Speaking of Sentimental - - -

These little wooden houses are sentimental to me.

My Uncle Mac and Aunt Farol were dairy farmers in the rolling hills of southern Wisconsin. Their farm was absolutely gorgeous with a creek cutting its way through a deep valley and flowing beneath a large sandstone formation at one end of the gorge. As a girl I spent many hours splashing in that creek beneath the sandstone wall.

Well, the Army Corps of Engineers decided they WOULD build a flood control dam in that area, and said dam was going to turn our beloved farm into a lake bed. Uncle Mac and Aunt Farol had no choice but to sell their farm to the state and move off their land.

Before leaving, they saved much of what they could from their land, their home, and their barn.

These little houses are actually small sections cut out of the barn beams and hand painted. The shingles on the roof are farm pine cone scales each glued down individually. The colors and styles are reminiscent of Aunt Farol's farmhouse.

Now if I just had some of their homemade maple syrup the picture would be complete - - - -