Let it Burn

A few weeks ago, on Christmas eve some of our neighbors stopped by for a beer. We were talking about the holiday season, and how much we’d all enjoyed our tiny tabletop trees– all the lovely Christmas tree smell but easier to get in the house, with far fewer needles shed and super easy clean-up. No waiting for the city’s special pick-up day, that little guy will fit right in the large garbage can in the ally, or we realized as we kept talking– in a fire pit. Which, you guessed it, my neighbors just happen to have.

So last Friday night, we sipped mulled wine and watched our trees burn.

Which actually takes very little time at all. Dried out tabletop firs go up fast. I’m talking within seconds, barely enough time to swallow that sip of wine you just took. They also create an impressive pillar of fire. And then when the tree is consumed, little ash needles rain down, like grey snow. Then the trunk of the thing sits there and burns in the pit like a small spindly log.

It’s impressive, just scary enough to be fun, and not at all what I expected. Which when you think about it, isn’t a bad way to kick-off a new year.

Burn bright, my friends.