

© Copyright 2008 North Fork News