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A year ago on the hot sunny Sunday morning our world changed.   I don't ever want to get a phone call like that again.  It still hurts the heart to look at these pictures, and to be honest I never really look at them but somehow they are imbedded in my brain.  To lose a historical building was so sad to live through, feeling like you let down the community was top on my list, not only did we lose something dear to us but to a community too!!!  

Our story started in 2005 when we purchased the store from Dave & Christine Miller, longtime friends of our family.  We first were  friends from church and then customers.  They convinced us to start our kids in 4-H with theirs.  What fun we had at the fair with them!!!  We still are close friends with them and do life together (even if they are in NC)!!  So to call them that day was pretty difficult, another family we let down.  They of course were more concerned about us and what this meant for us. They have been great supporters of us  through this whole process.   

For 10 years our building was our 2nd home.  You watched our children (and pets!!) grow up!!!  Some of you have seen the chaos of our family life and on more than one occasion I assume!!!  I wouldn't change a single thing, it is great having a small family business in a small town.  Our customers become part of our lives and I hope all who walk through our doors feel that hometown personal feeling.  I think that is why the cookie Saturday means more to me than to anyone else, I feel like I'm cooking for a family outing!!!  It's a way to thank our customers personally every week.  

So now that we have started the reconstruction I hope you all know how welcome you are to visit the site and see the progress as it unfolds.  It was important to Michael and I to make sure we bring the old feeling of the old store into the new one.  I hope to have a wall of pictures that display how our store has evolved through the years.  From Hotel to Feed Store!!!  

Now this has become a new endeavor for our family,  building a new store!! In my wildest dreams I never would have put this on my bucket list.  Somehow life and God has a different plan than your own!!!  So many have questioned why so long to rebuild but for us it doesn't seem like it has been a year.  Mike has worked tirelessly on site, building, and construction all the while still running the store efficiently!!!  I think we have taxed him out!!!!  If you stopped by today you would see him running from the building site to the store and back again!!  With this new endeavor for us we have been discussing in length probably the most important detail of the new rebuild!!!  The name of the store....  I hope all will understand our decision to rename the store Maher Feed & Pet Supply of Highland!!!  The reason for a new name comes with the history of the store.  Whenever it changed hands they did rename it, It was Waring Tavern when the Waring Family owned it, then Highland Producers, Farmers Petroleum, and then Highland Feed.    We feel like this is our new beginning, our hearts and soul (even a lot of sweat) has gone into the rebuild.  It would mean a lot for Mike and I to see our name on the building.  We want to make it our 2nd home again.

The support we have had during this year of getting all our ducks in a row and now finally building has been what has gotten us through.  You all deserve a huge thank you and hug from all of us at Highland Feed  and the Maher Family.