The Toole Peet Christmas Tree

**JAS_Photo** · 12-11-2009, 04:53 AM

An institution on 17th Avenue S.W.,this Christmas tree has been lit up every year for many years. I have a longish story to go with it but will relate all that later.

**Marko** · 12-11-2009, 10:08 AM

I like the angle here raiven!

**JAS_Photo** · 12-13-2009, 05:29 AM

Well Barney Toole and George Peet started the company before the turn of the last century (1897) and both served as president at the Ranchmen's Club in the mid teens (1914-1918). I do not know how long the company has been putting up the tree of lights but I am guessing at least 40 years although I can not find info to collaborate that. I have been meaning to photograph the four or five story high display this winter but it was either snowing, too damn cold or the lights were not on.

Wednesday night I got home at about a quarter to midnight and since it was not bitter cold or snowing, grabbed my camera and tripod and went out to photograph the lights. The building is literally just around the corner from me. I set up the tripod about 10 feet from the building and pointing the camera almost straight up got off about three shots. I was intending on getting more photos from across the street but the lights went out at that moment. Grrrr...ok the jewerlry store half a block away has a display on it's roof, I will head over there, I think to myself.

There is an empty lot to the corner and two cars are parked there and two people are there with some equipment. It takes me a minute to see that they are projecting advertisements on the side of a building. Ok, whew. At the same time I see a man on the ground struggling to get up. He has a bag and backpack. I observe him for a minute not sure if he is in trouble or a meth head tripping. The two persons projecting also see him and me. They are sitting in their respctive cars with the doors open, while projecting what ever it was on the wall. I walk over to the Jewelry store and set up my tripod. The guy is still struggling to stand and get his bags and remain standing. I call over to him, "You alright, buddy?" He mumbles something. I say are you alright? again.
"No, Mikey's not doing so well."

I pick up my tripod and walk over to him. He manages to get to his feet. I can see he is intoxicated. I ask him if he needs help and he says yes. I ask him if he lives near by and he tells me he is staying at Alpha House. (Not crazy far away but a long way for a drunk guy in minus 15 degree temperatures.) Then he says can I call him a cab? I say ok, does he have money for fare? No. Ok. I say I will get some help for him. Oops my phone is at home because I just dumped my purse in the apartment, grabbed the camera and tripod and went out again to quickly get the pics I wanted. I tell him to wait there I would get my phone and be back. I went back and grabbed the phone and called the police as I walked back to where he had been but he was not there. I ask the dispatcher to hold on a second while I look to see if he was on 17th and sure enough he had made it as far as Beckhem's (about a quarter block). He was still struggling to walk. I tell him I called the police and they were coming to give him a ride. So he waits outside Beckhem's with me while I relate to the dispatcher our location, his description, etc. He had told me earlier that he got hit on the head with a wine bottle. About twenty minutes or so later a police officer in a cruiser pulls up and takes Mikey wherever. I just didn't want the guy left to his own devices on the streets in the cold. It was not as cold as tonight but still dangerously cold. (The two people projecting advertisements on the wall? They took off while I was gone for the phone. Neither bothered to ask if we needed help.)

Oh yeah, I still need those photos of the jewelry store display.