Since high school, I have always had a mustache. There was one time I shaved it off. My wife had never seen me without it. She had seen pictures of me without it, but being confronted with the reality of me and my bare upper lip, it was more than she could take. I made this one concession to her and have been mustachioed ever since.

My beard is a different issue, I have never allowed her to say when or if I have a beard. I usually grow it in the fall when the weather gets cool enough. I have shaved it off on the 1st day of spring every year for the last 34.

Because our town was celebrating its sesquicentennial, there was a beard growing contest and I was asked to participate. When we were up[ being judged another guy suggested I grow a handle bar. I hadnever really considered it before. After winning the contest for the fullest beard (I was informed that I would have won in every category except the reddest beard), I trimmed things back but allowed the 'stach to grow. I did the handlebar thing for a while, but decided it would look better after things grew out more. The 'stach now extends 1 and 1/2 inches past the corner of my mouth. I am about to start sculpting. I have the Oregon Wild hair (which is pretty darn good stuff), Pinaud, and Luckey Tiger.