FORT WORTH — For at least two decades, no one who passed by the corners of Currie and Whitmore streets could miss it.
Some people even stopped to ask, "What the heck is it?"
Louis Torres is proud of his small lot on the corner. He's prouder still of the thousands of beer cans that decorate the house and yard.
"It's a hobby," says the 68-year-old retired Lockheed Martin employee. "Just something for me to do. I'm retired. Sit at home, drink beer, and watch TV."
He concedes that it has become a little more than a hobby, though.
The cans are laced from the chain-link fence to the house to an outdoor "bar" and to other shrubs.
But in a couple of weeks, all of it could be a look of the past.
Torres has sold the home. The area is undergoing massive redevelopment. His home is literally the only one on his block that isn't leveled.
"Times are a changing," he said. "They're buying up everything around here."
He'll hand over the keys in two weeks.
He expects the house to be demolished. He has lived there for nearly 60 years. His parents gave it to him when they passed away.
"At least there are still memories," he says.
At one time, he contends there were close to 4,000 cans on the property.
In 2012, the man with a big grin got into a little fight with the city of Fort Worth over the appearance of his property.
The cans were removed and taken to a recycling facility.
Torres eventually worked out a compromise where he could start hanging more aluminum if he kept it solely on his property.
He said all of the Miller Light and Milwaukee's Best that are on display were consumed during the past few years, most of them by him.
"I get asked all the time: how many cans? Did you drink these? Can I plead the fifth on that?" he jokes.
The highlight may have come last year, when he says MillerCoors delivered a personalized Louis' Bar sign along with ten cases of free beer.
"Doesn't get much better than that," he says.
He says when he relocates next month to River Oaks, he may start hanging empties there, too.
"It's time to start all over because I'm not going to stop."