Crisp-mas tree

I took down my Christmas tree. It was getting pretty crispy despite still drinking several cups of water every day.

Getting it out of the stand and through the front door was quite a production. It left a considerable mess.

I got a vacuum cleaner for Christmas. Unfortunately, the first thing I used it on was a massive pile of pine needles. Bad idea. The needles were too big to go through the bend at the base, and it immediately clogged. Well, a coat hanger took care of that. A better idea: use the dustpan to scoop the needles into the trash. Worked like a charm. No brush or vacuum required.