Shari Peterson’s four freezers are a child’s dream, stuffed with bubble gum bars, Big Dipper cones, bomb pops and cotton candy SpongeBobs.

She’s not tempted by the contents, though.

“I’m not really into ice cream,” the young grandmother said.

For two decades, she’s been putt-putting around North Kitsap, delivering cold treats to the tune of “The Entertainer.”

It’s not a particularly lucrative summer gig, but that doesn’t matter. Peterson does it for the love of the kids.

“It’s just so much fun,” she said.

She treasures run-ins at the grocery store, where little customers tug on their parents’ hands with glee.

“Mom, mom, dad, dad, there’s the ice cream lady!” Peterson mimics joyfully. “Everybody’s just so friendly.”

Of course, she’s earned their trust with her wide smile and thoughtful stewardship. Peterson doles out change carefully, with a twinkle in her eye, and she has a tendency to loan a quarter or two if someone comes up short for a $3.50 sweet. Nobody misses out.

The feathered blonde was 13 when she plotted out her Fudgsicle future. She’d visit the truck down by Liberty Bay, when it was still sand instead of a park, “and I always wanted to do that,” she said.

At 27, she got her start in a Cushman three-wheeler purchased in Canada, before two separate mail Jeeps took over. She likes the right-hand drive, which keeps the kids on her side. They don’t have to run into the road to procure their snacks.

Her latest ride, built the same year as the Islamic Revolution, is pretty in pink. Peterson dolled her up with polka dots, a magenta grill and painted-on eyelashes. For practical purposes, the old DJ also sports a freezer, which runs off an inverter Peterson charges every night.

At the start of spring vacation, the season begins. Peterson fires up her music box, purchased for a couple hundred dollars from a distributer. She has the rights to six songs, but she doesn’t deviate from the staple Scott Joplin ditty. It’s the only one she can tolerate on seven-hour repeat.

“I could switch it, but then I’d go crazy,” she said. Tuning it out is her sanity.

By 10:30 a.m., the ice cream lady is out the door, headed for the usual route. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, she’s in Poulsbo: Deer Run, followed by Edgewater, Suquamish and Gamblewood.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, she hits up Indianola first. Then she parades her nostalgia around Winslow, with stops by Wing Point, Meadowmeer and Sportsman Club Road.

Unfortunately, the south side of the island does not make the cut; going out toward Fort Ward, the roads are too rough, she said.

With an emphasis on fresh, Peterson drives into Seattle every week to stock up on inventory. She doesn’t like the cold treats to sit for too long, and the arrangement allows her to switch up flavors regularly.

This week, she’s introducing Ninja Turtle pops, synced with the June movie about Michaelangelo and his crime-stopping saurian brothers.

When the rain comes, around Halloween, Peterson will stop putt-putting. She’ll empty out her freezers and give away all the treats that are leftover.

For a few months, she’ll busy herself with clean-up jobs. She’ll scrub walls, do some painting.

But, eventually, you’ll hear a familiar song.

Your ears will perk up.

You’ll feel a tang, an itch on your tongue.

“Mom, mom, dad, dad, it’s the ice cream lady!”

Peterson is also available for birthday parties and corporate events. To contact her, visit www.facebook.com/mobilemunchies123.