April 23

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Saturday.  A very beautiful day.

Errand time.

First, the farmers' market.

The Ann Arbor farmers' market area isn't very big. The available space does not begin to accommodate the local people who would like to sell the results of their hard work. I'm not sure how decisions are made, as to who gets in, and who doesn't. I know seniority is a huge factor -- people who have been coming for decades have precedence (and even get multiple slots, when others can't have just one).

I think it is the case that farmers get precedence over people who make stuff.

When the market is in full swing, there will be dozens of places with, say, flats of annuals.  On the 23rd, it was really too early to plant annuals. There were some annuals, but there was much more room for vendors who have other kinds of goods than there will be in a few weeks.  Soap, olive oil, spaghetti sauce, yogurt, photographs, clothing, meat, cheese, pickles, even macarons!  I found the market distinctly more interesting, with so many different kinds of goods for sale!

We bought pickles (carrots -- no one has been able to buy local cucumbers since last fall!), yogurt, spaghetti sauce, greeting cards made from photographs. All made by the people who were selling them.  There is no better place to "buy local," than at a farmers' market that is limited to local producers!  (We would have gotten macarons, but she was out, alas! We did get on her mailing list!)

I want one of each of these.

Pansies are hardy enough to put out now.  They can stand some cold.

I was gleeful, at the sight of all this color.............

Begonia.

Pussy willow.  If you have never seen this, they really are fuzzy, like teeny tiny little gray kittens.

Potted daffs, and ... azalia, I bet.

Hydrangea.  Way too early for that, around here.  Maybe this is meant as an indoor plant; it was pretty small.

Bread!

Verrrrry cute wire-haired dachshund.  Dogs are interdit at our market, in sharp contrast to the French markets we visited last summer.  This one was trying to fly under the radar, so the Market Master wouldn't kick her out.

After the farmers' market, we attempted to visit our favorite thrift shop, in search of props for the food stylist.  We'd forgotten the imminent holiday; they were closed.

Walking over there (to discover it closed), we saw these species tulips.

We use a "secret" parking lot when we visit that thrift store.  A house near that parking lot  must be home to someone with a sense of humor.  One year its small trees were full of basketballs.....

On the 23rd, we saw this ... bit of castle? with embedded rocking chair.  With stork (pelican?) looking through the window.

And alligator (closeup of above).

The middle of their front yard.  Not the *kitchen* sink, but.......

Then we went to the library, and the grocery with the good bread and milk.

Pond, behind the library.

We had lunch, and then went to the megamart.

Late in the afternoon, Wilbur and I went to the park.  I know they *want* those yellow pads on the softball-field fence to be brightly visible, but they are certainly not very photogenic!

West Park is in a low-lying area.  Before they tore it up and messed with it, last summer, it was often soggy after a rain, but there were not large areas of standing water.  I believe a bunch of the work they did was in line with current thinking about appropriate water management (shifting to keeping it where it is, rather than hurrying it along to the river).  I can't help but wonder what all these ponds will do for the local mosquito population......  (Also wondering how long before Canada geese notice the ponds and take over the park!)

It was windy on the 23rd, but not nearly as windy as it was in Grand Rapids the previous weekend.

This pond is right by the band shell.  There used to be too many mosquitoes for me to enjoy sitting out in the evening for a concert.  Somehow I'm betting there will be many more, now.......  There are two ponds right by the band shell, in addition to that biggest one with the boardwalk (seen with Wilbur, above).

The 23rd was a very nice day.  It's much less onerous to run errands on such a lovely day!

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