Memories

I'm getting to be old enough so that I often hear myself saying, "When I was a boy...." because so many things have changed since then. Seeing these Christmas trees stacked up for sale outside a local supermarket triggered one of these long-forgotten memories. I remember going out into the bush with my father to get our Christmas tree. At the time (around 1946/47), we lived on the prairies and it must have been a bit of a drive to find some pine forest. Around where we lived it was pretty much just grassland. I suspect that was the way that most people in Canada got their Christmas trees in those days, tramping around in the snow with an ax in hand. Another feature of Christmas was after the tree was brought home. Then last year's lights had to be repaired. These were small screw-in incandescent bulbs, not like the modern leds, and the strings were often wired in series. Finding and replacing the burnt out bulbs and getting the strings working was an evening's work. My older brother, a much more logical and methodical child than I, was very good at this. While I'm waxing nostalgic I'll include this school class photo taken a few years later (maybe 1949) around Christmas - there's a decorated tree in the background. This photo, particularly the way I'm dressed (felt boots for the snow season and the knee stockings and breeches that were always worn with them), brings back a lot of memories also. I'm the leftmost little guy in the front row.