Shortly after moving up to Oregon we were introduced to Danny. He was a neighbor of sorts, a friend of the dairymen who owned our place before us, and an actual neighbor and friend of some of my parents friends who own a dairy down the road. I think Danny has lived in Jefferson, in the same house, nearly his whole life and he's one of those one of a kind people that I'm pretty sure stories are written about. He's lived an interesting life, never been married, has a million stories, has a unique though sometimes dangerous solution to most problems, seems up for almost any farming endeavor Ryan throws his ways, and constantly keeps you wondering if his stories can possibly be true. I remember even before meeting him hearing that my family was paying him in Snicker Bars and thinking that had to be a joke, but no...Not A Joke!
I think when I met Danny for the first time he was probably out helping Ryan wrench on a tractor. He spent hours and days those first years helping Ryan with all sorts of things and talking his ear off and so a friendship was formed. Fast forward a couple of years and he was a groomsman in Ryan and Katie's wedding, fast forward again and he was now attending many of our family birthdays and gatherings, and fast forward to now, he now has sold his property, lives in a trailer over on Ryan and Katies place, spends his winters in Hawaii helping his brother at his nursery and whenever Ryan needs him to chop or really anything he flies back and helps. We really do see him as a part of our family and have grown to love him a whole lot. So, this November when he happened to be here on his birthday, instead of in Hawaii, we decided he must have a birthday party. So here he is "Grandpa Danny" with all the VanLoon and Moss grandkids.
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