Huge Score at the Farmer's Market !

I went last Saturday to go pick up veggies for the week. I was able to pick up Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Leaf Lettuce, summer squash, zucchini, and radishes. My total cost? $15 for a week's worth of great veggies.

I filled my bag up and decided to walk around the Market and found out is was Kid Vendor Day which they do once a month. Kids bring items they have made or would like to sell and set up a table. Last year, one girl was selling rocks. I could have looked for a very similar one on my own land, but she knew all the names of the types of rocks she had. In fact she could ID them better than I could.

So I purchased two from her to put in my garden.

This time around I spotted a youngster with a table full of Legos and Lego characters. I stopped by to look at what he had and made a purchase of a few items.

His mom was there and from the looks of what was on the table, the Legos were a mix of old [vintage] Legos and new Legos.

I purchased a few of the ones I'd never seen before.

When I got home I looked up this one. The camel is from an old set. Of course without the original numbers and packing, I can't prove a thing. But when I looked it up I found Rare Retired Legos: Camel 

The average price on a few sites was $48. Of course that was for ones that had never been played with.

I was pretty tickled that I got this minifigure and the camel along with some miscellaneous pieces for $3.

The Yoda figure has always been out of a sensible price range. Some of the prices for Yoda range from $33 to $80 something depending on the model. I got Yoda, Hans Solo [20 year edition] and the droid soldiers for $3.

The whole haul for $12: 

The little sun catcher was made by one of my other neighbor's children and I purchased that along with a little succulent they were selling. I got storm troopers, Darth Vader, a couple of firefighters, and a little stand that looked like a sales booth at the Farmer's Market.

I reworked the Legos and made a MOC of my friend's stand at the Farmer's Market.

He would be the person with the cowboy hat on and the Garlic Man sign behind him. He is known locally as the garlic man.

I then did a mock up of my friend Randall and his wife working at their place in this dry, hot, dusty, drought we are having.

Deb has been really stressed because of the heat, bad air quality, and the drought. She suffers from asthma. She really puts a lot of her heart and soul into her gardens and the Market. I sent these to her and she used them [with permission] on her FB page.

She and Randall have acres and acres of produce that they raise. She also makes incredible jellies and jams for sale at the market. I never miss a chance to get some of her wild grape jelly when I am not able to make my own.

During those hot hot days last weekend I sat in the A/C and created some more market scenarios just for fun. It was fun to do.

The one below is close to my friend's set up for their booth. She has shelves with all of her delicious salsas, jellies, and other goodies on shelves. Too bad Lego didn't have jars!

Eat your vegetables!

Anyway, that is what I was doing last week with all the heat and humidity along with the terrible Air.

This Saturday, it will be in the 70's and overcast. So we have a break from the awful heat we had for the first few days of July.

Pesky Rabbits!

Have a great weekend.

Books and Beans

I heard about this book on a radio broadcast and since the name of Luck is not a common one, I turned up the volume and listened.

The story takes place between Luck and Milltown Wisconsin during 1945. I read some excerpts on line and decided to give the book a go. I am half way through it and I can say I am pleased. 

I recall so many of the places described by the author. The Stokely's plant, the train stations and the trains which disappeared sometime in my childhood.

We spent the summers just southeast of Milltown.

I recall picking cucumbers and taking them to town with Grandpa. We watched as the cukes were dumped into a sorter and your batch was weighed. 

There was more money for the cukes that would make good pickles if I recall properly. 

I picked a lot of cucumbers with big adult rubber gloves on. Our reward was generally a trip to the lake to go swimming. Sometimes Grandpa would give us a dime to go spend at Ben Franklins in Milltown.

Grandpa would tell us over and over the story of him working on the concrete steps to the new Milltown Bank when the bank was robbed. I don't recall much else of the story and don't even know if it was real. But as a little kid, I was impressed.

I imagine the farm that Milo ends up at is one dairy farm I know. It isn't, but in my mind, it seems similar.

I didn't spend summers there until the 1960's. It is bringing back so many fond memories. Truth is, I never wanted summers to end and I never wanted to go back to the Chicago Suburbs. 

In short, I am enjoying it.

I found a wonderful source for my veggies at the Farmer's Market. My Grandmother would be horrified that I purchased my green beans instead of growing them myself. However, at the price I paid for picked and cleaned green beans? 
Priceless.

I purchase what I want and process the beans for freezing or dehydrating. It is so much easier! 

The Farmer's Market gives me time off the farm where I can visit with friends at the same time. Last week I took Charlie to the Market. He had a blast and was so well behaved. Of course, he was a conversation piece too.

The produce is fantastic and delicious.

This week I purchased 4 pounds of yellow and green beans along with Swiss Chard, lettuce, new potatoes, onions, and cucumbers ... all to the tune of $12. 
My Lego friends helped me cut up the green beans. I saved out a fresh meal for us and processed the rest. I'll have about 14 meals of green beans put away for winter.

 I couldn't pass up the strawberry pie that the Mennonite Bakery had for sale. Her pies are not sickly sweet like most pies. This year I am getting smarter. I am purchasing two pies each time I go and sticking one in the freezer for special occasions over the winter. What could be more refreshing in December than to have a Rhubarb Strawberry pie?

