Christmas tree season begins

Owners of Christmas tree lots say they're among nervous U.S. retailers feeling the urgency of a shopping season with only four weeks.

Last year's shopping season had five weeks and the economy was in much better shape than this year.

Sean Lake, co-owner of a lot at San Francisco's Marina Middle School, opened for business Friday, unloading 600 trees grown in Oregon, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday.

Lake gives a cut of his take to the school's PTA, which in years past has meant about $4000 per season for the school, the Chronicle reported, noting this year's donation aims to cover the cost of microscopes for a science class.

Lake's first customer Friday was gallery manager Dan Canale, who paid $98 for a Noble spruce standing about 7 feet high and then hauled it on foot down the street to his third-floor apartment.

You get a pretty good selection, Canale said, when you're the first guy in the tree lot.