Tag Archives: farmers market

Another Farmers Market

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chilli sauce

Some of the great home made stuff at the Karkloof Market

Karkloof Farmers Market this morning. After all, why miss one when it is so close, just about a mile away from Stocklands, the B&B where I am staying for a couple of weeks.

This area is the retirement community centre of this country, and I was not alone with my silver hair! Although there were a lot of younger people there too. It is held inside a big metal barn, with some additional stands outside. Lots and lots of home industry type products, and several tart stands. I knew I was onto something in Washington when I started making them. They all looked really good! Several cheese makers, bakers, jam makers and a wide selection of actual food stands, with different breakfast foods; bagels, French toast, omelettes. All very tempting. I did buy some dry cured bacon for Mick as he complains about how much water is in the store-bought bacon and how it doesn’t fry nicely.

Inside-market

The Karkloof Market is in a large barn

Manning that stand was a fellow I thought I recognized, and sure enough, it was Rob who is part of the Conservancy that Mick heads up. He was out of context, but he said, after I asked him about the bacon, “And where is Mike this morning?” and it clicked who he was. Then I saw a face from the past! Tim Lea was manning the Rita Lea, his wife’s stand. She has Rita Lea’s Country Kitchen and makes really good pies – not fruit pies, but different meat pies that she sells frozen, ready to bake. Tim is Rosemary’s brother-in-law. That’s a story with a twist, but not for the blog.

cheese

Locally made cheese at the market

The place was jammed! Easter long weekend and gorgeous weather has everyone and his brother out. And lots of visitors to the retirement communities! Maybe that’s where all the young people come into the picture, visiting grandma! And incidentally, a source of a lot of “bed nights” at the B&B.

I don’t think I would do well in the hospitality business. Don’t have the patience for the complainers out there. They really have nothing to whine about here; it is four star and very nice. But some people just have to find something wrong with everything. This one couple arrived yesterday evening, and I could tell immediately from the woman’s body language that she wouldn’t be happy with anything. Fortunately, I don’t have to deal with the guests much, just check them in when Adele is not here. So I am nice to them, but glad I have minimal interaction with them! I like to choose who I associate with – too picky I suppose.

The internet here is really, really bad at the moment. It’s satellite and for some unknown (though I have a suspicion) reason I can barely connect today. It’s like working on a dial up!Hopefully, once the land lines are replaced with fiber optic cables (all the copper phone lines were stolen in November), the connectivity will be better. Apparently they are in the process of burying the new cables. Makes it a bit difficult to do any research. I am expecting a call from the service provider – customer service here is marginal – and maybe they can fix the problem.

It was a rough week

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Last week was a difficult one to get through. But even the short few days since Scott died have lessened the shock of it. It was such an eye opener and reminder to live life to the fullest, every day. And although it shouldn’t be, it is a difficult thing to do. Especially working, it feels like being on a treadmill.
But the good thing is, the weather is improving, business is picking up and the world is full of color!
Sometimes, when I take a photo, I know I “got” it!
Farmer’s Market is open and although I missed the first day, Saturday was so much fun, and took my mind off the depressing reality of the death of someone my age. I met Susan and Janet at Janet’s house and we went on to the market. It was one of those brilliantly beautiful northwest days, when the blue of the sky is so dark and transparent, you swear you can see right through it, the mountains brilliant and snow-capped, silhouetted against blue. Beaver Valley Rd was picture perfect, cattle lazing in the sun, tractors out mowing, really amazing! The market itself was wonderful, early flowers and veges in good supply. Lots of new vendors, lots of young farmers which to me, is one of the best things to see.
This week, I got back to work, and the pr is going well. So packed and sent out several packages of nuts and I just got an email saying the local TV station wants to do a segment about me and the local paper is doing an article. I am to meet Patrick, who I have worked with before, on Friday. It will interesting being interviewed, instead of interviewing :) and I am not too sure about being on TV! What do I wear? And oh good grief! I need Tate up here to do my hair!! Who knows, maybe I will be discovered! Ha ha! 
Yoga is good – and I got the last spot in the next session! I am getting to really look forward to it. It totally absorbs my mind and body while I am doing it, about the only time my mind is not racing around all over the place. Now I just need to start doing it at home every day. I think out on the deck would be fun, nobody is ever out so no one would see me trying to become a pretzel.
I just saw our two resident Canadian geese cruise by with four tiny babies in their wakes! I wonder how many will survive the predatory eagles and coyotes?

Farms and Farmers Market

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Days have been peaceful and relaxing, with mostly gorgeous winter weather, which for here means sunny 75 degree days and 50 degree nights. Not too shabby!


