The POET Tree, 12-21-20

The POET Ethanol plant located in Hanlontown, IA, Connie’s home town, decorates this tree along Highway 9 and it has become a local attraction. We drove to see it tonight and got there as the sun was setting. It is spectacular! I’ve only seen pictures of it and no picture does it justice. It is breathtaking!

This year it was all restrung with new LED lights – I just loved it!!!

The Christmas star was also very visible to my amateur eye – very bright with rings showing to the upper right side – I was driving while seeing it so hope that’s about right.

I can’t help but think of the pastor who married us, Darrell Weber, who was so interested in astronomy! I’ll bet he’s watching this event closely from his own telescope.

I played for a funeral this morning of a beloved man in our church – everybody called him one of their best friends and he gave candy to everybody. He always gave my mom Hershey bars and then Becky and me, too, along with anybody else he knew! We’re all going to miss you, Al DeWitt!

One more look……

55 thoughts on “The POET Tree, 12-21-20”

  1. Paula in Texas

    The tree is Beautiful! Thank you for sharing! Stay warm…..old man winter arrived in time for Christmas!

  4. Bobbie

    Wow! Mary Thank you that is beautiful. I bet it was more beautiful in person. We had such overcast and clouds we didn’t see the stars last night. I hope we might tonight.
    Have a wonderful Christmas and the best New Year ever.

  5. Vickie L. Devore

    This is sooooo beautiful!! Thank you so much for sharing and have a safe and Merry Christmas, lov vickie

  6. dona

    Would love to see this lone tree in person, beautiful!!!!
    They had one in the median of I-64 Hampton, Va. heading towards Williamsburg, Va., someone in the darkness of night would decorate it, this went on several years, everyone looked forward to seeing it again
    Someone came in the darkness of night with a chain saw…….end of story

  10. Robin Rauk

    Mary, if you came through Forest City, you drove right by our house on Highway 9
    glad you got to see the star too!

  11. Sharon Geiger

    That tree…….WOW!!! You took great pictures. We didn’t get to see the star as it was cloudy and rainy here in NE Indiana. Maybe tonight if these clouds move out.

  12. Rhonda in Iowa

    Quilt designer, shop owner, organist, dog whisperer, and now professional photographer! That’s a wonderful photo of the Poet Tree at sunset. Merry Christmas!

  16. Diane in Maryland

    Wow… the Poet tree is gorgeous in your pictures! Can only imagine how beautiful it must be in person. Must be a zillion lights on it! Merry Christmas to everyone and may we all have a healthy New Year.

  17. Pat Smith in VT

    Beautiful tree! I had to look up Hanlontown on Google maps. Since I’ve driven by Fertile any number of times on my way to Forest City, I’m surprised I hadn’t noticed the name. I’d like to see the Christmas star, but it is too cloudy here in northern Vermont. At least we seem to be past the below 0 weather for awhile. Sad to lose a friend that from church that everyone was so fond of. You gave him a nice goodbye by playing at his funeral.

  19. Judy

    Thank you for the pictures of the tree it is so beautiful! We had too much rain here to see the Christmas star. There are some pictures online but nothing like seeing the real thing.

  20. Sue in Oregon

    Wow! The poet tree is so beautiful. Thank you for the great photos of it. I will probably never get to see it in real life, so your photos mean a lot. It stormed here all day and is still going at it right now. (bedtime) So, we could not see the show. Bummer!

  21. Robin Boggan

    Beautiful picture!! I can see why everyone goes by to see the tree! Thank you for sharing. Merry Christmas to you and Connie!. 🎄

  22. Deb H

    We go by that tree on the way to Tim’s sister and brother in law’s home all the time. Nice to know who did it. I knew someone had restrung the tree and the higher, thinner branches. So sorry you lost your friend. Never fun near Christmas. Christmas Eve for us is Tim’s grandfather’s death anniversary, and Jake’s death and your phone call to comfort me.

    We could see Jupiter and Saturn from our deck tonight.

    Merry Christmas to the Etherington’s and the Tesenes and all the Chickenscratchquilters we know!

  24. Diane Bauer

    Wow!!!! That is spectacular!!!

    We were able to see the Christmas Star tonight—pretty amazing when you know how long it has been since it last occurred! We were blessed with clear skies tonight!

  25. Marj in Western Wisconsin

    Thanks for the wonderful pictures of that fabulous tree. It is cloudy here too so hopefully tomorrow night for the Christmas Star.

  26. Jo in Wyoming

    What a great gift to give us, thank you so much, Mary. It’s incredible.
    We went out after supper and saw the Christmas star. Pretty cool.

  28. Sheila in WI

    Thanks for sharing that gorgeous tree! I can only imagine how brilliant it must look in person.
    Cloudy skies here tonight. So no Christmas star. Hopefully it will be clear at tomorrow’s sunset.

  29. Donna O. St Paul

    MERRY CHRISTMAS Mary. That tree is incredible. So beautiful. I’m going to peek out to see if I can see anything in the night sky. It’s bitter cold so not sure I want to stand out there long. If I don’t see the planets I’ll maybe check around 10:00 if I’m not asleep already.
    thanks for your posts all year and the emails we exchange now and then. Take care and stay healthy.

  31. Michele Miroff

    Thank YOU so much for sharing this beautiful picture! I think we all need more beauty in this world and especially at this time. Merry and Blessed Christmas and Happy New Year to All!

  32. Diane and Squeak

    Special Christmas love to Jo. I love the picture of her smiling, but her hiding breaks my heart. You are doing her good, Mary, even if it is slow and discouraging. She needs you and she is doing better. Hang in there with her🐶🐶

  33. Diane and Squeak

    Beautiful tree. Merry Christmas to you, Rick, and all your family.

    Yesterday’s DD mini quilt show was wonderful. All of them were beautiful😻😻

  40. Kathy in western NY

    I love my LED lights in my sewing room. The tree is gorgeous with those lights. Thanks for sharing it with us as I would not have ever known about this otherwise. It’s so nice when companies share the love of holidays. I could not see the Christmas star as it was too cloudy here. I kept going out hoping I would see it.

  41. Launa

    Glad you shared. Thank you, my friend!
    My son switched all light bulbs here to LED’s when we moved in as they use less electricity and are brighter. We are totally off the grid with our own solar power. Each solar battery weighs about 300 lbs. and we have 12!

    Too overcast to see the Christmas Star!

    Hope Rick is home and doing better!

  42. Sherrill

    There’s a house not far from me that has 3 huge trees in the front yard and they’re lit like that one only in different colors..it’s a mesmerizing site!! And your friend that died made me think of a really old guy in our church when I was in high school. Everyone called him grandpa and all the little kids used to go up to him and he’d give them gum and candy. Fond memories….

  44. Denise

    Thanks for sharing Mary. I am on the East Coast and no way can I get to drive by. Perfect picture with setting sun. Cloudy here tonight. Not able to check to see the Christmas Star. Hope it is clear tomorrow night.

  47. Kathy Hanson

    That tree is amazing, so beautiful! So nice of you to share it with us! It is too cloudy here to see the “star”.

  48. Rhoda

    Just spectacular to see this.
    I am in Las Vegas trying to see the Christmas Star in the sky now from my house.

  50. Teresa in Port Coquitlam, BC

    What a beautiful tree and wonderful gift given to everyone that drives by. Thank you for sharing.

  51. Sherry Whalen

    I love the Poet tree – it really is spectacular! We usually see it on our way home from Forest City on Thanksgiving day – of course not this year lol.

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