To Market

To Market To Buy a Fat Pig...

Well we didn’t, but we could have. We missed the hog auction by only an hour!

Last week we visited the Keady Market, near Southampton. This farmers’ market, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary next year, is a place of endless bounty. The produce stalls are filled to overflowing with fresh tomatoes, corn, beans, and peaches. Peter found a cauliflower that was so big it would have taken up half the back seat of the car. We bypassed the bakery stands, with 2 exceptions: an olive focaccia bread and a blueberry strudel. Yummm! There were also meats, jams, and condiments for sale, and lots of free samples too.

Keady Market does not just sell produce. We were tempted by clothes, belts, hats, shoes and a variety of wellness oils and creams, mostly home-made. We pulled ourselves away from all sorts of kitchen gadgets and demonstrations. I stopped at a used book stand and picked up a novel I have wanted to read, for only $5.

But the most interesting item of all was a commercial-sized popping machine. The popper person stirred the kernels round and round, added a pitcher of salt and sugar, stirred some more, then pulled down his visor and told visitors to stand back! The popcorn exploded into the bin and all over the ground. The popcorn from the bin was sold in family-sized bags, too big for us. The stuff on the ground was fed to the livestock, but no movies were included.

After a few days in Southampton, eating our way through our purchases, we had to return to Toronto.

Home Again Home Again Jiggity Jig...

Unfortunately our trip was not so jiggity. Most of the drive took us through acres of corn blowing in the breeze, and fields of cows chewing contentedly. Our thoughts were disturbed only by a meadow of windmills adding energy to our power grid. Bur gradually the peaceful 2-lane road became a 4-lane highway and then ramped onto the 401.

As we drove along the left lane of the ramp, we came up to a construction vehicle in the right lane. It was one we didn’t recognize, but it had lots of protrusions partially blocking our lane. So we slowed down a bit, keeping away from the protrusions. The driver behind us, in a big black war machine, was not impressed. He honked loudly and repeatedly.

Then the ramp became the 401 and the construction vehicle moved over to the new lane on his right. Within seconds, the bully in the war machine moved to the now-empty lane and barreled past us. Then he moved back into our lane, right in front of us, and slammed on his brakes.

I shrieked. Peter the driver, who was obviously much calmer, hit the brakes too, and veered onto the left shoulder. It was a good thing we didn’t have that cauliflower in the back seat! As we looked around and realized we were safe, the bully went screaming ahead. He was far too fast for me to get a photo for you, dear readers. Sorry.

Sue