The halls are decked, snow is on the ground and twinkling lights line the frames of many homes in neighborhoods across the city.

It’s really beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Problem is, it’s the end of January, people.

I understand snow and ice have all but buried many of us alive inside our houses over the past month. Taking Christmas lights down outside would have been next to impossible. In fact, the lights are still up on my house.

However, how hard is it to unplug the extension cord or flip the light switch?

Christmas trees don’t eat much.

And other than during the holiday season each year, they don’t generate much cash flow, either.

Add a petting zoo and some reindeer to those trees, though, and there is the potential to have a nearly year-round operation, said Theresa Michaelis, co-owner of Bentz Road Farm in Kenosha County and a board member of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers Association.

Barb Morgan, who with her husband runs Morgan’s Trees and Wreaths, looks through decorative ribbons at the Northwoods Evergreen display during the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Producers convention Friday. Photo by Michael Spears

Every year, we have stories about Christmas decorations being stolen or damaged, but Mark Brown’s holiday vandalism story had a different — and humorous — twist.

Brown, who lives in a Smithton subdivision, said he puts up a nice light display each year.

“You know how it goes. Since my wife was enthused, I had them up before Thanksgiving,” Brown said. “We had a lot of stuff and on one side was a set of star lights on the blind side of the house.”

One night, when the lights wouldn’t light up, he discovered that the wires had been cut in two.

DON’T throw your mistletoe away, try growing your own!

This partial parasite grows on plants like apple, hawthorn and poplar.

Use fresh, plump berries in February/March.

Start by lifting a flap of bark underneath a branch and insert the berries into the wound (to help keep the seed moist).

Germinating seeds cause a swelling around the wound and small leaves will appear by the autumn.

The success rate is variable, so use 4-5 seeds to improve the odds.