The holiday season is behind us, and many of you may be dreading the idea of having to clean up. That means it is time to put Christmas decorations away, which is probably the part people least like to do.  Clean up eventually needs to be done, for me clean up is pretty easy, take all the decorations down off the tree and then place the decorations and tree into a box and bring it in the attic. However, what do you do if you have a real Christmas Tree that is still standing?

I am reminded of the conversation I had with the Optimist Club during their tree sale. They informed those who bought a tree that Boy Scout Troop 54 could pick up your trees, you just need to call 281-7306, but you need to do it before the end of Friday, Jan. 4.

Another option is that you could drop the trees off yourself, just make sure all the decorations are off the tree and then take it to the Liberty Park Stadium parking lot or drop them off at the Sedalia yard waste lot at East 28th Street and South New York Avenue anytime between now and Jan. 6.

If you live in an area that does not have a tree drop off, you could recycle it yourself. The Missouri Department of Conservation suggests several creative ways to make further use of your tree. You can place the tree in the backyard to offer cover for wildlife, or under bird feeders to provide nesting locations in the branches. Your tree can be shredded or chipped for mulch, or you can sink it in a pond to enhance fish habitat. If you used a live evergreen and your ground is still soft enough to spade up, add it to your home landscape for years of enjoyment and wildlife cover.

I used to keep the Christmas Tree up from Thanksgiving until the 2nd weekend of January. This may be because when I was growing up, Christmas could take place anywhere between Dec. 25 and well into January, due to the fact my dad was in the Air Force and celebrating it with family could happen at any time, depending on when they could visit or we could visit them.

We here at Better Country, KIX 105; 92.3 Bob-FM; and Newstalk 1050 KSIS hope you had a great holiday season and enjoyed it with friends and family.

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