By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
Several years ago I found a picture of an old red truck with the back stacked with glowing jack-o-’lanterns. The picture had been taken on Halloween night and the only location mentioned was the name of a town in southern Wisconsin. I sent the photo to Joann but told her I didn’t really know where it was. Then I stumbled on a second photo. That one named a different town as the location. Same county, but different town. I tried to find out the real location, and even asked our brother-in-law who lives down that way. He couldn’t remember ever seeing it.
Last year, on the day before Halloween, I was home and began wondering about the truck. I took out the gazetteer and started to study the roads between the two towns that had been mentioned as locations. There didn’t seem to be that many roads, and I thought that I could drive down and see if I could find the truck. Wouldn’t Joann be surprise if I found it!
I took the gazetteer along and drove south. When I got to the first town mentioned, I turned onto the first road that would take me between the two towns. Imagine my surprise when I had only travelled a short distance and came upon the truck. I drove far enough to get turned around, and returned to the truck. I parked across from it and snapped a photo with my phone. Then I attached it to an email and sent it to Joann at work.
She replied almost immediately and asked me how I had figured out the location. I replied that I was sitting in front of it and the photo was from my phone. I told her about my dumb luck of picking the right starting point for my search. She was very excited and we immediately made plans to go the following night to take photos.
The next night, Halloween night, I met Joann right after work and we drove south. We wanted to look at the truck in the daylight so she could check out the background for the truck images before dusk. Then we drove around town taking a few other photos.
The trick or treaters were out and we saw princesses, a dinosaur and other creatures along the sidewalks. We also spent some time in the town cemetery, but made sure to be done and back at the truck before dusk.
When we got back to the truck, we were happy to see that the pumpkins were already lit for the evening. Joann knew she had a short period of time to get as many shots as possible, so she worked quickly moving around the truck taking as many angles as she could.
When it was too dark to continue photographing, the owner came down the driveway and chatted with Joann for a bit. He said that he had been doing the truck for a few years but didn’t know how much longer he would continue. It’s a lot of pumpkins to carve, and he needs to find family help each year for all of the carving.
Now that we’ve found the truck, we’re hoping to make a return trip this Halloween. We hope the owner can continue his tradition for many years to come!
Happy Halloween and Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Quick Pic - Been Waiting Long?
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
We were just looking for a parking place so Joann could take a picture. It was October of 2011 and we were in Southwestern Minnesota. As Joann got out of the car to get her equipment, she glanced toward an open door of a building and saw the Grim Reaper waiting in the lobby. She stepped inside to ask if she could take a picture of the display. She called out “Hello?”, but no one answered. She called again and still got no answer.
She took a couple of photos and then went out the door and on to what we had really stopped for. I wonder if he’s still waiting.
Hope your Halloween was a great end to the fall season.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
We were just looking for a parking place so Joann could take a picture. It was October of 2011 and we were in Southwestern Minnesota. As Joann got out of the car to get her equipment, she glanced toward an open door of a building and saw the Grim Reaper waiting in the lobby. She stepped inside to ask if she could take a picture of the display. She called out “Hello?”, but no one answered. She called again and still got no answer.
She took a couple of photos and then went out the door and on to what we had really stopped for. I wonder if he’s still waiting.
Hope your Halloween was a great end to the fall season.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Possessed
By Irwin, G.P.S. (Grand Poobah of Sightseeing)
It’s been a few years now since my humble beginnings as Joann's and Ruth’s “Go-To Guy” for backroads and big city navigation. At first, it didn’t look like I was going to get the job. They bought the equipment, plugged it in, and just gave the job to Jill, the “default” voice from the factory. I mean, I understand equal opportunity for women and all that, but she really wasn’t very good…or friendly.
At first they had a bit of fun with her. She would say, “In .5 miles, turn right on Pleasant Ridge Road, then turn left.” And Ruth would respond, “Anywhere?” But soon they got tired of her and even started calling her names because they thought she was too bossy. So they opened it up for auditions and they asked me to try out.
After several auditions and a trial period, they decided they liked my Australian accent best and I was given the job. I couldn’t have been happier. Jill, on the other hand, was NOT happy to relinquish her duties and take a back seat. But it wasn’t up to her. Or was it?
For months, she quietly rode along as I learned the ropes and became quite proficient in my duties. Sometimes, though, Ruth and Joann get a bit frustrated with me and I see Jill back there making plans to regain her former duties. I make mistakes here and there but, overall, I do a pretty good job of getting them where they want to go. So, other than calling me “butthead” once in a while, they haven’t threatened to replace me. Meanwhile, Jill has apparently been planning a coup d’etat (that’s French for overthrowing those in power…..which would be ME!).
