Barry the Balsam Tree
This is the story about Barry, a little Balsam tree. It is the story of how he grew up on the top of Stratton Mountain.
It starts out when Barry was just a little seed. He said to his parents: "I want to grow up on the top of Stratton Mountain. I want to live near you. I want to see the world. I want to watch the skiers. I want to be somebody. I want to make lots of friends."
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| But his father told him: "It gets really cold up here. Why don't you blow down the mountain, float down the river and plant yourself right in a beautiful tree farm? There they will take care of you. Trim your branches. Keep you out of the cold. And someday, you can become a beautiful Christmas tree ... or maybe a tree for someone's front lawn, where they will decorate you every year."
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| And his mother told him: "Your father is right. It gets so, so cold up here. And windy. Sometimes it is 10 degrees below zero. Sometimes the wind is above 50 miles per hour. Many trees lose their limbs. They have to grow new ones in the spring. We will miss you, but think it is best if you go away down into the valley. The top of Stratton Mountain is no place for a little bitty tree."
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| But Barry said: "You both grew up here and I want to stay. I have heard you talk about the beautiful sunrises, seeing all the way up to Killington or down to Mount Snow. I have heard you speak about ice cycles that were far more beautiful than any man has made. And I hear about how you protect the skiers on the slope by providing a good buffer from the wind. This is where I want to grow up."
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| And Barry grew up there. Every year he met friends who would come and play with him. Little boys would bring up their trains and play by his feet. Older boys would brush the snow off his branches. He found a good place to hide from the wind, right below the gondola snow fence and was happy.
Every week you will hear more about Barry right here.
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