If I started telling you about the Willy Willy Christmas Tree you’d have no idea what I was talking about. But to Madeline and me, we have known a special tree by that name for more than 45 years.

That special tree is in Zilker Park Christmas Tree that just about every Austinite has probably stood under and twirled around.

When our first born son, Matthew (born in 1974) was young, 2 or maybe 3, we had planned to go see “The Christmas Tree” one evening. There had been a big build up to seeing it, he had probably seen it on TV. It was a big deal for him. When nighttime came, something got in the way of us going so we told him we would not be able to go see it, at least that day. To which he said; “but Daddy, I Willy Willy want to go see it”. Thus we have called it by that name ever since.

Yes, we put aside whatever was standing in the way of going and headed out to Zilker Park.