Pix here

Yesterday we went to the local Pietermaritzburg farmers market, which is much smaller than the one at Shongweni. And it isn’t the social gathering like the Shongweni one – sheesh, there isn’t even a real coffee stand! But there were bacon and egg rolls. Lots of local veges though, and homemade jams and things. Also several organic stands and one farmer, Rob is a friend of Mick’s so I hope we go to see his setup this week. It is right across the valley from here. The Town Crier was there too. He travels all over the world, to competitions and I guess it’s a “Hear yee, hear yee,” kind of thing with the bell ringing. He is well known around and goes to all the functions! What a trip.

Later on, Biff picked me up and we went to Karkloof where his son Graeme, my nephew and his wife live on an 80 acre small holding. It is gorgeous out there, rolling hills for miles. It was crystal clear so the Drakensberg was out. Julie’s daughter Susan and her daughter Ava, who is two, came with us. Cute little, very talkative girl who loves her grandpa – he is the flavor of the moment.

Graeme’s wife Liesl is a social worker but is doing horse therapy – there is a proper name for it but I forget. Kids and adults who have been traumatized connect with her horses. She has six of them. She also does workshops and training out there in her studio. She would fit right into Port Townsend.

We went with her to round upthe horses for a client who was arriving and Ava was allowed to ride! She looked so tiny up on the this enormous horse! But she loved it, hanging onto the mane while Biff steadied her. No fear at all and the horses are so well trained and gentle, I didn’t feel nervous around them at all.


The farm suffered major fire damage a couple of years ago – lost their house and cottages so they are rebuilding slowly but it is so beautiful out there, you could probably live in a tent and be happy. They have dogs and cats, geese, guinea fowl, chickens, donkeys, sheep, chickens and of course horses.

We had a lovely lunch on the verandah then Biff and Graeme worked on a car – surprise! Ava had the time of her life, playing in the building sand piles and gravel and generally getting filthy, much to her mother’s disgust! The young chocolate lab called Angelica was right with her. Later, when Liesl’s clients left, we took all the horses back to their paddocks and had a long walk over the hill to bring another two who she is boarding for a friend, Lloyd Gillespie who is going to do a year-long ride around South Africa to raise awareness for African Horse Sickness.

While we were walking out there, we heard loud yelling and screaming from some old, rundown
African houses and Liesl started yelling at them to stop. She could see a man beating a woman with a knobkerrie, a heavy stick. The man and the woman were completely drunk out of their minds and Graeme went to talk to them – making no impact at all. Apparently they are squatters on the neighbors farm so he called the security people who came and picked the man up and put him in jail for the night. This is Africa!


Free at last

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Well, not really but I am free of Dockside. Despite my best intentions, it just did not work out. I thought at the beginning, things would be different, but they weren’t – if anything, things were worse, maybe because I’m older and smarter than the last time I worked there. I’ve received wonderful emails from all my writers, so I know I am doing the right thing by leaving now and not being taken advantage of any more.
So our little trip up to Orcas Island was a nice segue into being a LOL – yeah, lots of laughs! I know I can’t sit still for long and I have a list a mile long of things to do. But the trip was really fun – very relaxing. We stayed at Deer Harbor Inn, where we had stayed last year, only this time we didn’t spring for the cottage, but a nice room which was easier on the wallet.
We had all of Friday to kick around the island, visited art galleries and went sight seeing. The rest of the 6-metre crews showed up Friday night and we met them out at Four Winds camp for dinner. Last year, we were supposed to stay at the camp, but one look at the thin – one-inch – mattresses made up our minds that we wanted to sleep well, so that’s when we went to the Inn! But the others are OK with the minimalist accommodations. Dinner was a wonderful seafood chowder prepared by a chef the organizers had imported for the occasion – sure beat watery spaghetti sauce that was the fare last year!
Saturday saw them heading out into West Sound in light air – and saw me heading to the farmer’s market and a little touring of my own. And a little snooze at the inn before they came back to the dock. Again, a nice dinner and bragging about the race – Finnegan, the boat Chris crews on – wins again. I keep telling them to lose a couple of races or no one will want to compete against them!
Sunday loomed gloomy – and rainy! I was glad to spend the day reading and resting while they were out in the cold. But the racing ended early and we took some of the crew to catch the early ferry back to the mainland. We stayed on, making a leisurely exit on Monday morning, catching the mid-day ferry. All in all, a very pleasant 5 day break. And coming back to no stress – no work (although I promised to help put this October issue to bed) and then it’s all about what I want to do!
Whoo Hoo!
Oh, and you can see my pix here