What is in your cup?

[CRussel]

Yup, that kind of diving has it's appeal I guess, and that's the way to do it. But personally, I like a nice quiet wall dive. With really good coral all the way down to 25 meters or so. (Cause that's past where I should go, and definitely as far as I will go -- I really haven't done any serious diving in 7 or 8 years, and not enough before that to consider myself expert. But enough to know that the laws of physics are immutable and unforgiving.)

Talisker 10yr.

[VydorScope]

WB Stich! You get all the water out of your ears yet?

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by cromag

That little guy just doesn't look happy at having his picture taken!

For a 2" fish, Clown Anemone Fish are amazingly pugnacious! They will charge right at you to drive you away! It makes getting these close-ups difficult as they charge right into the camera lens!

Originally Posted by VydorScope

WB Stich! You get all the water out of your ears yet?

Yeah... and we have wet suits and dive skins drying on the line. That line is beginning to sag a bit as I had to add my fencing uniform to it this afternoon. This stuff get's heavy! It's a shame I didn't take up Bingo. Then all I'd have to cart around would be a marker pen!

But it's nice to be able to drink a nice cold mango lassi again. For some reason there is very little fruit grown in the Western Caroline Islands, and tapioca seems to be the main ingredients in sweet and savory foods... I like having a fruit vendor just outside my door!


Stitchawl

[CRussel]

Good morning. Off to the first Farmer's Market of the year. There won't be much local produce yet, but there should be some of last fall's fireweed honey, and possibly some early rhubarb. Both would be welcome.

The very last of this year's Peet's Holiday Breakfast Blend tea this morning.

[dreams]

I use to go to our Farmers market, but found the prices higher than my close-to-home corner fruit and vegetable stands. I plan on stocking my deep freeze this year, especially with corn on the cob, when the prices are 12 or more for a dollar.

No rain, but windy with a little sun today. Finishing off some Starbucks Christmas blend coffee; not bad and I may like it better than the Sumatra.

[CRussel]

For me, a visit to the Farmer's Market is a way to stay in touch with the local farmers, many of whom I've gotten to know over the 10 years I've been here. To be clear, there is very little arable land here on the Coast. (We have a great, honking Coastal mountain range running right up the spine of the isthmus, meaning we are a very narrow strip of coastal land.) So these are all what I would call market gardens, and in many cases a good deal smaller than even that. And it honestly isn't about the price, but about supporting those who are doing what they're doing. From the guy in Roberts Creek with his 35-40 hives where I get my honey from, to the mother and daughter in Half Moon Bay who always have lovely organic produce and make the best sauerkraut I've ever had, to Jon in West Sechelt who sells me this wonderful Red Russian garlic every year and who fought to get support for markets all across the province. And who has tried for 4 years now to grow shallots for me and is trying again this year.

Down to diet coke and work. Sigh. I doubt I'll be able to even log on here for the next week, but if I don't, assume lots of Major Dickasons, supplemented by Lion Mountain Keemun. And not nearly enough Talisker.

[cromag]

Finishing my first mug of tea, with the second waiting its turn on the kitchen sink.

We have some farmers' markets in local towns, but I also have switched to a couple permanent fruit and vegetable markets on the highway. They deal with local farmers during the season, and bring in fresh produce during the off-seasons -- always better quality and less expensive than local supermarkets. Unfortunately, it's a major commercial highway, and traffic is a bear!

[CRussel]

"it's a major commercial highway, and traffic is a bear!"

You've got to understand. Where I live, our idea of traffic is June through August, once every two hours, 200-250 cars get off the Ferry. And by the time they get up to where I am, there's sometimes 6 or 7 of them.

I know the kind of roadside stand you're referring to. And yes, I can see the benefit and I would use them if I lived where such a thing existed. This is a town of 5,000, in the summer, on an entire Coast that might have 20k residents. In the summer. On a coast that stretches 120 km along a narrow strip of land that is never more than 7 or 8km wide, and in in it's narrowest place, 500 meters wide. And where the flat portion of that is less than 10%.

Here, we know our farmers. And there are no meat producers on this section of Coast, I have to take another Ferry ride to get my beef, pork and chicken for the year. (Lamb is at least two ferry rides away, and I've basically given up on it and count on my local butcher to get in decent lamb.)

[cromag]

Actually, I was being entirely honest! The big market I go to is on Route 22 -- until the Interstate went through, this was the major truck route into NYC, which is maybe twice as far from me as the vegetable market (mileage-wise, not time-wise).

But, these are interesting times in NJ, and black bears are coming back "home." We have several in our town, and every so often one wanders out onto that highway.

But we do still have a few farms in and around our town -- a small dairy farm, a sheep farm, and a couple orchards and vegetable farms.

[CRussel]

Oh, I didn't doubt you were being honest. I was laughing at the concept where I am! We have a few very small produce farms. There is an organic dairy farm a ferry ride away (where I get my beef, pork and chicken.) They do a small amount of raw milk only. There's just not enough land around, which also means no sheep. And "orchards" are a couple of apple trees that folks have, though they all have to pick the apples way too early. Otherwise the bears just knock the tree over to get at the fruit. OTOH, we all have more than enough blackberries to can and freeze every year. (Invasive pest, actually, but a case of making the best of a bad thing.)

[cromag]

Yes, and I was trying to sidestep the (often true) stereotype that on that same highway we could probably have 5000 people between traffic lights!

[CRussel]

Lion Mountain Keemun. Because I deserve it.

[dreams]

It's interesting to learn about the different areas and what it's like. I miss all the great free "invasive" berries from the Willamette Valley, Oregon, although we did have to keep track of which areas were sprayed. I feel in love with the Willamette Sweet onion that you could eat like an apple and being able to grow just about anything in your backyard. Everyone had a big, deep freezer in their garage and it was always filled with extra fruit and vegetables to be used for the rest of the year. Canning equipment was always out and ready in the kitchen.

Peet's Anniversary Blend coffee in my cup and getting ready to finish up my tax forms.

[Pegster]

Illy medium blend with half and half and sugar free vanilla syrup. Gotta have my coffee!

[poohbear_nc]

Guinness .... soothing balm after shopping trip