"Love in the Great Pine Woods" by Gratiana Lovelace (2015-2016) (Completed)

Ch. 05 (PG-13, D): The Wakeforest Family's XMAS Tree Farm Opens

"Love in the Great Pine Woods", Ch. 05 (PG-13, D): The Wakeforest Family's XMAS Tree Farm Opens, November 27, 2015 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #836)

(An original story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace; all rights reserved) [(1) story cover, left]

[From time to time, I will illustrate my story characters with: Richard Armitage as Sam Wakeforest, Marcia Gay Harden as Sam's older sister Tessa Wakeforest Shoop Delaney, and Emily Deschanel as Tessa's sister-in-law Olivia Delaney, Viola Davis as Pauletta Perkins, Cicely Tyson as Nellie Newton, and Anna Sophia Robb as Alice Trent, and others as noted.]

Authors Content Note: "Love in the Great Pine Woods" is a mature love story with dramatic themes of love and relationships. It will mostly be at the PG and PG-13 movie levels. Specific chapters or passages may have a further rating of: L for language, D for dramatic emotions, and S for sensual themes. And I will rate the chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide for a chapter, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer. And as is my habit, I will summarize the previous chapter's events at the beginning of the next chapter.

Authors Recap from the Previous Chapter: Early Thanksgiving morning, Olivia had a heart to heart talk with their 83 year old retired cook-housekeeper who lives with them, Nellie Newton. Nellie is wise about life and love--and she encourages Olivia, her little Livvy, to get on with her life and tell that Sam Wakeforest that she is sweet on him. Later that same morning, Sam helped Olivia and Tessa chop the rutabega for their Thanksgiving Day meal--and they had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day family meal. And later that afternoon, Sam and Olivia finally shared their first kisses--her first kisses ever--out in the freezing gazebo. Then they came back into the Delaney home and kissed a bit more as they were trying to warm up by the fire in her brother Roger's cozy den study. Then they fell asleep cuddling chastely after their long and eventful day.

"Love in the Great Pine Woods", Ch. 5 (PG-13, D)--The Wakeforest's XMAS Tree Farm Opens

For most people, the Friday after Thanksgiving is either a travel day or a shopping day. For the Wakeforest Family XMAS Tree Farm [(2)] , it is the start of a busy holiday season. Sam and his brothers arrive early around 6:30am so they can finish positioning the already cut down trees and premade wreaths and make sure that their parking lot is cleared of snow. Sam runs the snow plow truck on the gravel parking lot, making short work of the overnight two inch snowfall. Situated at the base of Wakeforest Mountain, their Wakeforest Family XMAS Tree Farm has been in operation for over fifty years--mostly to stop idiots from just walking onto their mountain and chopping down any old tree that they took a fancy to.

Sam's sister Tessa and and her sister-in-law whom Sam is sweet on, Olivia Delany, arrive around 7:00am with the refreshments for what will be the cold and hungry XMAS tree hunting visitors when they open at 8:00am--home made apple cider that they will heat up in a large 30 cup coffee dispenser, with pumpkin and apple bread and iced donuts, and other baked goods that are for sale. The proceeds from the baked goods go to the Orphanage--they are hoping to buy a newer, more efficient furnace to heat the home this year. Of course, the Delaneys and Wakeforests would just chip in and buy it, but Tessa as an Orphanage Board Member rightly pointed out that the Orphanage is a community wide endeavor. And if the community is to take ownership and feel a part of the Orphanage, then small things like fundraising for needed items is one way to do that. So they also have a can with a slit in its plastic lid, with the side labeled Orphanage Furnace for additional donations.

Sam finishes his parking lot plowing and parks it near the entrance--placing a big sign on the plow saying that their XMAS Tree hours are 8 to 5pm Monday through Saturday. They are closed Sunday, as most businesses are in their area. Sam notices his sister Tessa's car parked next to the now heated barn that serves as the refreshments, shopping, and activities area. He walks inside to see both Tessa and Olivia setting out their tasty treats.