Farmer's Market

Ah, the season of the local farmer's markets are upon us here in southern Delaware.

I LOVE fresh veggies and fruit. That is one of the glorious benefits of living here. 

My favorite local fruit and veggie stand is in Milton. However, it doesn't open Memorial Day.  

We have three local farmer's markets here in Sussex County. One a week on different days there is one in Rehoboth Beach, Lewes and Milton. I've attended two of them but didn't go back. The parking was very difficult if not impossible. Those farmer's markets are good for folks who live in those towns but not someone like me who lives outside those towns.  We live in a development off of Route One (Coastal Highway), not in one of those towns where the farmer's markets are held.

Friday afternoon one of our neighbors stopped by and gave us a jar of fresh honey from the Milton Farmer's Market.  I told him I would like to go to that farmer's market but don't want to content with the parking hassles.  He told me the farmer's market is now at a new location, the Dogfish Brewery campus. Lots of free parking!  

I told Bill "Let's go!"  What a pleasant surprise, finally a farmer's market outliers like me can go too. What a delightful experience!  I bought a couple quart containers of strawberries that actually taste like strawberries.  Of course they were from North Carolina (the seller said "Straight up this morning from North Carolina") but till, real strawberries. Not those giant hard strawberries from California or Mexico that have no strawberry taste.  And that reminds me, fresh tomatoes. Can't wait. I already have my plants in the ground. Hey, maybe I can set up a stand at the farmer's market! 

Not An Easy Day

This morning on the beach at Rehoboth watching the waves roll in

Not an easy day today folks.

The day started out innocently enough.  I got up early (5:30 am) and was down at the boardwalk in Rehoboth by 6:30 for my daily walk.  Up and down the boards (one mile) then a stroll on the beach to listen to the waves.  Then my usual seat at the north end of the boardwalk then up and down again for another mile walk.  I'm enjoying this new activity.  It is not only healthy for my body but my mind.  While sitting and watching the folks go about their activities on the beach, I'm clearing my mind plus I'm giving Bill some space (and getting my own space too.)

Then I head back to where I parked my car at the end of Rehoboth Avenue and head out of town.  Today I'm meeting my neighbor Barbara for lunch and a visit to the weekly Rehoboth Farmers market.

My car is a red 1998 Subaru Forester.  The mileage us approaching 124,000 miles.  For sometime now I have been aware that soon I will have to buy a new car.  I think today my decision was made for me.

That's my old trusted friend, my '98 red Subaru Forester parked in the primo parking slot on Rehoboth Avenue - I get there early in the morning

For the past few years I've had some strange noises coming out of the back of my car when I start it up or slow down to make a turn.  I've ignored these noises, wishfully thinking that it was my imagination.

When I picked up my neighbor Barbara for lunch today the first thing she said was "What's the matter with your car?"  I say "Oh, that noise?  It's been there for ages.  Wayne always used to complain about it when I picked him up when we went to dinner at the Purple Parrot."  She said "You should get that looked at."  This is something I didn't want to hear.  I had inured myself to the fact that my trusty old friend, my red Subaru Forester was getting old.  It still looked good but it is now of an age (like me) that strange things start to happen.  Like my knees are sore when I walk, my Subaru was complaining also that it has a part of its body that is wearing out.  I guess I can no longer ignore the inevitable.  Time to get a new car.

Now let's see.  My previous car was a 1984 Honda Civic.  I had that one for 14 years.  Nothing was basically wrong with that car either but at 14 years old, it was inevitable something would happen.  My 1998 Subaru Forester is now 12 years old.  I only had 68,000 miles on my Honda when I sold it.  I have almost double the miles on my Subaru.  Pretty darn good.  But I think I'm pushing my luck if I think I have too many more years with this car.

Barbara and I had a delightful lunch at Dos Locos.  My friend The Cajun was on host duty and was his usual charming self.  The food was wonderful (Barbara had the Mexican Dish and ate almost the whole thing because it was so good) and I had the Plain Jane Burger.  I have simple tastes.

Barb and I at lunch at Dos Locos today - great food, wonderful service!

Then we were off to fight the heat and the crowd and look for a parking place at the Rehoboth Farmers Market which takes place every Tuesday 12 to 2.  The last time Barb and I went to the farmer's market she was overcome by the heat and fell to the ground.  I had to get her car (a Cadillac the size of Cleopatra's barge) and get her out of Dodge before she passed out.

Rehoboth Farmers' Market today - shady, cool breezes, fresh veggies

Today the heat wasn't as oppressive.  There was a nice breeze through the park where the farmers' market is held.  We were doing fine until just about the end and Barb is again overcome by the heat.  She goes to the ground.  OMIGOD!  Again.

Barb smelling the flowers (a few  minutes before she went to the ground)

My car is parked over by the laundromat.  Parking is not an easy chore at the farmers' market.  A concerned vendor gives Barbara some cold water.  I get my car to the fence, near where Barbara is sitting.  She's on the other side of the fence.  She doesn't see me.  She's throwing up her Mexican Dish lunch which was probably not as nice going out as it was going in. What to do?  I didn't want to get a ticket (Rehoboth is well known for it's efficiency in handing out parking tickets.)  I move my car farther down the street and park were it is permitted.  I go back to Barbara.  She's feeling somewhat better, but not completely.

Fresh veggies at the Farmers' Market today

I get her in the car and maneuver the best I can to get out of the maze of cars with Pennsylvania license plates that packs Rehoboth Beach during the height of the season.  I wonder "What am I doing in Rehoboth this time of day anyway?  Can't I get my cucumbers at the roadside stand outside Milton?"  Of course I can.  And I will in the future.

We can get tomatoes and peaches like this in Milton

I help Barbara in the car and we're on our way home.  We turn on the packed Rt. 1 north.  Oh how I just love traveling Rt. 1 during the hot, sizzling midsummer day with all that traffic.  I gently tell Barbara this is the LAST time I will be doing this. Really.

My car is still making strange noises (thank goodness she didn't remind me again) and I'm trying to get home in time to take my afternoon nap.

When I get home I drop Barbara off at her house which is right next to mine.  Then I pull into my garage, thankful to get out of the heat, traffic and stress of a near serious medical emergency.  Twice this has happened.  It will not happen again thank you.  The burger I had at Dos Locos was good and the host was delightful, but I would just as well stayed at home updating my iPhotos or working on my autobiography (oh yes, my next big project.)

Tomorrow we go to Dover to look at new cars. I knew this day would come.  I hate dealing with auto dealerships.  I'm not looking forward to it.  I would rather go to the dentist.  More stress tomorrow.