Market Day

Today was market day in Wanganui and we decided it was about time we participated. The group that run the "markets" are called the River City Traders on account of the market being on the banks of the Whanganui river and stalls are available every Saturday morning, year round. There are about 60 stalls all told with vendors selling all maner of crafts and produce from 9am until 1pm. It's a community occasion, a place where friends meet and share the local gossip as well as making a few bob......... which tends to get spent on other stalls, as one does. Today we sold maybe $250 of delphiniums and bought maybe $75 worth of gooddies.

There's a special atmosphere at the River City Traders. It's a blend of friendly conversation, business like banter and riverboat smoke from the PSS Waimarie as she fires up her boilers to take a load of tourists for a ride. Something all tourists the world over expect and are duly delivered no-matter where they are! You can buy yourself freshly brewed coffee (New Zealanders know how to make real coffee - not like that Starbucks rubbish) and there's a couple af ladies making fresh crepes with gorgeous fillings. Or is that gorgeous crepes with fresh fillings? I'll go no further. For entertainment this morning we had Wanganui river, replete with a fresh of fast flowing, muddy water from recent deluges transporting a hungry seagull, complete with a meal of an unfortunate sheep that recently, but not too recently, must have lost its footing somewhere up stream - gripping stuff!

PSS waimarie catching the early morning sun

Back at home I unload the unsold delphiniums and restore them to the irrigation system and then come inside for a late lunch, planning to return outside to plant a couple of trees and an iris (from the market). Of course, just as I'm changed the visitors that I'd arranged some days earlier turn up and we spend the afternoon talking of cancer fighting apple trees, biodynamic farming (I'm a skeptic), plant breeding and cider tasting.

Now the blog.

Then Farmville!! Actually I cheated and did Farmville first.

What a nice day!!!

Cheers

Terry