Blue Christmas without you...

It's certainly been a week of loss for me. First Peta, and now I'm cruising the old hometown newspaper and find out that my favorite Christmas tree in all the world will be cut down after this season. I think it's still subscription only, so here's the history of the tree.

FLORENCE - The 65-foot Colorado blue spruce in town that has served as a beacon for Christmas revelers for two decades is in its final season.

Loren Ball, who owns the tree at 22 Berkshire Terrace, said the towering evergreen has been ailing for about five years. After consulting with a tree expert, he decided the beloved tree will have to come down.

It's not the cost, at some $1,800 a year. 'I plan on this as my contribution to the community for the Christmas holiday,' said Ball. Everybody loves that tree.

Unforgettable, he said, was the day he came home 10 or 11 years ago to find a kindergarten class from Hill Institute standing around the tree singing Christmas carols. He said a core group from that class has returned every year since then to sing carols around the tree.

This is not just any tree. This is THE tree. When you're driving down the road and you see it on the far hill, it's like a giant firecracker exploding with good will towards men, the very source of all Christmas spirit. You're drawn to it, just as the Kings are to the Star of Bethelem in the nativity story. And when you finally stand before its glory, you can almost hear the angels singing on high.

I wish I could go to for Noho for the holidays this year, just to see it one more time.