No more home-delivered frozen mini pizzas, unbreaded chicken breasts, meatballs, key lime pies, sausage patties, etc.
We said good bye to a longtime family icon in our lives yesterday.
The Yelloh (formerly known as Schwan's) deliveryman surprised us when he rang the front doorbell.
We had not expected to see him ever again, but he made one more trip, wasting no time telling us that the inventory was limited.
Apparently, it wasn't too limited because Bill paid a hefty sum for the items ordered.
It's a bit sad to see this home frozen food service go.
Apparently, the operation will continue in the Midwest but no longer along the country roads of North Idaho.
We were told that if we still want to order items, we can have them delivered via UPS.
We'll probably just spend more money at Costco.
Our Schwan's history dates back to around the late 1970s.
During those times we had a few drivers who hung on with the company for several years. There were also others that we saw maybe twice before a new face replaced them.
We have loved the products. My favorite has always been their meatballs: the best meatballs I've ever found.
Bill buys a lot of breakfast items and fish. In the early years, Annie was a great fan of the mini pizzas with pepperoni toppings.
We shared a few stories about past deliverymen with the present driver, whom I think Bill refers to as John.
Since Bill does the ordering and the purchasing, usually outside, I don't always see the drivers.
In one case, we will not forget the night that Bill and I found out at the last minute that we would be riding the Winter Carnival float with actress and model Margaux Hemingway.
I still can't figure out how we lucked out on that experience, but I do know it was a blast. She was a fun, down-to-earth lady.
After receiving a call from one of my students whose mother was in charge of the parade to get down to the beach where the parade would start, I had to make some quick decisions, including calling Bill who was driving home from his job in Coeur d'Alene.
What to do with the kids?
They had not been invited to be on the float. Well, the stars were lined up that night as our Schwan's man suddenly came down the driveway.
I told him I'd have to order quickly because of the parade and that I had to hurry off. He not only took the order, but also offered to watch the kids until we could figure out a plan. Talk about service!
Some of those long-time drivers became family friends, like Mike and Tom and Jeff.
Yesterday John, the driver, told us that the company had been purchased by someone in Korea and then ownership transferred to South America. He added that it was obvious they didn't quite get their act together.
Sad to see this ending because, in the old days, the trucks showed on a regular basis, filled to the brim.
The food, the transactions and the visiting made the service special.
Plus, the drivers usually had some good stories to tell about their experiences on the back roads, especially in the winter.
We will miss this convenient way of shopping, the offerings and the camaraderie established with the drivers.
It was a good run.
🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚛🚛🚛🚛
Speaking of driving, I spent some time on the Kubota yesterday, grooming the pastures.
Next year I may try to get to this a little earlier in the fall. My, those fields are rough, especially when the ground is frozen.
Regardless of the bumpy ride, the job was satisfying, especially when I'd make the last round on each field.
Just the hay field remains, and I hope to finish it today or tomorrow---just in time for snow.
Mother Nature has definitely given us bonus time in getting our outdoor projects completed before the snow flies.
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