Strange, wonderful things started happening at the Kern County Museum in Bakersfield shortly after 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 16. Visitors who entered the museum's main gallery for the Once Upon A Time exhibit reception, came face-to-face with a tall, upside down pine tree, so beautifully decorated that it seemed natural as a center piece for a buffet amply supplied with delicious hors d'oeuvres. Patrons, who paid $25, were treated to a sneak preview of the designer-decorated holiday trees and wreaths that are on display through Dec. 30. As visitors toured the long hall filled with trees reaching to its high ceiling, they could be seen craning their necks, stepping back to admire, smiling and sometimes shaking their heads in wonder. That is because every tree had a story to tell. The exhibit theme, Once Upon A Time, inspired local artists and designers to creatively decorate each tree based on a popular children's storybook. More