Boris Borzum: 16-Foot-Tall Metal Man

Spokane, Washington

Built in 1975 out of pipes and old fuel tanks, Boris stands 16 feet tall and weighs five tons. He's frozen in a forward stride, arms upraised in a happy greeting. He wears a blue cap and a painted-on smile.

For years Boris was the mascot of Empire Boring, a local drilling company. His right hand, now missing, held a pipe with a boring bar. They were eventually put to use and never replaced, and the hand vanished as well.

When Empire Boring shut down in 2010, Boris's owner had dinner with some old friends. He wondered what would happen to his beloved mascot. They volunteered to put him in their yard, and he's been standing there ever since.