HOLIDAY LIGHTS-Part 1

Veterans' Christmas Tree

A community supported tree to honor and thank 

the Military and Veterans of the Walla Walla Valley.

IT'S A WRAP

Reflections of a Christmas Passed

Today the holiday decorations came down for another year. Looking forward to 2016.

KLICKER'S POST CHRISTMAS--An Epilogue

See Ya' Next Spring

Christmas is the end of a busy year for the Klicker family and their local business. Now the store is buttoned up for the winter and signs are posted.

Forlorn orphan Christmas trees rest along the fence and will be ground into mulch come spring.

LET IT SNOW!

On the Road to Ski Bluewood

Nearly record snow fall allowed the local ski area to open up before the Christmas holidays, and it keeps on snowing.

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S-Final Installment

Klicker Berries and Antiques

Living up to its name, the other half of Klicker's store is filled with antiques and other decorative items for the home. 

More than likely there is something for every person on your Christmas list if you peek in every nook and crannie. 

Come along and see for yourself.

And just in case you missed buying fresh berries in the summer including the famous Klicker strawberries, 

you can still find frozen berries available for sale.

And finally, where is Klicker's located? Right here, of course.

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Buon Natale, Frohe Weihnachten, God Jul or Happy Holidays to all!

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S- Part 5

But Wait! There's More

Besides the trees, wreaths, poinsettias and ornaments, Klicker's also sells its own custom line of condiments including pickled veggies, salad dressings, fruit preserves, and salsas--Oh my!

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S-Part 4

Santas, Snowmen, and Sparkles

Stepping inside Klicker's store, you enter a world of Christmas. Even the most die-hard Grinch would find it difficult not to feel the Christmas Spirit here. All sorts of baubles, bangles, beads, and bibelots are available for purchase as gifts or to brighten your very own Christmas tree and home. It's hard to choose!

It's easy to spend more time than planned looking at all the Christmas ornaments and decorations.

But wait! There's still more to see in tomorrow's blogpost. 

CHRISTMAS @ KLICKER'S-Part 3

A Wreath for the Door and a Poinsettia for the House

Klicker's has everything you need to decorate for Christmas. After selecting the perfect tree outside, follow the well-worn path to the main store. Along the way you will pass a wall filled with wreaths in every color combination imaginable making it hard to choose--unless, of course, you are a red and green traditionalist like me. Then the choices narrow to only half the hanging wreaths. And like the trees, once a wreath is taken down for purchase, another wreath takes its place.

Stepping inside the store, the pungent smell of cut evergreens, poinsettias and sweet candy fills the air. But you don't know which way to look first-- the twinkling lights, the sparkly ornaments and all the red and green vie for your visual attention.

I especially like this Eiffel Tower loaded with a selection of seasonal poinsettias--red, white, pink and mottled.

 But this ruffled red beauty really catches my eye.

KLICKER'S @ CHRISTMAS-Part 2

To Flock or Not to Flock

After choosing the perfect tree (see Part 1 of this series), there's still another choice to be made. At Klicker's, they do their own custom flocking--light, medium, or heavy--depending upon the intensity of the blizzard-look you want in your family room. A hint I learned from the 'flocker-man' is to string the lights on the tree first, and then have it flocked. That way the lights blend in and twinkle like lights seen through a snow storm. 

People seem to have definite feelings about flocking. I think it's a love it or hate it kind of thing. 

Growing up, my family had two trees--a standard issue green Douglas fir in the living room which served as the family tree where Santa would leave the presents, and then a second, white-flocked decorative tree on the stair landing in front of the big multi-paned picture window. This tree served dual purposes--you could see it from the inside as you climbed the stairs and also from the street outside as part of the outdoor house decorations. 

 I like both green and flocked trees and have had both kinds as a adult, but I've never had a purple or a pink flocked Christmas tree which I've only seen in pictures. Kicker's only does white snow flocking.

KLICKERS @ CHRISTMAS--Part 1

Finding the Perfect Tree

Klicker's, formally known as Klicker Berries and Antiques, is a 4th generation family business in Walla Walla. At Christmas time, it is my go-to place to experience Christmas with all my senses. Outside, the fresh smell of pine and fir hangs in the air as I wander up and down the aisles of cut evergreen trees all vying for that special spot in someone's home. I no longer put up a tree, but that familiar scent takes me back to many Christmases past, many of which began right here with a Saturday outing along with my husband and two sons to select our family Christmas tree.

If we were lucky, there would be snow covering the bare trees and dirt paths creating that cold crunch-crunch underfoot.

Years ago, Klickers used to grow live trees that they would custom cut for customers. Nowadays, all their trees are pre-cut. They arrive all bundled up and stacked until they are eventually set free and lined up in rows.

As soon as one tree is removed to go to a home for Christmas, another tree is brought in to take its place.

WINDOW SHOPPING, ENCORE

Reflections of a Wintry Wonderland

WINDOW SHOPPING--Tis the Season

Hot coffee, tea or chocolate? Mmmmmm . . .

City Daily Photo-December Theme-Shop Windows

Small Business Saturday in Downtown Walla Walla

 These two photos are from a series of seasonal shop windows As Seen By Susan in Walla Walla, Washington

To see more shop windows by other CDP bloggers, click here.