She made her first attempt to overtake the throne back in May, shortly after we returned from a 10-day trip to Ohio. On the last day of the trip, Ruth told Joann that she had a surprise for her, so Joann started guessing about what it might be. She thought it was something good to photograph on the way home, but Ruth said that it wasn’t.
Ruth finally gave enough hints that Joann guessed that it had something to do with me, but Joann wasn’t quite sure what that meant. After spending WAY too much of their last day on the eastern edge of Indiana, we needed to cover some serious ground to make it home, so they both forgot about the surprise. A few days later, Joann asked me to direct her somewhere. But before I could speak my first words, Jill snuck up from behind, put a gag in my mouth, and took over. Boy, was Joann surprised when Jill started barking out directions!
Later, Joann accused Ruth of pulling a mean joke by temporarily giving Jill her job back as soon as we had gotten home from Ohio. Ruth swore the surprise had nothing to do with Jill. Luckily, Joann told Jill to shut up and came and found me and asked me to come back. I knew it wasn’t Joann’s fault, so I agreed to return to my job. But we hadn’t heard the last of Jill, not by a long shot. In early September, Joann spent the day with her brother Paul, cruising up and down the Wisconsin River. She got some great photos of the rock formations.
At the end of the day, they decided to get something to eat and Joann asked me to take her to the restaurant they had chosen. And this time, Jill stuck her foot out and tripped me before I could give the first instruction. When she started bossing Joann around about how to get to the restaurant, Joann couldn’t believe her ears. When she was about to leave the restaurant, Joann came looking for me and asked me what happened. I was too embarrassed to tell her that I had gotten beaten up by a girl….again.
A couple weeks later, as Joann was leaving to attend a Cousins Party with many of her first cousins, she typed in the address of the party and then backed the car out of the garage. And that’s when Jill locked me in the closet. And before Joann even got out of the driveway, Jill told her to go .2 miles and make a U-turn. How stupid was that? I told you she was incompetent! So Joann parked the car at the end of the driveway and pleaded with me to come back and help her get to the party so she could spend some time with her cousins.
I knew the drive to the party would be enjoyable and I didn’t want to miss seeing that cool barn mural for Schuster’s Sweet Switchers, so I jumped at the chance to come back once again.
I sure like hitting the backroads with Joann and Ruth, but something has to be done about Jill. She’s become a real nuisance and I don’t know how much longer I can live in the same unit with her. Anyone have any ideas?
Happy Halloween and Happy Shunpiking!
Irwin
It’s been a few years now since my humble beginnings as Joann's and Ruth’s “Go-To Guy” for backroads and big city navigation. At first, it didn’t look like I was going to get the job. They bought the equipment, plugged it in, and just gave the job to Jill, the “default” voice from the factory. I mean, I understand equal opportunity for women and all that, but she really wasn’t very good…or friendly.
At first they had a bit of fun with her. She would say, “In .5 miles, turn right on Pleasant Ridge Road, then turn left.” And Ruth would respond, “Anywhere?” But soon they got tired of her and even started calling her names because they thought she was too bossy. So they opened it up for auditions and they asked me to try out.
After several auditions and a trial period, they decided they liked my Australian accent best and I was given the job. I couldn’t have been happier. Jill, on the other hand, was NOT happy to relinquish her duties and take a back seat. But it wasn’t up to her. Or was it?
For months, she quietly rode along as I learned the ropes and became quite proficient in my duties. Sometimes, though, Ruth and Joann get a bit frustrated with me and I see Jill back there making plans to regain her former duties. I make mistakes here and there but, overall, I do a pretty good job of getting them where they want to go. So, other than calling me “butthead” once in a while, they haven’t threatened to replace me. Meanwhile, Jill has apparently been planning a coup d’etat (that’s French for overthrowing those in power…..which would be ME!).
She made her first attempt to overtake the throne back in May, shortly after we returned from a 10-day trip to Ohio. On the last day of the trip, Ruth told Joann that she had a surprise for her, so Joann started guessing about what it might be. She thought it was something good to photograph on the way home, but Ruth said that it wasn’t.
Ruth finally gave enough hints that Joann guessed that it had something to do with me, but Joann wasn’t quite sure what that meant. After spending WAY too much of their last day on the eastern edge of Indiana, we needed to cover some serious ground to make it home, so they both forgot about the surprise. A few days later, Joann asked me to direct her somewhere. But before I could speak my first words, Jill snuck up from behind, put a gag in my mouth, and took over. Boy, was Joann surprised when Jill started barking out directions!
