CELEBRATE THE SEASON:
Solemn Stillness
by Wayne Kelley

Winter Outings
By Snowmobile or Sleigh

A Christmas Tree Shoppers Glossary of Terms
by Walt Rockwood

Vermont's Top 10 Winter Events

IN THE FARMHOUSE KITCHEN:
Holiday Cookie Collection

EVERYTHING WOOD HEAT:
More Woodstove Magic
by Daryle Thomas

GARDENING:
Forcing Bulbs for Winter Bloom
by Leonard Perry

Winter Gardening Tips
by Vern Grubinger

INTO THE OUTDOORS:
Unfinished Stories in the Snow
by Jenna Guarino

Tracking Winter Wildlife
by Heather Behrens

Did You Ever Eat a Pine Tree?
by Euell Gibbons

The River in Winter
by W.D. Wetherell

VERMONT WEATHERVANE BOOK NEWS:
My Dog's Brain
plus the story behind the creation of the book

Will Moses' Silent Night

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Statewide Calendar of Events

Blue Ribbon Events
Detailed information on selected Vermont events

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A Christmas Tree Shopper's
Glossary of Terms

by Walt Rockwood

To help you select your tree this year, Mike Garvan, president of the New Hampshire-Vermont Christmas Tree Association, provides a glossary of terms for tree shoppers.

Tree Species
"Several species of Christmas trees will be on sale in northeastern U.S. markets, beginning around Thanksgiving," Garvan says. "Some will hold their needles longer than others, some will smell better. Although tradition plays a big part in tree selection, you might want to take another look at what's available. Selection of trees is much greater and quality much higher than it was ten years ago."

The following species (listed alphabetically) are available at Vermont choose-and-cut and retail operations.

Balsam fir -- This species gives you the "real smell of Christmas" and is the most popular tree among shoppers in New England. It has medium length needles and will hold its needles for several weeks.

Colorado blue spruce -- Blue spruces are shapely and beautiful, but their needles are usually stiff and sharp. You may need to put on gloves while decorating a blue spruce. This species doesn't produce a strong scent and needle retention is only fair.

Douglas fir -- A high quality, locally produced Douglas fir is hard to find because it doesn't grow in the Northeast. Many Douglas firs on the market have been shipped from western U.S. plantations and may start shedding their needles when exposed to New England winter temperatures.

Fraser fir -- The Fraser fir is fast overtaking the balsam fir in popularity. A Fraser looks much like the balsam, but if you check the underside of the branches, you'll see that the needles have a silver-blue cast. The Fraser has excellent needle retention but doesn't provide quite as much Christmas aroma as the balsam fir.

You should expect to pay a bit more for a Fraser than a balsam. If you're looking for a Fraser, shop carefully because it is hard to tell the Fraser and the balsam apart.

Scotch pine -- A Scotch pine will be full and plump and somewhat harder to decorate than a fir or spruce. But it will hold its needles for months and has a pine scent that rivals the fir. When selecting a Scotch pine, be sure to look carefully at the trunk as the trunks of this species tend to be crooked.

White pine -- A white pine decorated with lights and ribbons makes an attractive Christmas tree. However, its soft branches will not support heavy ornaments. It has a nice pine scent.

White spruce -- This species tends to have dense foliage, good blue-green color, and a nice shape, but it doesn't smell as nice, or hold its needles as well, as a fir.

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