We have all been smitten with the idea that we want to go into the woods and chop down our Christmas tree. All of those movies and television specials showing a merry band making their expedition to find the perfect evergreen make us want to do the same. These hardy happy people spot their tree in moments and hew it to the ground. Grabbing it by the trunk, they tote it from the forest while singing their favorite holiday tunes. It seems so easy.

To begin your adventure, you first have to locate a place to harvest a tree. Not everyone wants you to stomp into their yard or onto their property and cut down one of their trees. This kind of thing can cause you to go to jail without passing go or collecting a payday.

If you have a friend with acreage, you might find a suitable tree on their land. Of course, you are entitled in most locations to cut one of your own trees. You may want to check with local officials to make sure that you do not violate any "green" laws by removing a tree. By far the best option is to find a Christmas tree farm where they cultivate trees to be harvested just for this purpose. You will have to buy the tree, but you will not get into trouble for cutting it down.

Most people who cut their tree without going to a tree farm find the adventure to yield a cedar rather than the more traditional pine tree. Without the grooming and shaping done by on a tree farm, it can be almost impossible to find a tree that does not have some type of serious blemish needing to be somehow concealed.

When you head out for your search, you will need to take an ax or hatchet. An ax is better if you have any skill at swinging one. For the inexperienced person, the shorter stroke needed for a hatchet will be safer and a little easier to master. Regardless of which implement of destruction that you choose, make sure it is very sharp. If you take a dull tool, you better be mighty and have great stamina. Even cutting a small tree trunk of 3 or 4 inches can be a big job with a dull ax or hatchet.

Use your head. Since you will probably be taking young children to give them the experience of harvesting their own tree, be extremely cautious when you use the cutting tool. If you choose to let one of them swing the ax or hatchet, teach him or her the proper use and safety before putting such a dangerous implement into young hands.

When searching for the best tree, walk all of the way around the tree several times. Look for bends in the trunk that may

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