Weekend at the Markets

Driving home from the market yesterday afternoon, I glanced at the handy, or maybe not so handy, temperature gauge, which tells me the outside temperature. You want to guess how hot it was? 100 degrees. Yes, you read that right. As if I needed confirmation that I was so darn hot I was feeling sick! At least there was no rain which surprised everyone after the week of gloom we've just experienced. Once we were unpacked and I finished watching the golf tournament, I put on my bathing suit, hoping for a little pool rejuvenation. I had another motive besides cooling off, I wanted to dump some water out of the pool. For many years buckets of rain would have been a good thing for our leaking pool. Now, not so much. It is so darn full and with the ground so saturated I almost have nowhere to drain it.

Try as I might, I could only displace a little of the water. Bruce was not up for doing some cannonballs which surely would have done the trick!

The title has markets plural. That's right. Because my dear husband is not heading to California this week I decided to head back out to Winter Garden and I'm sure glad I did--one of my best days there ever. It is all in who decides to stop at my booth, and happy days, a few folks did. The produce looked stellar at all the stands. Who can resist a basket of peaches?

By day's end this stock was mostly gone. Citrus always makes a good photographic subject.

I was unsure how long the rain would hold off, but because I'm under the pavilion, I knew at least things would not get wet if it did decide to do so. I had a notion that folks would come out, if only because the wet week had kept them a little stir crazy. Maybe thirty minutes after I returned home, it did begin raining and lots of it. I love having a rain gauge, I know, call me a nerd, but I like knowing what's happening. Of course, once I dump it. I almost immediately forget how much was in there, but the fun is in the inspection!

There were no dates this weekend and not because Bruce didn't want to, but being a little bit wussy, I didn't really want to go out in the rain. We managed to entertain ourselves just fine at home. I finished Swamplandia! which was pretty good. Maybe it was because I'd only just finished reading City of Promise, which was SO good, that I found fault with some of it. Tighter editing would have improved it and then there is the matter of calling all the gators, Seth. That part kinda bugged me. Forgive me if you already know that it was one of the finalists for the Pulitzer Prize which went unawarded this year.  Now I know why, although I would not give it a one star like many of the folks did on Amazon.

Onward we go into another reading adventure, A Land More Kind than Home, by Wiley Cash. The former  book reviewer for our newspaper, Nancy Pate, recommended it on her blog, On a Clear Day I Can Read Forever, and am I ever glad she did. More when I'm finished which won't be too long from now because it is hard to put down! Because of my photography obsession, I've not read nearly as many novels as I did for most of my life. This summer seems like the time to get back somewhat to my old ways.

Sunday, after the hard rain Saturday evening, the sky looked promising. Despite the weather report, Bruce put the tent sides up--we call it insurance. If he does, it won't rain, and as I mentioned earlier, it did not. My booth was filled a good bit of the day with visitors and a few buyers. I like them both, although truthfully, I like the later better! Just kidding. Our neighbor Frances came with Meagan.

She's growing up that's for sure. Her dad is British, thus the shirt. Some folks I met in Lakeland came for purchases as did Denver.

Because he's from Raccoon Holler in Western, North Carolina, I was showing him the novel which is set in his part of the country. I must say, this is not the best photograph of him! One of his PhD students is a Food Network Star finalist, or did I tell you that already? If you have a moment, click on the link and vote for her will you?

Plenty of vendors on the bridge despite the heat. Am I ever glad that I am beyond the water under the trees in the shade. I'm pretty certain that I would not last very long out there.

And here is Mr. Bruce and Dana having a little chat just before time to close down and not a minute too soon! As it turns out, sales were nearly identical for both days. Surprised? Me too.

It is a darn good thing Baxter had his grooming before his annual visit for shots on Friday. If they would have had to draw blood amongst all that fur it may have been quite a challenge. Furthermore, so glad he lost some hair weight, because as it was, she gently mentioned he was still a tad overweight. Food reduction coming right up!

