Holidayfrom the marketing department Greetings of The Anniston Star Have a classic Christmas with a live tree There’s a stigma that comes with buying a fresh-cut tree: it’ll be sticky, the needles will fall out and the tree will die by Christmas, no exceptions. Well, hold on. It’s not quite like that anymore, as more species of tree have become available at local farms, supplanting cedar trees (which dry quickly and can lose needles soon after cutting) as the norm. In fact, picking up a locally-grown, hand-cut tree is easier than ever. We met up with local Christmas tree farmers Rick and Dianne West, who have been running Westwood Plantation Christmas Tree Farm in Munford for 15 years, to find out how to pick our tree. PICKING THE TREE Know your house’s height Some of the trees on the farm are more than 15 feet tall, so don’t come home with more tree than you need. Play favorites The farm has four tree types: Murray Cypress, the green, cone-shaped trees that you see when someone says “Christmas tree;” Carolina Sapphire, with a blue tint to its needles; old- fashioned cedars, for traditionalists who loved the smell at grandma’s house; and Blue Ice, which shares colors with the Carolina Sapphire, but has its own distinct scent. Timber! You can bring your own saw or use the farm’s tools to cut down your tree, and chainsaws are allowed. The farm provides helpers on the weekend, too. Arrive before 5 The sun goes down a little earlier this time of year, and the Wests have Dianne and Rick West of Westwood Plantation Christmas Tree Farm seen people try to cut down trees by stand in front of one of their trees at their farm in Munford. phonelight — it’s not exactly easy. PACKING IT UP CARING AT HOME Funnel for a better back Shake it out Funnels are available at the farm and The tree goes into a shaker, a machine Water, water, water most home stores that stretch into the that dances the tree around to get any “When you have a fresh cut tree, it tree base from the outside (usually, you’ll broken branches and other matter out absorbs an enormous amount of water, hide the funnel in the back). This will before it’s packed. “If there are any people just don’t understand,” said let you water the tree without crawling rhinoceroses living in there, it’ll shake Dianne. “You water it in the morning and under it. them out,” said Rick. at night for about a week.” Visit Westwood Plantation Christmas Newly cut trees can take in a gallon of Tree Farm at 130 Pinewood Drive The tree is then pulled into a baler, water a day or more, though intake slows in Munford, just south of Oxford on which will net it up to make it easier to down after about a week. If you keep it Highway 21 on your left. The farm is carry, load and unpack. Be sure to have watered a tree will easily last through open through Dec. 24, from 10 a.m.- a truck or trailer to carry the tree home; Christmas, even if it comes home in 5 p.m. Call 256-591-7295 for more they’re not only tall, but very wide. November. information. Your Spot For HOLIDAY SAVINGS 700 Quintard Drive · Oxford · shopquintardmall.com Keep Santa happy and safe with a clean chimney There are plenty of good their chimneys, and that’s nigh-impenetrable layer of call ‘20 by 20,’ which if it reasons to maintain your really a little too late,” said black crust up the chimney was a thin Santa, he could chimney. Burr, who encourages his that is much more costly to probably fit down there,” Safety is a major factor; regular customers to get their remove. Burr said, chuckling. Kids dying embers can get lodged cleanings scheduled during like to ask if he’s cleaning into cracks in the lining and the spring and summer, when Suck it in, Santa the chimneys to make St. sneak their way into a home’s the schedule is more open Modern chimneys don’t Nick’s job a little easier, and woodwork to start a fire, and and easy to arrange. Doing leave a lot of room for jolly he always tells them that’s without regular cleaning the so ensures that the chimney fat men to slide through, but exactly the plan. layers of soot can get so thick is ready to go when cold Burr reckons that there’s Contact Heath Chimney they crystallize into a solid weather sets in. at least one Santa-friendly Services at www. layer that has to be washed model still in use — assuming heathchimneyservices.net or out with chemicals. Get your chimney St. Nick sheds a few pounds, by calling 256-832-0205. But if you ask Heath Burr, cleaned regularly first. owner of Oxford’s Heath Regular customer Lane “There are flues that they Chimney Services, he’ll give Millwood describes his you 12 good reasons to keep fireplace use as frequent, up with your chimney: “Out and has his chimney cleaned of one chimney, at one time, annually to keep up with his I pulled out nine squirrels regular usage. SHOP.... and three ducks,” said Burr. “I use it to augment my gas It’s important to make sure heat; I spend a lot of time chimneys are capped. down in my den with my wife, Burr’s been in the business so we turn the gas heat down for more than a decade, and and crank up the fireplace,” in that time he’s carefully said Millwood. removed chimney swift nests When Heath employee and spooked away enough Jeff Vaughan slides out of bats to put Bruce Wayne Millwood’s fireplace after Resale & Boutique to shame. The time on the scrubbing down the last year job and his certification of soot, his white full-body with CSIA, the Chimney suit is covered in dull gray Safety Institute of America, and smoky black patches. makes him something of an It’s actually not that bad, Current encyclopedia when it comes according to Burr, who to flue work. He offered us says that annual cleaning is some important tips about generally a tidy affair. Styles... maintaining chimneys for the If a customer waits a few holidays: years in between cleanings, though (or never has one Don’t wait until it gets done at all), layers of creosote cold build up in the flue, which “When you start getting that range from a level 1 layer, like first cold snap, that’s when Millwood’s simple cleaning, people start thinking about up to level 3, with a thick, ...Top Brands 25% OFF One Regular Price Item Exp: 12/31/15. Limit one coupon per customer. 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