|
The Rambling Insomniac
Tom is a 25+ year resident of Germantown and the surrounding community. He currently lives in Hubertus with his wife and two small kids on a hobby farm near Bark Lake. Tom's blog will likely not save the world, but hopefully, you'll get some enjoyment from his ramblings.
Local Christmas Kudos
By Tom White
Thursday, Dec 6 2007, 04:18 PM
I usually don’t write a whole lot about the local scene here in Washington County, but I need to give some kudos out to two different local businesses. The first is Schaefer’s Choose and Harvest Tree Farm located in Slinger, just off of Highway 60. I took my family there this past Saturday to buy our Christmas tree for this year. We went late morning, hoping to get a jump on the “creeping white death” (well, according to the local media anyway) that was headed our way. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones that tried to get a jump, as the place was bustling! Despite the crowd, everyone at Schaefer’s made it a pleasurable experience. Someone was at the entrance helping cars get parked and tending to overall traffic control. Once parked, we made our way back to the pole barn, where several staff were quick to ask if we were there to harvest a tree. They then pointed out the sample trees on display and pointed us in the direction of the wagons used to transport eager tree shoppers out to the tree fields. They had at least four tractor-pulled wagons in operation that day, one of which was being driven by Santa himself. Our kids got a huge kick out of the ride over the river and through the woods on the wagon, which included blankets to bundle up in. Once out in the field, we were greeted by another staff member who pointed out the location of the various trees available for harvest. Saws were readily available for anyone who needed one. There were thousands of trees to choose from, all of varying size and shape. One looked better than the next, and we had a blast wandering with the kids through the maze of trees looking for the perfect one for our home. After cutting down our tree, we quickly boarded another wagon that took us back to the pole barn. Once we unloaded, it was like a production line of measuring trees, writing up receipts, collecting money and bailing trees upon request. Our perfect 7-foot plus Balsam Fir cost us only $30, which is a steal compared to what you pay on many of the local tree lots. As I loaded the tree onto our truck, my wife and kids enjoyed the bon-fire the Schaefer’s had going, along with complimentary cookies, hot chocolate and coffee. Despite the huge crowd that day, the Schaefer’s staff made the entire experience one that was fun and enjoyable for my family. What a great way to get us all into the Christmas spirit!
My next kudo goes to German Glass and Gift Imports, Inc. of Germantown. The place is tucked away on Lannon Road, just south of Highway 175. I make it a tradition to go there each year to buy a couple ornaments, and to browse their unique selection of German gifts. They have everything from ornaments, to music boxes, to cuckoo clocks, to authentic German “smokers” and nutcrackers, to fine crystal, to imported candies, chocolates and gingerbreads, and the list goes on and on. If you want true authentic German gifts, this place is no joke. The owner, named Heinz, is always quick to ask if you need any assistance while you shop, and he is extremely knowledgeable about all that his store has to offer. While I’ve bought many things there in the past, I always come back for the ornaments, as the selection is incredible. I make a tradition of buying my wife a Santa ornament each year, and they literally have dozens of Santa’s to choose from. This year, I also started a tradition of buying my kids ornaments. I bought my son Buck a fire truck ornament, and bought my daughter Lyndsy a school bus ornament.
After we set up our freshly cut tree on Sunday, I snuck the newly purchased and wrapped ornaments under the tree, and told the kids that Santa must have stopped early. They were totally excited to get their beautiful and unique ornaments, and they were the first ones hung on our tree this year.
If you know of any other local businesses that deserve some recognition, let me know about them!
G’Night G’Town!
Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree. In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall. ~Larry Wilde
|
|