Later, Joann accused Ruth of pulling a mean joke by temporarily giving Jill her job back as soon as we had gotten home from Ohio. Ruth swore the surprise had nothing to do with Jill. Luckily, Joann told Jill to shut up and came and found me and asked me to come back. I knew it wasn’t Joann’s fault, so I agreed to return to my job. But we hadn’t heard the last of Jill, not by a long shot. In early September, Joann spent the day with her brother Paul, cruising up and down the Wisconsin River. She got some great photos of the rock formations.
At the end of the day, they decided to get something to eat and Joann asked me to take her to the restaurant they had chosen. And this time, Jill stuck her foot out and tripped me before I could give the first instruction. When she started bossing Joann around about how to get to the restaurant, Joann couldn’t believe her ears. When she was about to leave the restaurant, Joann came looking for me and asked me what happened. I was too embarrassed to tell her that I had gotten beaten up by a girl….again.
A couple weeks later, as Joann was leaving to attend a Cousins Party with many of her first cousins, she typed in the address of the party and then backed the car out of the garage. And that’s when Jill locked me in the closet. And before Joann even got out of the driveway, Jill told her to go .2 miles and make a U-turn. How stupid was that? I told you she was incompetent! So Joann parked the car at the end of the driveway and pleaded with me to come back and help her get to the party so she could spend some time with her cousins.
I knew the drive to the party would be enjoyable and I didn’t want to miss seeing that cool barn mural for Schuster’s Sweet Switchers, so I jumped at the chance to come back once again.
I sure like hitting the backroads with Joann and Ruth, but something has to be done about Jill. She’s become a real nuisance and I don’t know how much longer I can live in the same unit with her. Anyone have any ideas?
Happy Halloween and Happy Shunpiking!
Irwin
Sunday, October 30, 2011
It's Halloween Once More
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
The ghosts and goblins prowl about
The ghouls and gremlins scream and shout
The spooks come out at half past four,
It’s Halloween once more.
The Jack-o-lanterns gleam and glow,
The ghosts are lined up in a row,
And Frankenstein comes to the door,
It’s Halloween once more.
The zombies rise and begin to stumble,
The mummies stir and start to mumble,
And someone’s tapping on death’s door,
It’s Halloween once more.
Last Sunday, Ruth and I photographed our way to Delafield, Wisconsin. Our mission was to see the illuminated pumpkin display in front of an old church building known as “The Steeple.” The night before, Delafield held their “Grand Pumpkin Illumination” where over 300 pumpkins were illuminated.
These pumpkins were carved by children from the following local elementary schools: Cushing Elementary School, Lake Country School, Prairie Hill Waldorf, and St. Joan of Arc School. We arrived shortly before dusk so that I could snap a few shots in the waning daylight.
Then we waited for darkness to begin to descend over the scene. While we waited, we examined the carved pumpkins more closely. There were some very creative carvings and many of them made us smile.
Some of them showed signs of struggle to carve the face or whatever else the kids were aiming to create. Others looked like the carving had gotten out of control and most of the pumpkin was carved away, leaving us to imagine what they might have been trying to create.
As we photographed this whimsical scene, cars pulled up and people walked past to enjoy the lighted display. And one little girl came with her mother, peering into the sea of pumpkins in an attempt to locate the pumpkin she had carved so that her mother could take a picture of it. It was quite an enjoyable way to end our afternoon of photographing.
When creatures emerge from the Black Lagoon,
And werewolves howl at the moon,
When vampires show up at the door,
It’s Halloween once more.
When people plan for tricks and treats,
And costumed children hit the streets,
And pumpkins shine from shore to shore,
It’s Halloween once more.
Happy Halloween and Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
The ghosts and goblins prowl about
The ghouls and gremlins scream and shout
The spooks come out at half past four,
It’s Halloween once more.
The Jack-o-lanterns gleam and glow,
The ghosts are lined up in a row,
And Frankenstein comes to the door,
It’s Halloween once more.
The zombies rise and begin to stumble,
The mummies stir and start to mumble,
And someone’s tapping on death’s door,
It’s Halloween once more.
Last Sunday, Ruth and I photographed our way to Delafield, Wisconsin. Our mission was to see the illuminated pumpkin display in front of an old church building known as “The Steeple.” The night before, Delafield held their “Grand Pumpkin Illumination” where over 300 pumpkins were illuminated.
