A news report this morning showed a house fire that killed some
people. Officials think it was caused by the lights on the Christmas
tree. The report said there are around 100 Christmas tree fires per year.
That sure sounds like a reason to go shopping for LED lights at the
after Christmas sales.

On 12/27/21 04:11, Dean Hoffman wrote:
> A news report this morning showed a house fire that killed some
> people. Officials think it was caused by the lights on the Christmas
> tree. The report said there are around 100 Christmas tree fires per year.
> That sure sounds like a reason to go shopping for LED lights at the
> after Christmas sales.

1+ LED Christmas lights are prettier too.

and put some water in the stand!

On 12/27/2021 7:11 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
> A news report this morning showed a house fire that killed some
> people. Officials think it was caused by the lights on the Christmas
> tree. The report said there are around 100 Christmas tree fires per year.
> That sure sounds like a reason to go shopping for LED lights at the
> after Christmas sales.

Artificial trees look very nice these days and are made from fire
retardant materials. Mine has LED lights built in.

On 12/27/2021 05:58 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 12/27/2021 7:11 AM, Dean Hoffman wrote:
>> A news report this morning showed a house fire that killed some
>> people. Officials think it was caused by the lights on the Christmas
>> tree. The report said there are around 100 Christmas tree fires per
>> year.
>> That sure sounds like a reason to go shopping for LED lights at the
>> after Christmas sales.
>
> Artificial trees look very nice these days and are made from fire
> retardant materials. Mine has LED lights built in.

My Christmas tree is still out in the woods. Maybe I'll go visit today.
It's 195 feet high, wouldn't quite fit in the house.

On 12/27/21 07:41, rbowman wrote:
> My Christmas tree is still out in the woods. Maybe I'll go visit today.
> It's 195 feet high, wouldn't quite fit in the house.
What kind of tree? At that height, I suspect it
is a Douglas Fir.
:-)

On 12/27/2021 08:03 PM, T wrote:
> On 12/27/21 07:41, rbowman wrote:
>> My Christmas tree is still out in the woods. Maybe I'll go visit
>> today. It's 195 feet high, wouldn't quite fit in the house.
>
> What kind of tree? At that height, I suspect it
> is a Douglas Fir.
>
> :-)

https://www.montanapictures.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/71414-Alberton-Big-Pine-Biggest-Ponderosa-Pine-Tree_MontanaPictures_Net-1.jpg

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G1FN3T/largest-ponderosa-pine-tree-in-montana-in-the-fish-creek-valley-near-G1FN3T.jpg

That one is a ponderosa pine.

For circumference, a larch has it beat:

https://crownofthecontinent.net/entries/gus-worlds-largest-larch-tree-seeley-lake-montana/7589f2e8-37dd-4a92-a35b-6ab6ad5627ef

http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/forestry/docs/assistance/big-tree/bigtreeregister2021_web.pdf

You have to scroll down. The scoring takes into account the height,
girth, and crown but for just height a douglas fir comes in a 4th at 178'.

On 12/27/21 21:34, rbowman wrote:
> On 12/27/2021 08:03 PM, T wrote:
>> On 12/27/21 07:41, rbowman wrote:
>>> My Christmas tree is still out in the woods. Maybe I'll go visit
>>> today. It's 195 feet high, wouldn't quite fit in the house.
>>
>> What kind of tree?  At that height, I suspect it
>> is a Douglas Fir.
>>
>> :-)
>
> https://www.montanapictures.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/71414-Alberton-Big-Pine-Biggest-Ponderosa-Pine-Tree_MontanaPictures_Net-1.jpg
>
>
> https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G1FN3T/largest-ponderosa-pine-tree-in-montana-in-the-fish-creek-valley-near-G1FN3T.jpg
>
>
>
> That one is a ponderosa pine.
>
> For circumference, a larch has it beat:
>
> https://crownofthecontinent.net/entries/gus-worlds-largest-larch-tree-seeley-lake-montana/7589f2e8-37dd-4a92-a35b-6ab6ad5627ef
>
>
>
> http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/forestry/docs/assistance/big-tree/bigtreeregister2021_web.pdf
>
>
> You have to scroll down. The scoring takes into account the height,
> girth, and crown but for just height a douglas fir comes in a 4th at 178'.
>
>
Awsome pictures!
My favoriet two pine trees are ponderosa and jefferies.
A questions for you on your ponderosa: butterscotch
or vanilla?
Yes, I can resist sniffing them.

