With a Name like Smucker’s . . .

Today’s our last day at Smith’s Campground here in Loudonville and we’re really going to miss it. Amy and her family have really made us welcome.

After lunch at 11 that included some of Miss Terry’s delicious pumpkin bread, Amy, Kim, and Scott Smith came by to get a tour of our rigs and chat a while. Then about 12:45 Nick and Terry, and Jan and I headed over to Kidron, OH.

Along the way we passed this really neat fall pumpkin patch, just the perfect accent for our trip through the Ohio countryside.

Our destination in the small town of Kidron was Lehman’s Hardware. Originally selling products used by the Amish, it has became known as THE source for non-electric appliances.

While originally over 90% of their business was Amish, now, since Lehman’s has become a tourist spot,  it’s less than 10%.

And recently another source of business has been supplying props for movies such as World of the Worlds, and two of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

One interesting thing was how expensive old-looking new stuff can be. A stove like this gas model, a modern stove dressed up in an old cabinet is over $7000.00.

They even have a whole room with nothing but different types of oil lamps and fuel.

After about an hour wandering up and down every aisle, we headed up the road about 8 miles to Orrville, OH and the Smucker’s store and factory.

Unfortunately they don’t have a factory tour of any type, but they do have a neat store.

I had assumed that Smucker’s was owned by some other big corporation, but I was surprised to learn that Smucker’s is a really big corporation that owns a lot of other companies.

Companies like the following: JIF, Pillsbury, Martha White Flour, White Lily Flour, Robin Hood Flour, Crisco, Knott’s Berry Farm, Borden, Carnation, Hungry Jack, and Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee (but not the coffee shops), are just some of their brands.

Leaving Smucker’s we headed back toward home, but stopped off at Jake’s Steakhouse for dinner.

It was recommended by a lady at the Smucker’s store and we thought we would give it a try.

And it turned out to be really good. Jan and Nick had Sirloin steaks, and Terry and I had the Soup and Salad Bar. All really good. And we were very well taken care of by our waitress, Mouse.

And yes, Mouse is her real name. When we asked, she said when she was born, she just squeaked instead of cried, and her doctor called her a little mouse. So, her parents, both hippies, decided to name her Mouse.

And showing the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, Mouse named her daughter, Ocean, apparently because Mouse’s husband was a surfer, and Mouse herself, used to be a Shrimp Boat Captain in Tarpon Springs, FL.

You learn the strangest things talking to your waitress.

Tomorrow we all head out for Elkhart. Nick and Terry have had a change of plans, so they’ll be coming with us. As Jan says, “Yea!”.

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Thought for the Day:

“What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance?” – THOMAS JEFFERSON

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