I always see summer this way. Memorial Day. 4th of July. Labor Day. Beginning. Middle. End. And after July is over, I shift into high gear. "End-of-the-summer-on-the-horizon gear."
Here in San Luis Obispo, California farmers market on Thursday night is a BIG DEAL.
To be perfectly honest with ya, it's really not my thing. Oh, I love, adore and live for fresh produce, but this Thursday night gig is another animal. And ALOT of people love it. My husband John loves it. So does my brother Mark and his wife Julie. But it is crowded and tends to have a circus like flair. There are dancers and puppets, bands and ballerinas, singers and skateboard contests. I just want tomatoes and squash. But I just file this one under the "be a good sport category", smile and suck it up.
It takes place on Higuera Street and on every corner there is a BBQ. And the lines are LONG. I just don't like waiting for an hour to get a bbqed hot dog. I'll bbq mine in my own backyard. Thank you.
But I did score BIG in the "kinda pumpkin department". It's a squash really. Shaped like a pumpkin and colored black and orange. Halloween enough for me. I'll take whatever I can get at this stage of the game. I LOVE Halloween...and this was my first taste of the glory that is to come.
For me though, walking home on Garden Street was the best part. The moon was almost full, the sun had sank over the hills, and as we walked along Garden Street...all the houses had their porch lights on. Their windows glowed giving me a peek inside. I wondered what they had for dinner. Meatloaf or spaghetti? Pot roast or swiss steak? And what were they doing now? Sewing a quilt? Reading the newspaper?
Watching Top Chef?
As we rounded Chorro Street and headed up Upham Street my pace quickened as we got closer to my garden gate. It's been a long time since we've come home in the dark.
The days are getting shorter.
I can tell.