Third annual backpacking/Christmas Tree decorating in the Ozarks…
Clearly,this is destined to become a tradition. For the third year in a row, a few outdoor loving, mostly senior, backpacking friends gathered in the Ozark Mountains, loaded … and I mean ‘loaded’ … our backpacks, hiked into the beautiful Richland Creek Wilderness area, set up tents, cut up firewood and celebrated the spirit of Christmas in a rather unique way by decorating a live Cedar tree. In fact, this Charlie Brown Tree is the same tree decorated in December of 2010 and 2011 … each year testing the limits of imagination and creativity as well as fulfilling a desire to leave edible treats for animals and birds of the forest.
I suppose, if the truth be known, my personal vision and wish is that in years to come the word will spread and hundreds if not thousands will join our small group to decorate not one but hundreds of trees in Richland Creek Valley.
The finished tree and the Five Santa Helpers: JC, John, Bryan, Daryl, Jim.
Jim Dailey 
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