Mary Axtell sits at her kitchen table, Aug.10, 2020, decorating a Christmas ornament for the National Christmas Tree, which will be from Colorado this year. Axtell and 19 of her friends will be making 40 total ornaments for the tree and others that will be in federal buildings throughout Washington D.C. during this coming holiday season. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
From left, Marilyn Cross, Kathy Betts and JoAnn Murray-Spencer sit at Mary Axtell’s kitchen table, Aug. 10, 2020 making Christmas ornaments for the National Christmas Tree, which will be from Colorado this year. Axtell and 19 of her friends will be making 40 total ornaments for the tree and others that will be in federal buildings throughout Washington D.C. during this coming holiday season. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
JoAnn Murray-Spencer compares the picture of a tanager from her phone to the picture of the same bird she pasted onto a Christmas ornament, to be hung on the National Christmas Tree, which will be from Colorado this year. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
Several of the ornaments that have been made by Mary Axtell and her friends, all of whom are making Christmas ornaments for the National Christmas Tree, which will be from Colorado this year. Axtell and 19 of her friends will be making 40 total ornaments for the tree and others that will be in federal buildings throughout Washington D.C. during this coming holiday season. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado 
Marcia Todd knits a Christmas ornament, August 10, 2020, at Mary Axtell’s home, where a group of friends are making ornaments to be hung on the National Christmas Tree, which will be from Colorado this year. Axtell and 19 of her friends will be making 40 total ornaments for the tree and others that will be in federal buildings throughout Washington D.C. during this coming holiday season. Photo by PHILIP B. POSTON/Sentinel Colorado
AURORA | In what has been a disastrous year, it’s not too early for some Christmas cheer.
More than 70 trees from the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests will make their way from western Colorado to Washington D.C. later this year for the holiday season, including one large tree which will be placed on the West Lawn of the White House. It’s known as “The People’s Tree.”
In the meantime, locals are preparing decorations for the trees.
National forest staff asked Colorado residents to help provide some 10,000 ornaments to adorn these proud Colorado evergreens at the White House and a bevy of federal offices throughout the District.
About 7,000 smaller ornaments will adorn the trees scattered throughout and 3,000 larger ornaments will embellish the tree on the West Lawn.
Certain themes for the ornaments have been suggested, and they are all Colorado centric, such as dinosaurs and fossils, Colorado landscapes and even mining.
One group of Aurora friends has stepped up to contribute.
Mary Axtell and 19 of her friends, some from her poker group and others from her neighborhood, decided to participate in the festive project.
“It’s just a hodgepodge of people who like art and the forests,” Axtell said of her friends involved.
For two days this month, Axtell is hosting the group at her home to make the ornaments. They plan to make 40 total ornaments for the D.C. trees.
Axtell tasked herself with cutting out the 40 ornaments for the group to decorate. The various cutouts followed the suggested themes. They included a bighorn sheep head, buffaloes and, of course, the quintessential Christmas tree.
A group of five worked at Axtell’s festive kitchen table the morning of Aug. 10. It was draped in a paradigmatic red vinyl Christmas tablecloth donning Kris Kringle’s mug and other scenes on theme — a melange of crafting materials scattered about, as classic oldies played in the background.
The group was hoping they’d have jolly melodies as a backdrop,adding that extra piece to make the ornament meetup as authentic to the holiday as possible, but none of the music channels on cable were offering the festive tunes. It’s understandably too early.
While this is not the first time that the National Christmas Tree has come from Colorado, it has been 44 years since a Blue Spruce from our own Rocky Mountains has decked the West Lawn with towering glory.
Colorado has provided the National Christmas Tree six times, including this year, since Calvin Coolidge erected the first tree in 1923. The first was in 1962, followed by a four year streak from 1973-1976.
“We sincerely hope the gift of this towering tree from Colorado for the Capitol lawn helps inspire deep pride in America the beautiful and happiness throughout the holidays, while showcasing the splendor of Colorado’s Mountains and Mesas region,” Colorado Tourism Director Cathy Ritter said earlier this year when the state was chosen to provide the trees.
Helping decorate the trees are Colorado’s own.
It isn’t too late to help ready the trees, should there be an itch, if only for a moment, to escape today’s societal woes, and deck the halls.
The Forest Service is accepting ornaments until Sept. 1. They can be dropped off or sent-in to Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests Supervisor’s Office, Attn: Cande Read, 2250 South Main Street, Delta, CO, 81416.
More information can be found at
www.uscapitolchristmastree.com.