The Neighbors...

We have wonderful neighbors. On all sides. Of course you have to remember, that distance isn't measured in blocks around these parts. It's more like miles, quarter miles, two farms down, the old Doyle place, out Johnson road, etc. When we first moved to the 40 acre farm (as opposed to the later acquired 5 acre farm with the real house, which is about 3/4 mile away, on a different road), the post office in a nearby village and the post office in a more distant town took three days figuring out to which one we belonged. We are closer to the village. But the town actually had a mail route out here. So our mailing address is the town, which we are not close to - 20 minute drive, in fact. Distance is all relative. We are a long way from civilization.
And we don't even use the address for the 5 acre farm, we were not sure what would happen with the postoffice when we told them that we live at both addresses. But you know what? Occasional mail from the county comes to the 5-acre farm address (which no one else knows) and the mail lady delivers it right to the 40-acre farm mail box! Nothing like a small community for personal service! We are amazed how often we talk to folks we don't really know, who know exactly who we are and where we live...
But back to the neighbors. We are surrounded by farms, working farms. With cows, and hay, and corn. Not only do really nice folks live on those farms, the farms themselves are nice to look at. Very nostalgic. I think I mentioned once in the original Wisconsin Snapshots which was a series of newsletters, that we live in a Norman Rockwell painting. Take a look.



This one is my favorite, right across the road - well, down a half mile and right across the road. And it's for sale, in case any of you want to join us in Rockwell-land.

Did I mention there are cows on these farms?

"Whatchu lookin' at? Yes, I am a cow. A Wisconsin cow. Not one of those sissy California cows. And proud of it."