10/17/2012
Hello all. We made to Kansas City, MO this afternoon. Seems like we have been on the road a long time already, but it has only been ten days. We crossed the Missouri River from the north and continued south. We are staying at the "Square" RV Park. This is a return trip as we stayed here a couple of years ago. The fall colors in Missouri are lovely. Took a few pics and will post some as soon as we get them viewed and selected. It is already late tonight, so most likely later in the week.

From our last post, we have been to Bismarck, ND, Pelican Rapids, MN, Sutherland, IA and now Missouri. We did a big loop Springfield, MO to see friends before they departed to South Dakota. Had a wonderful time and even opened a few persimmons. For those not familiar with persimmons, they are a tree that grows locally in Missouri (and other states as well). The are not real tall but produce a small apple like fruit which has been used for years to predict the winter. Most persimmons are orange in color when ripe and can be eaten, (from what I understand), if you like them. There bark of the tree is rough and looks like tiled wood. When you open the fruit, they contain three (usually) flat seeds. When these seeds are cut open the long way, they reveal inside either a spoon, fork, or knife. A spoon represents a snowy winter, spoon = shovel. A fork indicates a milder winter with less snow. Fork = sieve. Lastly, the knife. A knife indicates an icy, windy winter. Henceforth, knife = cutting. The four seeds we opened all contained a spoon. Therefore, the winter in south Missouri (where the persimmons were picked), should be snowy and needing shoveling if the traditional prediction holds true. Take care family and friends!! Will try to get the pictures posted soon. Look for the reds, yellows and dark green grass contrast and the 'spoon' inside the seed. Later!!