24th September, 2018 Monday
No dreams last night but had a lovely adventuring day.
In case you hadn’t noticed this region is all about the food. Farmer’s Markets and the Farms that source their wares.
So yesterday we took the Lady Princess Super Zoi to Farmer’s Market Small where SIL has his chicken booth. It really is so very sweet this Market Small, a gathering of sweet kind peeps who have their dear dear wares for sale. Its very very sweet.
Super Zoi waited while I slipped on her Super Red Leash Cape and then hopped her pretty feet right out of her chariot. She trotted with me to the booth our dear Lady E has her lovely beef. Lady E also is the Goat Milk source soSuper Zoi does love her.
Now Lady E was chatting with SIL and a Lady who had little bits of melon. Oh Zoi, was very keen on seeing if she could charm a bit of my melon in her mouth which of course she did.
Now yesterday My Lady Zoi did not hesitate. She walked right in and trotted round and even raised her head when spying two black labs at the other end. But she did not stop or think it strange that they were with her too. And one of the vendor Ladies thought her beauty so huge she sat upon the ground in order to coax a kiss from Lady Zoi’s oh so tender lips.
My Dear Lady E as we were buying her summer sausage handed us both a stick of what is absolutely the best Jerky I have ever tasted. It exploded in my mouth in such a way that I did not utter the word, “orgasmic” for fear of offending the general attending public, but man oh man it was amazing. Thank you Lady E. I look forward to the quiet of the winter to lift a cup with you.
A young woman and some kids had gathered round the Zoi. She was happy to oblige their gentlenesses. But when another little brother in the crew wandered over with a big blue balloon and started to hit the Lady Zoi with it, I stopped him right away as she backed away. I told him, not too harshly, that he was scaring her. He was shocked a bit and then I gave him a treat for Zoi which he gave to her and we stood for a little bit near the now still blue ballon so she wouldn’t balk. Then the kids wandered off and we did too.
Now Husband wandered off to chariot while Zoi and I chatted just a bit more but felt his signal, “its time for me to go” pull on us to chariot too. Zoi and I weaved our way through narrow back passages behind the booths and hopping over vendors’ satchels again she did not hesitate, I am so proud of you. She is much much braver than she was two weeks ago.
I am too.
We arrive back home and then there is a new adventure in the mix for the afternoon.
In this town there is a chef who creates great Art with Ramen. Last winter he leased a space and we feasted there a lot. But he shut down in the Spring and last week came an email saying he would be a Ramening at a local orchard on Saturday and Sunday.
So we let the pack out to pee and looked at Wizard’s pleading gaze, popped him in the chariot and took off for a drive. One of our favorite routes here winds behind the scenes up the Valley to the town where is the Veggie Farm. It is a lovely day and the drive is one of those that could be many places in both of our histories, those long ago places left behind but loved.
I tell tales of my Papa’s first beloved Kitty Kat which I will not here, but as I talked I had the thought that Papa would have loved this drive and possibly was with us.
Now this orchard had been planted almost a century ago by a Japanese family who lost it during War. It is the shame of places like this one that we decided to strip the property from those that shared a heritage with those we warred on. And we locked them up to boot. This orchard during war had been harbored by some kind heart who held on to it until the family could come back and when they did they could just carry on.
Well, here we find ourselves on a country road lined on both sides with trees dripping heavy fruit. Pears and Apples bend these branches of trees that rooted long ago by that family we incarcerated. Shame on us. Look what they had done.
For a mile this aisle ushered us to Ramen booth. We parked the car and walked right up and asked for what we wanted and while we waitied chef served us up steam buns which absolutely melted in our mouths.
We turned around and Wizard’s face was pressed into the window. Lots of dogs were scattered round but I do not like to mix my precious pack with random dogs in public places. You never know what might erupt. So Wizard stayed put.
So Husband goes to sit with Wizard in the chariot. And I wait for food watching very closely how it is constructed. I chat a bit to busy Ramen chef who tells me he hasn’t found just the right space to open a restaurant. And in the meantime he is taking care of his two kids who he loves a lot. I tell him that I get it.
Please let us know when you are cooking next and where and we will make it work.
We drive on home and while we do I do what I am want to do which is to drive the car while sitting as a passenger. It drives my Husband nuts. And I start to laugh. He tells me its not funny. And when I tell him why I laugh, its not him I’m laughing at.
You see about two weeks ago when my two daughters were with me the three of us got in my car to go to lunch. I am driving. I hadn’t gotten very far when I realized the two of them were driving from their passive seats just like I do. Oh no indeed, the Apples do not fall far from the tree.
I was laughing just so hard that he had to start laughing too in spite of his affront. And it was good.
Back at home we dialed up Jurassic World, the Movie. And sucked our Ramen happily while watching dinosaurs outsmart wicked wicked men.
Then my cell phone rings and its SIL saying he’s about to drive to pick up our Tuna Share.
Now like I said, its all about the Food here.
There is a fisherman who fishes quite a lot and picks up many many pounds of albacore tuna. And sells it straight to you but you have to buy a year’s worth. It comes in increments.
My Lady Dachshund’s snoring off to my left and I think its just about the most perfect sound I have ever heard.
So 10 pounds of tuna await our picking up across the bridge so we hop in SIL’s valiant truck and drive with Corgi in his lap on that metal bridge. As we wind up the hill to the house where pick up is a waiting I hear about the plans for the nearest future. News flash bulletins.
We arrive at a house with a great big boat in the driveway. SIL releases Corgi into a mix of larger dogs and my heart is a bit in throat. But two young men greet us and I shake both their hands. There is a tiny person sitting in the boat. And I start talking to him. Next I know little Corgiette has rushed into this unknown house to see what’s up in there. SIL looks around for her and I said she’s in the house. Then someone says, Oh we have a dog in there who might not be so friendly. Whereupon the dog appears with Corgiette racing after him. Now she’s the stranger with three large dogs who are now chasing her. And she is underneath my feet and I am slightly surged with “Oh SHit”.
Everything was fine. I am handed a nice neat heavy box with my tuna share and off we go back to the truck and back across the Gorge to home.
I have some time when we get home so I call Wisdom Peace Woman who I know is heavy with her grief for her Lovely Deerhound Lady. We have a chat which wanders there and then wanders down other paths. I am so glad to hear her talk, she is so very lovely. We touch on The Beyond and back to chickens and the Zoi and to families’ mixing up their lives for a little while.
We all feel pretty peaceful so it would seem.
As Husband made us brilliant homemade potato chips I looked up light fixtures for the space we are slowly retrofitting. He came by and said to me, “I love you like Crazy.” I was so shocked as no one could ever say that any part of him is crazy. He is a steady man. Well, still waters run very deep.
Tea is Earled and honeyed creamed,
The day is definitely Fall.
Ta.
Tea With Me 