Market

"To market, to market to buy a fat pig"... is that REALLY how the rhyme goes?!! Being primarily a vegetarian, I can't relate to the whole PIG THING, but I love, love, love markets. My favorite is Pike Place Market, but I go out of my way when traveling to find them and wander among the booths. Big cities. Other countries. China towns. I'm there. I love the sights, the smells, the impromptu conversations with interesting vendors.

There's a local market here during the growing season down in the national park. I'd never been there before until this morning. I was walking in the rain, pondering the wilderness of the soul after yesterday's funeral, when across the wetlands I saw the booths. "I've got to go" I said out loud to myself. (Exhibiting a behavior quite unfamiliar to me.) I shortened my walk, put aside my musings and headed to the market.

All the "earthy crunchy" types from our area were there! Unlike Portland and Seattle and Ann Arbor, we have to go looking pretty hard for the organic tofu eating crowd around here. Happily I found them under the trees in the mud... a full TEN MINUTES before the end of the market season! 11:50 October 31. Last day. Last ten minutes.

Next growing season I'll have to add that outpost to my Saturday mornings. It's not quite Pike Place, but it is market enough for me.