On 12/28/2021 12:26 AM, T wrote:
> On 12/27/21 21:34, rbowman wrote:
>> On 12/27/2021 08:03 PM, T wrote:
>>> On 12/27/21 07:41, rbowman wrote:
>>>> My Christmas tree is still out in the woods. Maybe I'll go visit
>>>> today. It's 195 feet high, wouldn't quite fit in the house.
>>>
>>> What kind of tree? At that height, I suspect it
>>> is a Douglas Fir.
>>>
>>> :-)
>>
>> https://www.montanapictures.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/71414-Alberton-Big-Pine-Biggest-Ponderosa-Pine-Tree_MontanaPictures_Net-1.jpg
>>
>>
>> https://c8.alamy.com/comp/G1FN3T/largest-ponderosa-pine-tree-in-montana-in-the-fish-creek-valley-near-G1FN3T.jpg
>>
>>
>>
>> That one is a ponderosa pine.
>>
>> For circumference, a larch has it beat:
>>
>> https://crownofthecontinent.net/entries/gus-worlds-largest-larch-tree-seeley-lake-montana/7589f2e8-37dd-4a92-a35b-6ab6ad5627ef
>>
>>
>>
>> http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/forestry/docs/assistance/big-tree/bigtreeregister2021_web.pdf
>>
>>
>> You have to scroll down. The scoring takes into account the height,
>> girth, and crown but for just height a douglas fir comes in a 4th at
>> 178'.
>>
>>
>
> Awsome pictures!
>
> My favoriet two pine trees are ponderosa and jefferies.
>
> A questions for you on your ponderosa: butterscotch
> or vanilla?
>
> Yes, I can resist sniffing them.
>
>

Smells like a p. pine to me... In '89 I worked on a nature trail the
Forest Service was building. One of the stops was a pine and the
descriptive brochure said it smelled live vanilla so that's the
official story.

While brushing out the trail I came across a hawthorn. I have a
particular distaste for that specie so I fired up the Stihl and cut it
to the roots.

A couple of days later the ranger in charge of the project gave me a
copy of the proposed trail guide. 'Er, Annie, we've got a little problem
with the stop at the hawthorn.' I couldn't find another hawthorn
anywhere near the trail so we skipped that one.

I never understood hawthorn jelly unless the British version has more
taste than the Doughlas hawthorn. Those berries re all seed and no
taste. They're similar enough to service berries to try to ambush me but
I approach carefully checking for thorns.

On 12/27/21 06:11, Dean Hoffman wrote:
> A news report this morning showed a house fire that killed some
> people. Officials think it was caused by the lights on the Christmas
> tree. The report said there are around 100 Christmas tree fires per year.
> That sure sounds like a reason to go shopping for LED lights at the
> after Christmas sales.

Those C7 and C9 incandescent lights do get hot. Also, LED light colors
don't fade. This Christmas I have only one C9 incandescent (Rudolph's
nose) and it's outside.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he
would be a criminal. If he would follow strictly the teachings of the
New, he would be insane." -- Robert G. Ingersoll

On 12/27/21 06:43, T wrote:
> On 12/27/21 04:11, Dean Hoffman wrote:
>>    A news report this morning showed a house fire that killed some
>> people.  Officials think it was caused by the lights on the Christmas
>> tree.   The report said there are around 100 Christmas tree fires per
>> year.
>>     That sure sounds like a reason to go shopping for LED lights at the
>> after Christmas sales.
>
> 1+   LED Christmas lights are prettier too.

They are. The light from most LEDs is actually that color, not "dirty
yellow" (usually called white) filtered through paint that comes off and
looks bad.

> and put some water in the stand!

