What a beautiful post. I am teared up typing this. Small town life totally resonates with me, growing up in a small town in Alaska - I know how an iconic fixture like Pete can become an expected and integral part of the landscape of a town. Beautiful portraits. I am glad you stopped in to grab these pictures when you did and I am glad you shared them with us here.
Much love - Carl
Thanks for the touching comment Carl! There really is a lot of easily overlooked beauty in small towns everywhere. It's no secret here that he's been sitting on what people have been calling a 'gold mine' of a location. Ellam's Diner has been there my whole life, and my parents. I'm sad to see him go, and very afraid of what will happen soon to the historical location.