Blue Christmas?
Well, the lights on my tree are blue, at any rate.I put it up over the weekend; I've been using an artificial one for years.
"Tree hugger" that I am, I just can't see killing a tree every year for Christmas.
Anyway, the one I have up has three sets of lights built in...but not a one of them was working.
Same with the other ½ dozen strings that I had.
(Past tense)
So, I went out and got a set of all blue LED lights.
Per the specs, they'll last up to 200,000 hours.
(They also use about 90% less electricity)
That's almost 23 years if I were to leave them on continuously.
It'd be 276 years in the more likely event that they're only used about one month out of the year.
(Quite long enough, I suspect)
If I outlive them, (HA!!!) I'll spring for a new set...
posted by camojack | 01:07
12 Comments:
First... hehehe...
I have an angel on the top of the tree that lights up... What do you top the tree with???
One Christmas past, a friend commented that I was "obsessed" with the lights on my tree. Perhaps he was right.
This year, the boy put up the tree and did the lights. They are very Charlie Brown, but he was so proud, what's a mom to do? I added gold lights to the white last year and have an abundance of glass ornaments. Very pretty, IMNSHO.
I also have an artificial tree. Bought a Mountain King for $50 about 15 years ago. This is it's last year. It still looks good, but the diameter is too big for my little living room; I need a skinnier tree.
I guess I'm a tree-hugger too. My fake tree is going on 20 years old or thereabouts. Looks decent. Low fire risk. No water needed. No needles to clean up. No sap. No disposal issues. And I don't feel like I'm contributing to global warming. It's mostly covered with garland and ornaments anyway. As for the real trees... they're nice but, Bah Humbug!
(:D) Regards...
I can't figure out your sign in, but for now I think I have arrives.
As a former grower of Blue Spruce Christmas trees and a lover of real tree smells, not even to mention the fun of going out on a family outing to cut your tree (your dog will love you) I put in a vote for a live tree.
Tree farms are a renewable resource. Every tree that is cut a little baby tree appears and someone makes a little cash. That, my friend is capitalism, I think.
Now saying all that I have no tree. I decorated the one in the lobby and community room and it all but wore me out
Now I will hit the login button and with my breath on hold..............
Let me try this again. I'm freaking out!
Miracle on 5th St SE
LMHO!!! Leave it to you, Jack, to take it "over the top" with the "manly man" Christmas lights!! LMFriggin'HO!! I can see it now...Jack's house, tree is up, plugs it in...NO lights! Fools with it for a bit...frustrated that it's not operating in the proper manner. Gets out the other strands of lights...plugs each one in...NOTHIN'!! Griping and cursing the light strands, gets into the CamoVan and searches out the masters of ALL Christmas lights...brings 'em home...plugs those babies in, and he's GOOD TO GO FOR THE NEXT TWO CENTURIES!!! [Still, LMFHO!!!]
Btw, Jack...did you get "blue" lights to match the color the air inside your house was when the other strands didn't work?!? ;-)
Nice looking tree!
I vote for the real tree, though. They smell nice and they give the room a Christmas feel.
BTW, while for those who truly keep one artificial tree for their lifetime they may be less harmful to the environment (notwithstanding the probable larger carbon footprint), most people only keep them for ten years or so and then buy another. Real trees are a completely renewable resource. Here's a vote for the real trees from a former president of Greenpeace, no less!
Merry Christmas!
JR:
I have an artificial snowman on top of my artificial tree.
MargeinMI:
I'm not obsessed with the lights, but it's nice if they work, y'know?
rusty:
I seem to recall doing a bit of tree-hugging on some steep sections of the "Falling Water" Trail, yes.
But I'm helping my personal economy by not having to shell out cash for a new tree every year.
Hawkeye®:
Good points, all...
onlineanalyst:
Blue light special, yes, but not from K-Mart.
(I prefer to drink "white lightning")
Ms RightWing's Ink:
I have no dog, but do miss the fragrance of a live tree. Sometimes I'll get a wreath or some cuttings to get that aspect.
Tell me more about the "Miracle on 5th St SE".
'da Bunny:
I actually wasted very little time messing about with those old incandescent lights; I'd already been considering the LED option, anyhow.
camojack_senior:
I got them at Lowe's.
darth_meister:
When store baggers ask me if I want paper or plastic, I tell them I want both.
(I use 'em in my kitchen trash)
Beerme:
Regarding the carbon "footprint", don't forget to factor in what transportation of trees adds to the equation, former Greenpeace presidents notwithstanding...
Maggie:
My tree was supposed to be pre-lit with white lights too, and it worked the last time, but this year...nothing.
(Hence the LED lights)
It sounds to me as though you've pretty much got it covered, however...
Re: fake vs. real; tree farms are a renewable resource. I lived in northern MI and there are many such farms there. Still, my economy comes first.
I had a conversation about this with my family (all city dwellers) one Christmas. They all get live trees (except Mom) 'cause they like the smell. I said, "If I want to smell pine trees and nature, I just step outside." :o)
I have a 100' blue spruce about 10' off the front corner of my house. I'd love to 'do it up' sometime ($$). Those LED lights might be a good investment if I could leave them on the tree year-round and be sure they would last many years. Plus, I think blue lights are the prettiest buried in snow.
MargeinMI:
Regarding fake vs. real?
Fire Safety for the Holidays
"Trees used indoors for the holidays account for approximately 400 fires annually, resulting in 10 deaths, 80 injuries and more than $15 million in property damage."
As for live conifers outside, I've got blue spruce et al at "La Casa de Camo".
(My rambling estate)
Kajun:
I was led to LED lights...by the fact that the old uncandescents [sic] were kaput.
I've got another fake tree in my attic, too...
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