Greetings from the Land of Poo

Sunday morning on the farm. How sublime. Only the second day in a month that I've been able to linger a bit in the morning. It's just soooo wonderful. The farmer's market was too much fun yesterday. The weather held out and there was a bit of traffic. Many hellos and hugs from old friends. Several new vendors and new friends made. The market opened three weeks ago but I've been away to Maryland, New Hampshire and Yonkers. It was good to hear that people loved my hand creme over the harsh winter, or needed another bar of soap, stat. Ron, my vegetable guy across the sidewalk, is in a tizzy over the ridiculous amount of rain we've had. He can't drive his tractor into the field without it sinking, and should have planted crops by now. Kathy, my booth neighbor, who sews lovely aprons and handbags, is bringing fabric from her awesome stash to share with me for soap wrapping. I have a new next-spot-neighbor, White Cottage Candles, on the other side, who sells scented soy candles with his sons. He was a special ed. teacher and quite the history buff. We got into a lively conversation about Afghanistan and I mentioned the movie, Restrepo, which I recently showed my class, and how the terrible drones kill civilians when they are dropped indiscriminantly on the Afghan people. He told me he is the crew chief that keeps the drones flying from the base in Syracuse, and has seen many movies about what his drones do. Okay, you can't make this stuff up. Anyway, we get along fine. I met a guy from North Brookfield who was selling his wife's delicious baguettes, scones and pastries. She was up baking them at 3 am. I checked in with a couple of sheep people and was disappointed that Candace was not there. The roller derby yarn-in-takeout containers vendor told me she had sold out of jewelry. I was gratified when one customer told me her Vera Bradley bag, made in China, fell apart in less than two years (boo hiss, boo hiss!) and how she would be back to buy one of my sturdy American made totes. There's a lot of I'll Be Back at the farmer's market, but that's okay. There's enough business to make the trip over there and setting up worth while. I get some spinning done and often turn around to see a semi-circle of people and their kids watching me spin. On deck for today - cook all this rhubarb I've been collecting from the road-side stand on the way to work. An ancient lady puts out a bundle or two at a time and I want to support her entrepreneurial spirit. Ron Wagner sold me a good bit more for a steal at the end of the market. I'm watching Nanny McPhee Returns, fabulous movie I can't get enough of, where one broken jar of jam sets off a major crisis amoung the children during the War. I have enough rhubarb to fill many jars. God Bless America. I ran out of the blueberry and raspberry jam I made last summer. NOT giving ANY away this year! Hope I have enough propane in the tank to keep the big pots boiling all day. The sheep are grazing on the hillside. It's gray and threatening rain again. The people who cut grass for baleage will be fine, but the dry hay people are out of luck again. I have more grass than my sheep can eat, but they prefer the short sweeter grass. When it gets too high it's bitter and hard. Spoiled sheep!