Uncle Henry's Farm

A bit of family history first....

Allmaras is a Spanish name and I was always told that 'we' were kicked out of Spain for being gypsy horse thieves. The family went to Germany and eventually my great-grandfather, Jacob Allmaras, settled near New Rockford, ND in 1883 or thereabout.  He died in 1944. I think. I could look it up...

I grew up about two miles from that original homestead and we would go there for one thing or another - usually to unload grain or move cattle or fix fence. I believe my dad rented the land from his uncle, Henry, who had taken over the farmstead.  Uncle Hank was quite a fixture in my childhood - stopping over to see if things were getting done and that we kids were staying out of trouble.  I have many good memories of Uncle Hank's farm...watching my brothers and sisters paint a building, not daring to go under another building because I was sure it would fall down, the horses he kept...and he had all that old stuff.  I also remember going over there to watch a building burn down. Yes, folks, that was entertainment on the farm!

These are the cows that are living at Hank's.

This is a pile of junk (treasures?) that is left where
the building had burned...twenty-five years ago?

"A" is for Allmaras on the front door.

I didn't dare poke around inside this barn.
I was afraid of what critters might come after me -
or that the building might just fall down.

Somewhere...someone might see this as art.

This is a window right by the front door.
Again...someone might see it as 'art'.