While I was out and about yesterday, I passed the local Moose Lodge and noticed tents set up all over the parking lot and a huge banner, "Farmer's Market Today". I turned at the next road and backtracked a bit to get to the market. Our town has held Farmer's Market Days on Wednesdays for as long as I can remember. When they were held in Market Square, down in the center of town, I used to shop there often through the summer months. I don't know when the market moved to the Moose Lodge. I was out of the habit of shopping there and hadn't paid attention to the fact it was set up in a different location.
Yesterday was a beautiful day - a bit on the warm side, but less humid then usual - and a great day to shop at the outdoor stands. The aroma of all those fresh vegetables and fruits was intoxicating and I wondered why I hadn't been shopping there this summer. I can't say I found the lowest prices in town or even what I considered to be great bargains, but farmers have to make a living too and the harvest they offered for sale was fragrant and fresh - so fresh that many of the vegetables still had garden dirt on them. One vendor was telling everyone he had picked his sweet white corn that very morning. He convinced me and I bought three large ears for $1.00.
An Amish family had set up a tent and was selling home-canned pickles, strawberry jam, and sour dough bread, along with garden greens, tomatoes, and watermelon. They seemed to be doing a brisk business. I bought some bread and butter pickles and a jar of jam. I found beautiful green, red, and yellow peppers at another tent and bought some of those, along with red and yellow tomatoes.
I had forgotten how much fun it was to shop at the outdoor market. Yesterday I found joy in one of the simpler things in life.
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