Finding a Christmas tree to take home

The predicted rain came much earlier than I hoped this morning. I had planned to go up to Stancombe Beech farm shop in Bisley, on the flat farmlands of the Cotswold hills, as i had promised to get our Christmas tree. In fact Woodpeckers has been champing at the bit as she wants to decorate the house, so I was under pressure. I have tried a couple of times before but either the weather was inclement or the farmer wasn't around to show me the trees.

I waited for a break in the torrential rain, which didn't look likely mid-morning. I did manage to get out in waterproofs to replenish the bird feeders further down the garden, as the birds were looking rather desperate and were milling about the feeders I'd set up outside the back door. That meant I did get some great views of bullfinches, goldfinches, tits, robins and blackcaps only two yards from where I was sitting behind the glass doors. But they do prefer to eat from the protection of the garden trees. When I had topped those up I even saw the nuthatch eating suet from the tray.

By the time I reached the farm shop the rain had reduced to a fine drizzle so I donned wellies, and a waterproof jacket to traipse out tho the fields behind the sheds where the shop is sited. Ashley and his brother Keith were busy but did tell me exactly where to go and apologised as there had been a huge rush of people all wanting to buy their trees at the weekend. I took my camera and my bow saw and headed along the very muddy rutted clay tracks to the field and then walked along the strip of l;and where the trees have been growing.

But as I did so the rain started again and I had to be quick in sizing up the best tree for our rather small front room. As I was taking some pictures Keith appeared in his tractor to drive across the field to the strip of land where their leeks are growing as he needed to dig more for the shop. I waved and then walked back beside the trees to make my choice. It only took a couple of minutes to cut it down and by the time I returned to the farmyard where I'd left the car the rain tipping down again.

I bought some more leeks, parsnips, onions and purple sprouting broccoli as well as a box of clementines which looked delicious. Helena wasn't home from work when I returned so we won't set the tree up till teatime as I have to go to town on business. But it will be fun and I know how much Helena will enjoy it. We may well have a couple of drinks too, with a fire roaring away and maybe some music. But I have just remembered that I forgot the mistletoe! Ooops.