My uncle Jesse Edsel Brown with his faithful dog Fred

Since my father was the second of ten children, I was blessed with many aunts and uncles.  One of my favorites was the Uncle Edsel, whom I photographed standing near his garden, hoe in hand and accompanied by his loyal dog, Fred.  This dog is also pictured in the painting “Feeding Time,” making the trip out to the machine shed with Uncle’s surviving widow Aunt ‘Bertie.’ After retiring from factory work and farming, he and his wife converted a small barn into a solar home and then accumulated over 300,000 miles as  drivers delivering daily meals to senior citizens centers across three counties, all the while keeping a thriving garden going!  He continued the delivery route until just days before his passing.