Monday morning 12/03, Sue and I headed up to the New Hampshire White Mountain National Forest to get a Christmas tree. For a $5.00 fee paid at the ranger station (on the right just as you turn onto the Kancamagus Highway from Rt. 16), you can go into designated areas of the forest and cut your own Christmas tree.

On the way up, we stopped in West Ossipee and met Sue's mom for coffee at the McDonalds. Sue must have run into 4 people she knew or recognized from years ago when she lived in Tamworth. Anyway, we drove out the Kank about 12 miles past Bear Notch Road to a logging road.

The ranger had told us that we would need to be at least past Bear Notch Road in order to get above 1200 feet elevation. And it was markedly colder up there than at the station; we had to bundle up pretty good! Before getting to the logging road, we had stopped at several other locations but had not found a suitable tree within the distance from roads, camp sites, etc. parameters that are part of the rules.

I parked the car on the Kank, and we walked a ways up the logging road to a clearing on the right. Across the clearing we could see many of the smaller trees that were sized more as to what we were looking for. But when we got across, they were either too small or damaged. So, we tromped through the woods until we came to just the right tree. Sue started the cut, and then I finished it off; a really nice small tree. I carried it back to the car, and we were off on the return trip home; about two hours with a short stop at Ocean State Job Lot in Ossipee for some odds and ends.

After playing a couple of sets of backgammon we had a crock pot meal for dinner that Sue had put on low that morning. And did another episode of Centennial.