My letter to Ritchey's Christmas Tree Farm

Patrick Nottingham
1803 First Ave
Altoona, PA 16602



Ritchey's Christmas Shop
3466 Mill Road
Duncansville, PA 16635


Dear Ritchey’s Christmas Trees,


It had been a long walk over J.B. Treefarm and we hadn’t been able to find any trees of sufficient size when we decided to make the drive to Duncansville and try you folks. Fairly quickly my wife spotted a large tree nearly ten feet tall. I should have recognized the vine growing up it, but I had never seen a specimen quite so thick before. In retrospect, I suppose, others had spotted the vine and had left this tree alone which is probably why it had gotten to such a size. Anyway, after felling our tree and dragging it up the hill a nice young fellow helped us put it in the back of his truck and we rode up to pay.

I wondered if it were true when the fine and helpful lady we paid identified the vine and
removed it for us. After all I’ve seen Poison Ivy before, but never a vine so thick. I should have known better and worried more. But I never really reacted too much to it before, and my wife had never had it all despite the fact that we have spent much time camping and hiking in the past. Yes, I know a dead looking vine can still give you the rash but I still figured I was safe and was confident in washing up at home.

And so here it is and I’m still on Prednisone steroids and Benedryl and Claritin for the break out I have, and my wife is in even more misery. It’s probably an omen that I came home for lunch and found the tree laying on it side mocking me with it’s prickly branches. I am now a convert and will take this opportunity to remove the vile thing from my house and put in it’s place a lovely plastic fake tree. I plan to place it in the back of my truck and drive far up the mountain and release the thing back to where its wild cousins grow free. So, I must say that despite being nice folks with lovely Christmas wares, I would suggest that as your trimmers shape the pines on your property this summer that it would behoove you have them take a weed whacker along and cut out any plants that have “leaves of three” growing on them. Don’t worry about me because we shan’t be back to the wild again.

Happy Holidays and still scratchin’ here,


Patrick Nottingham