The savage wildfires of October, 2007 destroyed one of the biggest resources for San Diego County residents committed to buying locally grown Christmas trees, when the Pinery Tree Farms Rancho Bernardo crop burned to the ground. Although Pinery still operates a network of cut-tree outlets, the owners haven’t announced whether they plan to ever replant their once-pine-scented fields.
But there are still a few options for would be loca-decorators. My favorite is 
the Rancho Noel Potrero Valley Christmas Tree Farm, in the far southest corner of the county. The aptly named Gary Noel bought the property in October from Michael and Kathleen Brown, who had owned it for the previous 15 years. When Steve and the dogs and I made our annual foray this past weekend, it looked unchanged: some 20 acres of healthy looking Monterey Pines in every size range from tiny to gigantic. Customers don’t cut their own trees here, but they do the next best (or possibly better) thing — roam the fields till they find the perfect specimen, then have one of the ubiquitous ranch hands saw and transport it to the parking area. We paid $50 for a beauty that approached 10 feet. For an extra $5, the crew will also mechanically shake out most of the dried brown inner needles and bag the tree neatly.
Although both of us grew up with Douglas firs, Steve and I adjusted to the bushier look of the Monterey Pines years ago; now the fresh resinous smell of a newly cut tree triggers floods of end-of-the-year associations. Also, we love the drive east on Highway 94 to Potrero. Once you get past Rancho San Diego, you’ve slipped into a kinder, gentler San Diego, sparsely populated with grazing cattle, the occasional feed-supply businesses, and eccentric eateries of yore — the Greek Sombrero (with its Greek and Mexican eats), the Barrett Junction and Dulzura cafes.
