Joe Sommer has never bought a jigsaw puzzle, yet he has nearly 200 of them finished and on display in the basement of his home.

乌鸦传媒淭hey just come and I do them,乌鸦传媒� the 89-year-old Chilliwack man said frankly.

For more than 55 years, friends and family members have been sending him puzzles as gifts.

He moved to Chilliwack back in 1966 with his with Ruth. He was a dairy farmer for 41 years.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檇 come in from farming and put a few pieces in before breakfast, and after breakfast some more. And when I had time, I乌鸦传媒檇 milk the cows,乌鸦传媒� he said with a laugh.

Rather than disassemble a puzzle when it乌鸦传媒檚 done, he mounts them on wood.

When one is complete, he puts a layer of glue on top so it doesn乌鸦传媒檛 come apart. Once that乌鸦传媒檚 dry, he glues the puzzle to a five-eighths-inch piece of plywood and places books on top to press it down.

They乌鸦传媒檙e all on display along rows of shelves filling the walls of his basement 乌鸦传媒� all 190 of them.

乌鸦传媒淪omebody said if you don乌鸦传媒檛 have patience, don乌鸦传媒檛 get (puzzles). And I can always use a little more patience.乌鸦传媒�

Why not take the puzzle apart and put it away so it can be done again later?

乌鸦传媒淚 thought well if I do the work, fine, and then if I can display it, why not?乌鸦传媒�

Joe has puzzles of barns, cityscapes, animals, nature and famous landmarks. He has 3D puzzles, ones shaped like animals, and some that have features that would turn many people away.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e got puzzles that have no border with five extra pieces just to trick you乌鸦传媒� yeah, it乌鸦传媒檚 a challenge.乌鸦传媒�

He recalls the first three he was sent: a pianist, then a ballerina, and then a watch puzzle. Most are 1,000-piece puzzles, but some have 2,500 pieces or more.

There乌鸦传媒檚 one called 乌鸦传媒楻ed Menace乌鸦传媒� which is a completely red, circular puzzle 乌鸦传媒� that was one of the most difficult ones.

Joe has a strategy for piecing them together. Typically there are three or four different shapes of pieces which he separates.

乌鸦传媒淚 put one shape in one box, one in another. It makes it a lot easier.乌鸦传媒�

He figures it takes him about two hours to separate the pieces for a 1,000-piece puzzle, but he says it乌鸦传媒檚 worth it.

Over the 57 or so years he乌鸦传媒檚 been putting together jigsaw puzzles, only once was he given one that he already had.

乌鸦传媒淎 friend of ours, she gave me a box of five I think, and when this one was half-done I discovered 乌鸦传媒極h, I already did that one.乌鸦传媒� So I thought 乌鸦传媒楩orget it, I乌鸦传媒檒l finish it off rather than throw it away.乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮�媒�

He has no preference for the puzzle size or picture and said he simply does whatever is given to him. But with nearly every wall of his basement covered in puzzles, he乌鸦传媒檚 running out of room.

乌鸦传媒淚 told them to stop, I don乌鸦传媒檛 have any more space to put them.乌鸦传媒�

But his friends won乌鸦传媒檛 listen.

乌鸦传媒淚 just got one the other day for my birthday,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Ask him when his birthday is and he says 乌鸦传媒�1-2-3-4.乌鸦传媒� That乌鸦传媒檚 Jan. 2, 1934.

Joe admits he乌鸦传媒檚 slowing down and his eyesight isn乌鸦传媒檛 what it once was, but he乌鸦传媒檚 still doing them because people are still sending them to him.

乌鸦传媒淪omebody said 乌鸦传媒榃hat are you going to do (with the puzzles) when you move on?乌鸦传媒� I said 乌鸦传媒業 have nothing to worry about,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮�媒� he said with a laugh.

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