Baker City is fast asleep, but the man known as Tiny is just getting acquainted with his day. A black sheen spans the sky showing it is hours from dawn, and the clock reveals a touch after 3 a.m.
Steve Moudy doesn't mind the hour. He's scoping out the town's streets. In particular he is searching for potential obstructions. A cluster of parked cars, perhaps, or a tree branch overhanging the street. His eyes are peeled for rocks, dirt and dust, too. You probably never even know he's there. Few do.
But Tiny serves an important purpose in Baker City. He does something many fail to notice and often take for granted. He sweeps the streets. And he loves it.
"I've worked for a lot of people and Baker City is absolutely the best job I've had," says Tiny, who received the nickname about 30 years ago from a co-worker at Ellingson Lumber Co. who himself went by "Possum."
Protected inside the cabin from the constant howling of his powerful machine, Tiny loses himself in his thoughts. It's different up there — quiet, serene even.
This placidity is something he takes advantage of. He plans his route in a detailed way. He marvels at gorgeous sunrises. And he ponders plenty.
After eight years as the street sweeper for the city's public works department, Tiny has come to realize that this sense of peace is one of the greatest perks of his job.
"I'm the kind of guy that lives in my head," Tiny says. "You spend eight to 10 hours a day driving 2 mph."
In a lot of ways, Tiny is just the kind of guy you might expect to operate an oversized truck with brooms on the bottom and a sound like 100 vacuums sucking simultaneously. He's a big, solidly built guy.
But then again, he's also different. Less brash and more gentle, more kind and less abrasive. The truth is he's a character. He thoroughly enjoys the rain, and calls cloudy, rainy days street sweeping heaven because it's easier to collect debris under those conditions.
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