The end is near

[plonq]

Winnipeg decided to give Autumn a miss this year and jumped right from Summer to Winter. The leaves on the trees are still green, but we got hit with 10+ centimetres of snow on Friday. Fortunately most of it melted on contact, so by Saturday morning there was just enough to give full ground coverage, but not enough to need shovelling.

In spite of the inclement weather, we bundled up against the cold and wind and drove down to the St Norbert Farmers' Market again this weekend. About a third of the vendors did not show, but given the condition of the roads outside the city perimeter, I can't say that I blamed them for staying home. There were considerably fewer shoppers as well, but more than either of us had been expecting to see.

Mr Lui almost always has long lines for his produce. He runs a series of very high-efficiency green houses, and his produce is always top notch. Just check out those beautiful onions in the foreground, for instance. He was taking a risk putting his vegetables out on open display in this weather. The pumpkins we brought home were partly frozen when I cut them up.


This African drum troupe seemed a little out of place in the frigid weather. They put on a good performance in spite of the chilly conditions though.

I did not see nearly the variety of gourds and pumpkins that we have seen in past years. By all accounts this was not a good year for most of the gourd crops.

A couple of the vendors we spoke with admitted that it is very hard to motivate themselves to come out on days like this - especially to come out for an eight o'clock opening. These jellies were quite colourful when they caught the sun through them from behind. Unfortunately that did not entirely translate into the picture.

The actual temperature wasn't really that cold. I think it was hovering at about minus three when we got there, but the wind was blowing pretty good which made it feel more like minus ten. I believe she was telling him, "Make up your mind quick before it freezes."

I have never actually seen anybody buying her canned veggies, but I imagine she must sell her share of them because I am always seeing her replacing stock on the tables. There is something very homey and appealing about food canned in this manner.

I'm sure that I was not the only one there who cast an envious glance at this turkey.

I can only imagine how tough corn harvested this late in the year would be. I saw plenty of people buying it though. We nabbed three of the sugar pumpkins down at the far end of his table.

This is Kyle. He sells Icelandic cakes called Vinartarta. I believe that is an Icelandic word that translates roughly to Crack Cocaine. Here is atara giving Kyle money in exchange for another one of his addictive little cakes. We've become such regular customers of his wares that he cuts us a deal on the price when we buy one now. Oh, you laugh it up Kyle, but we can quit your cakes any time. Just watch us. After this one. Well, maybe the next one.

Comments

[pierrekrahn.livejournal.com]

Was the first Vinartarta free? That's how they get you, you know!

[kfops.livejournal.com]

Oh man, are those pickled carrots? I haven't had those in ages.

Thanks for sharing the photos, too, if not the crack-cakes.

[(Anonymous)]

Her mother sees that Atara has worn the appropriate headgear for buying Iclandic pastry.

[pfcottontail.livejournal.com]

"The actual temperature wasn't really that cold. I think it was hovering at about minus three"

You have no idea how mind-blowingly contradictory those two sentences are to a Floridian. I think there have been days where it's like 18 C down here, and nobody goes out for fear of instant frostbite and death.