A Red Green Christmas Tree

Give Rob a task and a little latitude, and stand back to see what happens.

My daughter Piper came home two days before Christmas, so she, my son Nigel and I were shopping for a Christmas tree through picked-over selections. The good news is that discounts were deep. We found a perfectly acceptable six-foot fir for only five dollars, with a tiny two-foot tall tree thrown in for good measure.

One tree is enough for us; we gave the small tree to Rob.

Now it has been years since Rob put up a Christmas tree. He doesn't even have a stand or decorations for one, but to placate me, he took the tree and promised to do his best with it.

The first problem was how to erect the tree. Nothing a vice can't hold upright. Of course, one can't be too careful about preventing a toppling catastrophe, so he counterbalanced the vice with a couple of 15 pound weights, held in place by a handyman's best friend, duct tape.

What to do for lights? Well, the Aprilia isn't using its turn signals right now, nor is the Hayabusa in need of the LEDs that serve as caution indicators. Tail lights from the trailer acted as spot lights.

And ornaments? What could be more ornamental than the twirly scraps of aluminum that came off the edges when he cut the template for the Aprilia's new seat. He even shaped one into a star for the treetop.

The whole tree blinked merrily if a bit audibly when Rob connected the turn signal flasher. Click, click, click.

A motorcycle Christmas, and God bless us, every one.