Driving north on HWY 92 toward Mount Vernon on Sunday afternoon, the sun was positioned just perfectly, casting its light upon the farmland ahead. The woods were all of their various shades of green; the smell of freshly cut hay filled the air. Off in the distance, Mt Julia, one of three high spots that before our Norwegian ancestors settled the area, served as look out points and guide posts for the Winnebago people of Chief Spotted Arm tribe, as they made their way back home to their village, straddling the Dane and Green County line, two miles to the south. Approaching Mt Julia, one field of early wheat was beginning to turn its soon to be vibrant amber as it awaited its harvest.

Just ahead was the farm where my mother and her siblings were raised and survived the Depression, as did all the neighbors. The neighbors and relatives now are mostly long gone, but the memories of six decades ago are etched as strongly in the memory today as the day those memories of the oats harvest still remain. Those wonderful hot August days when the threshing crew moved from farm to farm were times of hard work, good food and good neighbors.

Just beyond was the day's destination, Single Oak Farm, owned by Marsha Ralston Edlinger and her husband. Each year, the Edlingers, on the last Sunday in June, host a benefit Country Garden Stroll. This year's seventh annual garden stroll was a bit different than the previous six years.

In the past many good area charities benefited from this event. Among the groups supported are local food pantries, Horse Spirit Society, Habitat for Humanity, Mount Horeb and Mazomanie earthquake victims and the Dane County Humane Society. Part of this year's proceeds will be passed off to Edlinger's granddaughter, Savannah, who is battling bone cancer.

A silent auction saw many items, including gifts from local area merchants from Belleville, New Glarus, Mount Vernon, Mount Horeb and Verona, for sale to the highest bidder. But the biggest moneymaker for the event is the pie auction. Tis year's selection of pies to die for included Peach, Almond Joy, Blueberry, Rhubarb, Rhubarb Custard, Mixed Berry (which was nearly four inches tall) Cherry, Apple, Pumpkin, "and you know it's going to be a good Pumpkin Pie," the auctioneer said, "because it has the crack in the top, that all good Pumpkin Pies have," Triple Cherry, Toffee, Almond Tart, Strawberry, Raspberry, Peach Cobbler and Key Lime pies.

Walking through the gardens on paths designed and made with hundreds of hours of loving attention you hear a pair of familiar voices, the voices of Rosalie Huntington and Ron Kittleson, singing Heartaches by the Number, but on this walk there were, "no heartaches by the number, nor no, troubles by the score," just the melodious sound of two excellent performers giving of their time for a good cause. A stone archway on the garden path is accompanied with a pair of beautiful iron gates that Edlinger's husband made in his blacksmithing shop on the farm premises.

After things had settled down for the day, Edlinger had a few minutes to talk about the event. "We get support from Thrivent Financial, which gave us the initial $250 for printing brochures and posters, and a number of area churches support us including Edlinger's, Primrose Lutheran Church." She tells the story of last year's garden stroll, "we had a grandfather and his grandson drive by and see the sign. They drove in and had a good time. Several days later we received an unexpected check from them in the amount of $500."

And it would appear that Abercrombie and The Gap, along with the red New Glarus shirt that states Aged Swiss, has some serious and long established competition. One visitor was wearing his Old Lutheran t-shirt sporting a picture of Martin Luther, dated 1483.

The guiding light for the event is, "we give-ourselves, our time, and our possessions-not because we have to, or, because we want to earn favor. We give because that's who we are, because we have been given so much."