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he
would be a criminal. If he would follow strictly the teachings of the
New, he would be insane." -- Robert G. Ingersoll

On 12/27/21 06:58, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

[snip]

> Artificial trees look very nice these days and are made from fire
> retardant materials.  Mine has LED lights built in.

I really don't like "pre-lit" trees. It deprives you of creativity
(decorating).

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"If a man would follow, today, the teachings of the Old Testament, he
would be a criminal. If he would follow strictly the teachings of the
New, he would be insane." -- Robert G. Ingersoll

On 12/28/2021 1:51 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
> On 12/27/21 06:58, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
>> Artificial trees look very nice these days and are made from fire
>> retardant materials.  Mine has LED lights built in.
>
> I really don't like "pre-lit" trees. It deprives you of creativity
> (decorating).
>

It has a well distributed lighting pattern and you can have a solid
color, multi color, or changing at random. All the creativity I need.
Oh, my stand rotates too.

On Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at 3:38:57 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 12/28/2021 1:51 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
> > On 12/27/21 06:58, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> >
> > [snip]
> >
> >> Artificial trees look very nice these days and are made from fire
> >> retardant materials. Mine has LED lights built in.
> >
> > I really don't like "pre-lit" trees. It deprives you of creativity
> > (decorating).
> >
> It has a well distributed lighting pattern and you can have a solid
> color, multi color, or changing at random. All the creativity I need.
> Oh, my stand rotates too.

We cut our own trees at Christmas tree farms. Most have a drill that
will ensure your tree will stand up straight, regardless of what the trunk
is doing - as long as you have a stand like the one shown below. With
this type of the stand you can rotate the tree (manually) as you decorate it.

https://pursellmfg.com/shop/tree-stands-and-display/rebar-stands-bowls/large-rebar-spike-bowl-2-5-gallon-25pk/

The tree farms have a jig that allows them to position the base of the
trunk in a "bowl" and then put the top of the tree in a "V" so it stands up
straight, even if the trunk is twisted or curved. Then they step on a pedal
and a conical drill bit comes up through the bottom of the cup and into the
trunk.

When you get home, you just plunk the tree on the spike and start decorating.
No thumbscrews, clamps or anything. Just Plunk!

After a lightining strike here, the entire tree almost disappears (except for a few branches and leaves).
-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U8aoiEtVSg

On 12/29/2021 10:27 AM, bruce bowser wrote:
>
> After a lightining strike here, the entire tree almost disappears (except for a few branches and leaves).
> -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U8aoiEtVSg

Good catch.

On Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 1:27:20 PM UTC-5, bruce bowser wrote:
> After a lightining strike here, the entire tree almost disappears (except for a few branches and leaves).
> -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U8aoiEtVSg

Whole lotta nature going on here...

A double rainbow framing mountain top lightening strikes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHznyG9jcC4&t=97s

On 12/28/21 14:38, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 12/28/2021 1:51 PM, Mark Lloyd wrote:
>> On 12/27/21 06:58, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>> [snip]
>>
>>> Artificial trees look very nice these days and are made from fire
>>> retardant materials.  Mine has LED lights built in.
>>
>> I really don't like "pre-lit" trees. It deprives you of creativity
>> (decorating).
>>
>
> It has a well distributed lighting pattern and you can have a solid
> color, multi color, or changing at random.  All the creativity I need.
> Oh, my stand rotates too.

but I get to actually position the lights, and that is an important part
of Christmas.

BTW, I used to have one of those rotating stands. It would make a sound
like someone snoring (IIRC once every time it went around).

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"Is it okay to yell 'MOVIE' in a crowded firehouse?"

On Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 12:27:20 PM UTC-6, bruce bowser wrote:
> After a lightining strike here, the entire tree almost disappears (except for a few branches and leaves).
> -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3U8aoiEtVSg

I made a service call long ago and found that an underground wire was bad. The farmer told me
about an old timers' story that said lightning would bore holes in the ground. It turned out that's
what happened. The lightning strike bored a hole that went down to the bad underground wire
and stopped there. The corn was still mostly green except for some stalks right around the
hole.
The same thing happened at another farm a few years later.