If the Peanuts cartoon character would have been with us yesterday, he’d have believed that there really is a Great Pumpkin!

After dropping off the new issue of the Gypsy Journal at our printer in Allegan, Michigan Monday afternoon, we drove 60 miles further to Muskegon to visit with Rocky and Berni Frees, two of our favorite people in the world. We didn’t have much time, but we managed to have a nice dinner, and then go back to their apartment for a spirited game of Mexican Train that lasted until midnight.

Yesterday morning, after a quick visit with Berni, we started back to Elkhart and our waiting motorhome. For a person who doesn’t live in a house anyplace, I sure do miss my home when we spend a night away from it!

In Grand Haven, Michigan we stopped at the Green Acres Farm Market, which had the largest display of pumpkins I have ever seen. These are just a few of what they had to offer!

Who knew there were so many kinds of pumpkins in the world? There were huge pumpkins that must have weighed over a hundred pounds, pumpkins that were three times larger than a bowling ball, tiny pumpkins smaller than a baseball, and everything in between!

I’m not a big pumpkin fan. I’ll eat a half dozen slices of pumpkin pie in season, just to be polite, but I stay away from the whole jack o’lantern thing. Think about it – me with a carving knife and a candle. You just know that’s going to turn out bad! I’d probably cut my thumb off, and then knock over the darned candle and set fire to the motorhome while I was looking for a band aid!

But I have to say that I was impressed with the variety of pumpkins on display at Green Acres, and how many they had to offer. Sure, we’ve all seen the typical big orange pumpkin, but have you ever seen a Long Island Cheese pumpkin? They look like a roll of cheese, and their inside is a deep orange. According to the folks at the farm market, they make excellent pies, and can be kept in storage for up to a year!

Or how about these miniature varieties? The are called Circus Minis, because they look like a circus tent, and they fit into your hand. They are used more for decoration than eating.

The farm market had lots of other goodies too, including apples, fruit, pies, and cider. We didn’t buy any pumpkins, but we did get some cider and apples. Yummy!

Back in Elkhart, my pal Butch Williams stopped by to visit for a while, and then Jim Beletti from the Heartland Owners RV Club came by. Jim talked to the company, and has arranged for them to have a few Heartland fifth wheel units on display at our Eastern Gypsy Gathering rally here at Elkhart Campground next year.

After Jim left, I wrote today’s blog post while Miss Terry logged in some orders that came in the mail, and then Bad Nick posted a new Bad Nick Blog called Close This! Then we watched TV and relaxed until it was time for bed.

Today we have a lot of chores to do, as well as winterizing our bus conversion for winter storage. Tomorrow we’re headed back to our printer’s to pick up the new issue of the paper and start getting it ready to mail out.

Thought For The Day – My idea of a well balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

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The purpose of our visit here to the Kansas City area is to spend some time with Terry’s cousin Carolyn and her husband Mel, two of our favorite people in the world.

Mel and Carolyn are completing the final steps to becoming fulltimers, and yesterday they took us to see their Heartland fifth wheel trailer, which they have in a storage lot just waiting to hit the road. Even though the slides were in and we could not get the full effect, we were impressed with how nice it is, just as we have been with all of the Heartland products we have ever seen. Mel says just a few more weeks and they’ll be on the road, and we know they are both itching to get out here and join in on all of the fun!

Two RVs that are on our very short list of rigs we’d like to have to replace the bus with are a Winnebago Ultimate Advantage or Ultimate Freedom, and there was an Ultimate Advantage in the same storage lot, which I pointed out to Mel and Carolyn. Just for the heck of it, when we left the storage lot, Carolyn drove past the dealership where they bought their trailer, and there was a used Ultimate Advantage sitting on the lot!

Even though it was Sunday and the place was closed, we decided to see what we could see. The bays were unlocked, and we checked out the impressive amount of storage space, and somebody said “It’s too bad the door is locked, or we could see the inside too.” Just being silly, I pulled out my key ring, and stuck an old key I have carried around with me for years into the lock. This was not a Winnebago key, in fact, it was originally for a small fireproof metal storage box, but it unlocked the door!

Mel thought that was funny and I told him it was my magic key, because in the past I have used it to unlock everything from storage boxes and padlocks to pickup camper shells. Just being a goofball by then, I walked over to another used rig, this one a three year old Allegro Bay diesel pusher, and even I was shocked when my key unlocked it too! I bet that makes you feel real secure when you lock your door and leave your RV for a while, doesn’t it?

I have had car keys that worked in the same model of cars before, and I had my pal Butch Williams install his special tubular locks on our bay doors a while back, because I know there are just a few key codes for them and if you put any ten RVers together, it’s a good bet somebody’s keys will open most of the bays. But I’d like to think that when Miss Terry tucks me into bed at night, the boogey man has to at least work a little bit to get inside!

I wasn’t too worried about the local constabulary coming to carry us away, because Mel and Carolyn have done enough business with this dealership that they have a very good relationship with them.

We really liked this particular Winnebago, and the price is right too. We’re not quite in a position to make a deal yet, but we’re close enough that I may go back to the dealership and talk to them while we’re here. But if we were to get it, or any other coach for that matter, you can bet that the first order of business would be to get custom locks installed!

So how secure is your RV?

Thought For The Day – Be wise enough not to be reckless, but brave enough to take great risks.

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