Decorating My Ash Tree

[Old Monkey]

A couple of Halloween's ago I climbed my ash tree and built a spider web in it and place a large spider I had made in it. This year I wanted to decorate it for Christmas. I wanted to put oversized ornaments in it. I priced them out at about ten bucks apiece. Too rich for me. So I decided to try the arts and craft project approach. I purchased ten rubber bouncy balls at $.93 apiece, some spray paint and some eye hooks. As I was leaving the store with a shopping cart filled with bouncy balls, this kid goggled at my purchase and exclaimed, "You have a lot of balls."

"Why yes I do, thanks for noticing."

Now it was a good thing a bought so many balls because I killed two with a hot glue gun that I was using to try to attach a wire to the balls with. Evidently when the glue is hot just dropping it on the ball from six inches up is enough to melt a hole in the soft rubber.

That was my first set back. My second set back is that my garage is not heated and every color paint except for gold didn't adhere to the rubber balls. I had to clean off the paint with paint thinner and paint them all gold as a first coat. The hot glue gun didn't work to adhere a wire to the balls. I ended up using small eye hooks threaded part of the way into the balls valves.

Anyway, two days before Christmas I finally got the balls in the tree. It looks pretty good in person. Next year I will paint them all red in the summer so it stands out more.

Here are some pictures. The reason I look fat in one of the pictures is because of cookies and chocolate.

 

[Old Monkey]

Oh and it was snowing.

 

[SkwerI]

Too cool, Darin. And you don't look all that fat.

 

[Old Monkey]

Thanks Brian the check is in the mail.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just think what you coulda done sans 25lbs, LOL!

 

[Paul B]

"The reason I look fat in one of the pictures is because of cookies and chocolate."

HAHA! damn near spit my tea on the keyboard there Darin! glad to see your christmas spirit isnt dimmed by crappy weather and/or weight issues.

 

[MasterBlaster]

"The reason I look fat in one of the pictures is because of cookies and chocolate."

 

[Frans]

Merry Christmas ya 'ol fat bastard!

 

[Stumper]

Mmmm... ME WANT COOKIE!
Darin, I'm glad you got your ash decorated. That took a lot of balls. How do you like the Blaze?

 

[Old Monkey]

I like it better than my old tried and true safety blue. I think I might get a spool of it. That would last me forever, here in Boise.

 

[sotc]

nice job d, they look better than i imagined

 

[vharrison]

Very creative! We will remind you of your summertime chores! Great idea!

 

[gf beranek]

I've had a yearning to decorate the Tree House for years. Figured 350 gazing balls ranging is size of 6 to 20 inch, full range of colors. 4,000 feet of 4 inch mylar boa, gold and sliver. 120 thousand syncornized led lights, blue/white. And to top it off, a rotating mirror faceted laser iluminated crest, red green and blue lasers.

And there you have it. A 250 foot tall Christmas tree. Just haven't the coin for it, though.

 

[MasterBlaster]

THAT would be a sight to see!

 

[gf beranek]

The cost of the gazing balls alone, stainless steel, would be near $30,000. But in large quanity the purschase price could be lowered.

Gotta find somebody with more dollars than sense to contribute to the project.

 

[No_Bivy]

GF do you own the treehouse tree? Nice Darin......how come my stumpgrinder is parked in your drive?

 

[gf beranek]

I wish I owned it.

 

[Reddog]

Looks nice Darin.
I was just wondering the other day how this had turned out.

 

[Old Monkey]

Clearly, I don't dream as big as Jerry. I think I spent under $40 on my project.

 

[Stumper]

Darin,You have dreams. Jerry has extravagant adventure/nightmares....but wouldn't thta be a hoot to do?

 

[Mike Maas]

I don't know Oldsaw, I think your tree is elegant in its simplicity.

Did you consider setting it up from the ground with your throw ball?

 

[Old Monkey]

Oldsaw? Now I am being mistaken for my rhetorical opponent.

I am not certain oh how I would tie them off if I used the throw ball, unless I tied all the strings to the trunk.

 

[MasterBlaster]

I wish I owned it.

What, is the gift shop THAT profitable?

 

[sotc]

ill help ya hang stuff jerry!

 

[TC3]

Next year, save your $$$ for the re-planting...
There's some, "Bah, humbug !" for ye !!!
Ash trees will go the way of American Chestnut.
Sorry.
Hey, the deccies were awesome ! Get Haley up in her harness for a pic for all-time ! She'll appreciate it when she shows her grandkids what an Ash tree looked like.