Great!...Now that I've officially grown a good head a of "Jeep hair" (stays nicely within a ponytail!), Jim tells me that we have to put the hard top back on the Jeep for the Winter. Can you believe it's already time to start planning for Winter???

...it seems like just YESTERDAY that we took the hard top OFF the Jeep!

Just so happens, I also took down our all our hanging- and potted-outdoor plants that are usually filled with bright red impatiants and vibrant purple pansies. Seems they've officially given up and called it a season, too. (My laziness in watering them lately might've had a little something to do with that though.)

You see, the Tennessee nights here have just been getting too chilly for us (riding around in the Jeep topless) and our flowers! So, just 4 days after the start of the Autumn season, Jim and I officially closed the door on summer this weekend.

Well... There comes a point in time when one just has to admit that summer is over and fall is on its way. Lynnette just can't bring herself to do it.

It's a well known fact that public pools close after Labor Day. I thought that would / should be a clue for Lynnette and me to put the hardtop back on Scruffy.

For the past month and a half, I've been trying to grow some good "Jeep hair". You know... a "do" that will sustain Jeep-force winds when riding with the top down and doors off!

A ponytail would be nice.

I'm not really happy with how it looks now, but we'll see how it ends up. My luck, it'll be perfect by the time winter rolls around and we're no longer riding around topless!

Jim has wanted a Jeep Wrangler for years. But, his desire to own this fun convertible had rapidly progressed from a "want" to a "whine" in recent months.

Much the same way we used to shout "Slug Bug!" as kids whenever we spotted a Volkswagen Beetle, Jim was constantly calling out "Jeep!" every time we passed a Jeep Wrangler. Day in and day out... And as the weather got warmer, all the Jeeps came out to play and the chant became more frequent. Until... it actually became a whiney drone that lacked emotion and was full of regret. Jim clearly had Jeep Envy, and this wasn't helping with his impending "Mid-Life Crisis"!

He said that a Jeep was the only thing that could cure his ills...

Fact is, I too have wanted a Jeep for years. In one of my pre-Jim scrapbooks, where I have a page devoted to all of the vehicles I've owned, I listed "Jeep Wrangler" on my wishlist even way back then.

So, while both of us have known that a Jeep was definitely in our future, we decided to kick things into high gear June of 2004.

...The hunt was on!

Jeep Wranglers and Jeep Wrangler Unlimiteds definitely have their good points and their bad points. Basically, it all comes down to the fact that Jeeps are just different. They're not your typical run-of-the-mill vehicle.

Here is a breakdown of the pros and cons of owning a Jeep Wrangler, as I see it.