Just an Old 2x4

As I walked into the barn a couple of days ago, just as I have many times for the last twenty five years, something captured my attention.  I looked up into the rafters near the loft where I have stored several 2x4 pine studs for the last few years.  There was one there that seemed to want to be a Headland High School ram.  Well the danger of being an almost hermit is that I just had to comply and make it come true for the old stud.  I took the board and hand carved the 2x4 to make the walking stick/staff.  The ram and letters are 23 karat gold leaf and the rest is polished with brown shoe polish.  That seems to leave a soft finish on the pine.  There are more of the boards, that can accommodate many more school mascots