Ronald Gardner, left, and Albert Hodsdon, right, both 88, watch and wave at passers-by in front of their Piermont, N.H., home on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. Gardner has been living with and helping Hodsdon, an old schoolmate who is wheelchair-bound, for about 20 years. Both grew up on dairy farms not far from each other. “I used to run away when (my father) wanted to cut my hair,” said Gardner. “I was brought up as a boy on farm where my father had us logging with horses, haying with horses, but that wasn’t me.” Wearing a uniform while serving in the Navy in the Korean War produced the same discomfort. “I knew there was something different about me,” Gardner said. “I let people know, I am what I am.” (Valley News - James M. Patterson) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com. Valley News — James M. Patterson