Country Drive

Chez Claire entertained 2 weekends in a row. This week's special guest being Barbara. She drove up Friday night for weekend Biofeedback classes on Saturday and Sunday. Both mornings Barbara was up and out the door early so I mostly did my own thing. I hit my local Farmer's Market, which moved to a new location, farther from my house about a month ago.

I was totally bummed about the move at first, but the new market is much larger and hosts a greater variety of vendors. I wandered along the central walkway and my eyes bugged - drum roll please - there is a booth selling frozen, local, grass fed beef! They sell lots of different cuts, ground, filet mignon, flank and tri-tips and short ribs.

True, the fancy meat is slightly more expensive, but I eat less beef these days and when I do eat it, I appreciate knowing my meal had lazy days chewing the cud in a pretty pasture and was not traumatized on death-day. Shucks, that's all I ask for myself actually.

After the Farmer's Market I headed up Sunrise Road. As I drove along Meiss Road, I saw the earliest of Spring wildflowers and the birds that are just returned from their summer vacations. I found Tricolor Blackbirds and soaring Rough-legged Hawks - un-cooperative for photos. Happily, I found photogenic Cliff Swallows at a muddy ditch. The birds busily collected mouthfulls of mud for their clay nests.

Their muddy mouthfulls look ghastly, but they haven't
access to Home Depot for their homebuilding needs

As they scoop mud they gently flutter their wings

Headed back to their nests
These puffed up wildflower cuties are Butter and Eggs or Johnny Tuck

That was a lovely short outing. Later that evening when Barbara came home we chatted over a fish & chips dinner at Tugboats. Life is Good.