He was a stout man with thick fingers who willingly engaged your ear, although following his hackneyed conversation style was akin to skipping alongside Dorothy through an endless field of soporific poppies.

With a great big beer belly that was kept snuggly in place by faded green suspenders, the grizzled ex-landscaper could be seen almost every morning tending to his retirement project while periodically sipping from an oversized mug of coffee.

(Photo: Edward Roads)

Written by Edward Roads