These pumpkins were carved by children from the following local elementary schools: Cushing Elementary School, Lake Country School, Prairie Hill Waldorf, and St. Joan of Arc School. We arrived shortly before dusk so that I could snap a few shots in the waning daylight.
Then we waited for darkness to begin to descend over the scene. While we waited, we examined the carved pumpkins more closely. There were some very creative carvings and many of them made us smile.
Some of them showed signs of struggle to carve the face or whatever else the kids were aiming to create. Others looked like the carving had gotten out of control and most of the pumpkin was carved away, leaving us to imagine what they might have been trying to create.
As we photographed this whimsical scene, cars pulled up and people walked past to enjoy the lighted display. And one little girl came with her mother, peering into the sea of pumpkins in an attempt to locate the pumpkin she had carved so that her mother could take a picture of it. It was quite an enjoyable way to end our afternoon of photographing.
When creatures emerge from the Black Lagoon,
And werewolves howl at the moon,
When vampires show up at the door,
It’s Halloween once more.
When people plan for tricks and treats,
And costumed children hit the streets,
And pumpkins shine from shore to shore,
It’s Halloween once more.
Happy Halloween and Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Moonlight, Starlight, I Hope to See a Ghost Tonight!
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown
Halloween is upon us and houses and yards are decorated with witches, ghosts, and other ghoulish things. I can’t help but be reminded of a game we played on the farm when we were kids. We would wait until it was very dark outside and then we would begin our game of Moonlight, Starlight.
One person was designated as the ghost and they would run off and hide as the rest of the kids sat on the steps, covered their eyes, and counted very slowly and loudly.
“One O’clock…..Two O’clock…..Three O’clock…..Four O’clock…..Five O’clock…..Six O’clock…..Seven O’clock…..Eight O’clock…..Nine O’clock…..Ten O’clock…..Eleven O’clock…..Twelve O’clock….MIDNIGHT!”
“Moonlight, Starlight, I hope to see a ghost tonight!”
Then we would all spread out in search of the ghost. The goal was to catch a glimpse of the ghost, but not get caught by him or her. If any of us got close to where the ghost was hiding, he or she would jump out of the shadows and chase us. Once we saw the ghost, we had to get back to the steps before being touched by the ghost.
Anyone who wasn’t fast enough to reach the steps before being touched by the ghost would be turned into the ghost for the next round. The game continued like this, with pounding hearts and screams, until Mom came out and dragged us off to bed.
Halloween originated thousands of years ago at an ancient Celtic festival. Various Halloween customs were brought to America by the first European immigrants. As millions of immigrants poured into America in the second half of the nineteenth century, they contributed to popularizing Halloween as a national celebration.
I’ll end this post with a few words from Jeff Foxworthy – You might be a redneck if the Halloween pumpkin on your front porch has more teeth than your spouse.
Happy Haunting!
Joann
When witches go riding,
and black cats are seen,
the moon laughs and whispers,
‘tis near Halloween.
~Author Unknown
Halloween is upon us and houses and yards are decorated with witches, ghosts, and other ghoulish things. I can’t help but be reminded of a game we played on the farm when we were kids. We would wait until it was very dark outside and then we would begin our game of Moonlight, Starlight.
One person was designated as the ghost and they would run off and hide as the rest of the kids sat on the steps, covered their eyes, and counted very slowly and loudly.
“One O’clock…..Two O’clock…..Three O’clock…..Four O’clock…..Five O’clock…..Six O’clock…..Seven O’clock…..Eight O’clock…..Nine O’clock…..Ten O’clock…..Eleven O’clock…..Twelve O’clock….MIDNIGHT!”
“Moonlight, Starlight, I hope to see a ghost tonight!”
Then we would all spread out in search of the ghost. The goal was to catch a glimpse of the ghost, but not get caught by him or her. If any of us got close to where the ghost was hiding, he or she would jump out of the shadows and chase us. Once we saw the ghost, we had to get back to the steps before being touched by the ghost.
Anyone who wasn’t fast enough to reach the steps before being touched by the ghost would be turned into the ghost for the next round. The game continued like this, with pounding hearts and screams, until Mom came out and dragged us off to bed.
Halloween originated thousands of years ago at an ancient Celtic festival. Various Halloween customs were brought to America by the first European immigrants. As millions of immigrants poured into America in the second half of the nineteenth century, they contributed to popularizing Halloween as a national celebration.
I’ll end this post with a few words from Jeff Foxworthy – You might be a redneck if the Halloween pumpkin on your front porch has more teeth than your spouse.
Happy Haunting!
Joann
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