Frankincense

So, what is this stuff? I hear this word around "Christmas-time" a lot. Well, I am about to show you.
Somewhere in the Middle East I encountered a tree, a man dressed all in white and a camel. I was not very intrigued with the camel.....I'm assuming he provided the transportation to this desolate spot in the desert for the man in white. I arrived in a motorized vehicle and certainly had the wrong walking sandles on! This was one rocky barron region with a few scraggly trees scattered in clumps. Among the trees I saw one had a deep scar, probably similar to what we might expect to see if you were collecting rubber tree sap. Frankincense is nothing more than tree sap. When the tree bark is cut, out flows a milk like substance, the sap. This sap clings to the tree, running down the sides at a very slow pace. Sap can remain attached for three months or longer to dry out. It hardens and is picked from the tree and gathered in baskets, sorted and sold. As you can see, I had to purchase some. After all, I was at a market.........you never know what you will find.