I don't know what I was thinking letting Monica cut off so much hair. Good grief, it is so short I can't even put it into a ponytail to stay cool. Yesterday morning, after my pre-market bike ride, I thought, okay, I can get away with this hair today. Well, I did, but I shouldn't have. Arriving in the afternoon, Bruce looked at me kind of funny, wondering what had happened to my hair. It's a darn good thing I didn't have a mirror with me because had I, there's no doubt I would have wanted to go home right then and there!

Typically I don't share something unless I think you'll find some pleasure, or learn something, or laugh, or be aghast. All of the above. This is a beautiful little video Matt made that I think might make you happy: A Room for London by Matthew Peck.  Bonus points if you can sing along to it!

Links and More Links

Another post so soon Gail? Why yes another post indeed. Did you really think I would run out of things to say?

Links today my friends. Plenty of links because there are so many interesting and wonderful things going on every daily!

Sadly, I was at the market during the Jubilee event on Sunday, and I missed the concert because I'm a dummy when it comes to television and really did not know where to look. I did, however, check out photographs online and seeing this photograph of Kylie Minogue dressed as a Pearly Queen brought to mind the real thing. Remember when we saw the Pearly Kings on Columbia Road last summer?

Quintessentially British, the Pearly Kings and Queens are a charitable organization with roots dating back to the early 1900's. Had I not seen them with my own eyes I would have never got the reference. Now you know as well.

The New York Times did this little story on Bangs! I swear the writer must have read my blog from last year when I wrote that Monica called bangs the new Botox. Try as I might, I've never gone without bangs, in or out of style, because my hair is just so darn thick it is hard to style it any other way. For the moment, apparently I'm at the height of fashion, particularly with my penchant for having her cut the bangs much shorter than she would like.

And then there is this: A Room for London. Our man in London along with his adorable boyfriend are staying there as I type!! The provided link has a six minute video which is quite touching in a way. I particularly liked when one of the boat builders talks about his craft and respecting the materials. As is always the case, when Matthew does interesting things, I'm anxiously awaiting the photographs. Did you know he taught me quite a bit of what I know about photography? I didn't think you did, but I suspect you are not surprised.

Now here's a crazy picture for you:

What pray tell was I thinking? I WAS NOT THINKING--I was outside photographing the raindrops on the nandina berries:

Rain began to fall which saved me from an indoor flood! Came inside just in the nick of time.

Here is a before picture of Baxter taken while the sink was filling:

Some kind of shaggy right? The groomer was running late so she was here when I returned from playing bridge. I prepared my tuna sandwich and then thought, I'm going to see if the squirrels are staying off the townhouse bird feeder now that I've slathered the top with Vaseline. Opening the door, I saw one hanging upside down. Usually I kinda make a loud growl to make them jump off, but this time there would be no jumping. For once, I'm sparing you photographic evidence of what I thought was a dead squirrel; only injured as it turns out. When Vicky finished grooming Baxter she came inside and I told her about it. She's a very young woman with a very soft heart. Immediately she is saying things like "you must take said squirrel to the vet," and I know someone who does squirrel rescue, let me get my pet crate from the truck." I, on the other hand, was not very sympathetic, insisting we let nature take it's course. Insisting, she lifted the feeder and lo and behold the squirrel with nine lives scrambled off and up into the giant oak! He won't try that again, or so I hope.

Now look at our little doggie:

He always looks about five pounds lighter after grooming don't you think? After his annual veteranarian visit for shot tomorrow, he'll be get to go!

Riding my bike this morning I kept smelling something so fragrant in the air. Looking around I assumed it was from magnolia trees which are in high blossom right now.

In reality there were no magnolia trees around, so I still have no idea where the unexpected treat came from. Not only was the air fragrant but there were booms of thunder, rumblings from the sky, signaling imminent rain, which began falling not five minutes after my return. After months and months of sunny skies, three days of gloom are a bit hard to take. Enough already! I have no problem with daily rain, but please God, can we have it interspersed with some blue skies?