All day I watched with concern out my driver-side window as dark clouds filled the view. Daughter Allison had called last night with news of a severe-weather outbreak in this part of the country, and so I pulled out my weather radio, only to find that it doesn’t work anymore. And although there was only an occasional light shower last night in Harrisburg, I knew that I was driving into tornado country, so I kept a wary eye on the sky all day long.

And I thought I would dodge a bullet, because the black sky always stayed to my left, to the south as I rode the Pennsylvania Turnpike west. But no — thirty minutes before my arrival here, the skies opened and spewed forth a torrent of Biblical proportions, such that it became impossible even to see the lines on the highway. I took the first exit I could find and parked in a Jehovah’s Witness churchyard until the rain let up. I was certainly grateful to see the sign announcing my arrival here in Zanesville, Ohio at McDonald’s Greenhouse.

When I pulled in, a car approached from around the building and stopped next to my truck. The driver announced herself to be “the grandmother”, and told me that there wasn’t a soul around, everyone was probably readying for an upcoming local agricultural fair, and she had no idea when the owner would return. But she told me where to park and invited me to enjoy the evening, so I followed the gravel path around the building and down into this field.

After transitioning the Little Guy from travel mode to living mode, I decided to walk around the property and see what I could find. I appreciated the “Harvest Host” parking sign at the bottom of the drive.

This establishment, unlike the one which hosted me last night, seems truly authentic. There is a greenhouse and a cornfield, just like the sign says.

Speaking of the sign:

I knocked on the door of what appeared to be the main building, but it was locked and no one answered.

One of the greenhouses was open so I looked inside. It appears that flowers are the primary stock-in-trade at McDonald’s.

I took my time strolling about the property and admiring the views.

I imagine this doughnut trailer sees a lot of use once the corn maze opens in the fall.

From what I can gather, McDonald’s seems to be a thriving agribusiness, for which the Harvest Host program is a logical and welcome adjunct. I hope that someone is around tomorrow morning when I leave, so that I can do my part and support their business in some way. Because, really, this is the perfect Harvest Host spot: all by myself in a lovely setting with only the crickets and fireflies to entertain me as the thunder rumbles away in the distance.

If all goes well, I’ll be in Cincinnati tomorrow.