Some day I will ask you for a favor.

The Chelsea Royal Diner in Brattleboro, VT is a fixture. Everyone knows everyone else and out of staters are generally frowned upon. But my son and I have served our time and are now welcomed here. The waitress knows us from my many trips back east to visit my son at his school in nearby Massachusetts. Only my ever present camera discloses me as a tourist. That and the English accent.

On this morning a tall and wide Italianate man joined us at the bar as we chowed down on pancakes served with real Vermont maple syrup. Straight out of central casting and a ringer for the late great James Gandolfini, right down to the diamond encrusted rings on the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand, Tony (he could only be named Tony) knew everyone in the joint and was the life and soul of the party.

I asked my son why he did not respond to T’s efforts to engage him in conversation and he replied that he did not want to end up owing him a favor ….

As we left the diner, we chanced on Tony’s ride.

Panny GX7, 12-35mm pro zoom.