I'm including this photo of Charlie. It is shot through the little path in my east flower garden that is glowing with beautiful little zinnias and Blazing Stars. He was annoyed at the bugs that were dive bombing him.

The little path he was on.

Not such a great cell phone photo, but here is the patch of zinnias and 4 o'clocks.

Summer Daze

 

It is that time of year that I go for early morning walks and bike rides or whatever tickles my fancy when I wake up just before dawn.

I do like summer just for that reason. My days start when the glow starts outside. I don't like to sit inside and just wait for late morning to occur. I usually have walked the fence and checked the stock tanks by 6ish and visited with the mules.

The peonies have started to blossom like crazy and I do love them for those days that they offer sweet smells and vibrant colors. I have only pink. My husband thinks peonies are icky flowers and would mow them all down if he could. 

What can I say?
Yarrow, Peonies, Irisis, and Verbena are my choices for right now.

In the summer I love to have every flower I can cut and stick in a jar or vase all around the house. That is just me. The more, the merrier.

That brings me to the veggie garden. To tell you the truth, I'd like a much smaller garden than I've had for years. For whatever the reason, I just am not into the huge garden this year.

I know a woman and her husband who have been doing the Farmer's Market in town for 20 years. I decided this year to let her do the gardening and I'd come on the weekends and pick my produce from her display.

I'm even going to trade some new jars for some produce next week.

I bought some Giardiniera from her Saturday and put it in my Italian cold salad. Wow!

I came away with some real goodies from the market. It included a wonderfully fresh picked package of spinach. Even the other half enjoyed a spinach in his salad.

I came home with a raspberry/rhubarb pie to boot from the Mennonite Bakery. 

I was done with my busy morning by 9am.

Everyone who has hayfields has their hay down to be baled. First crop looks a bit thin and we need rain. 

I had to haul water out to the 'Forest Garden' with the 4 wheeler. 

Hmmm. Looks like I had visitors!

A gift that arrived in the mail the other day was two bags of toys.

I could not resist messing around with them. They were kind of cute in that I could bend their arms and legs!

During the hottest part of the day, I read a book on the porch and watched birds. Not productive at all but pleasant.

If the weather people are correct, Sunday will be much nicer and chances for rain will be the topic for the week.

We do need the rain on for the hay fields. 

My lavender is getting ready to blossom. This is my first year of overwintering one lavender plant and growing a second one. 

The Sage I planted last year somehow survived the winter and came back in a huge mound and is ready to blossom too.

Today? 
More dry winds and heat.

9 weeks?

64 days since we went out anywhere as a couple. We visited Rich's mom in the nursing home. Before that?

Rich was at the VA in February. 75 days ago.

At first I was really put out. I missed my CrossFit time at the gym, it had become a daily ritual I really looked forward to. Good friends, good exercise, and camaraderie.

Then we had to make some tough choices. Being social was suddenly out. I've arranged some socially distancing hikes with my friend Bill.
Another would like to join us but at this point she has stated that she doesn't believe in isolation, masks, or washing unnecessarily... she believes the virus is a hoax and that when she gets it she will be just fine.
And the statistics are with her.

However they are not with my husband. So I've made a choice to not include her on our hikes.
I simply cannot risk bringing the virus to Rich.
Eventually it will happen right? I can't avoid it forever. And that is a scary thought.
No matter what, Covid-19 will find its way here, eventually. My hope would be that we find a vaccine.


I'm getting used to this isolation again. After all, I do live with a bonafide Hermit. He has no desire to go anywhere at all.

So I enjoy my walks in the woods. Yesterday I went in a light rain and just wandered about looking at tracks in the dirt/sand/mud along the creek. Looking at flowers that were struggling with the cold weather, and just exploring.

And then there is this:

Morning coffee

Or...Covid-19 Hair. Friends don't let friends do their own hair...
[It's a wig]

What a person with a camera can do when a bit bored.

Meat.
I went to the store on Friday morning and noted that the meat shelves were pretty scarce.
Yes, I have old Bart in the freezer, but on chance I messaged a friend of mine who has a country store and raises home grown beef.
I asked her to put together a beef and pork package for me [her choices...surprise me] with a few of her country store items.
I gave her a price and asked her to use her own judgement.

I'll drive to her farm this morning and hand her the money while she puts my goodies in the back of the Subaru.

Our area is unique in this way because we are rural. Neighbors are calling up other neighbors with cattle and arranging butchering on the farm or at one of the local shops.
Those who work the Farmer's Market in town on Saturdays are trying to figure out how to do something similar as we are not sure that the mayor will allow the Farmer's Market to go on as planned.

Again, we are lucky. Our rural people are moving towards the rural Farm to Table model they have been suggesting all along.

And since this was already in the works, it is working better in our local area.

However.
How do cities deal with food? I see in the news that inner city people are waiting in line for food at pantries. Our local food pantry has had a huge uptick in visitors according to Bill.

What next?
I don't know.
And I think that is what worries us so much.
There is no guidance from the folks that should be in charge.

So after my meat/store pick up, I'll be back to doing mundane work around our farm.
The yard needs a trim...
The woods need me to hike them...

and Spring is coming on fast...
I would like to enjoy it.