Nothing too exciting...

It was supposed to rain this morning. It didn't, and I was glad and sad. It is much nicer setting up at the farmer's market on a sunny day.

There aren't many of us at the market these days. Gardens are done. Produce is not in abundance. Freshly milled whole wheat products, on the other hand, are still in season.

We have our little farmer's market set up on the property of Ikenberry's Orchard. Just outside of Daleville, on the road to Fincastle, we are on a little knoll with a beautiful view of some neighboring farms and fields and colorful mountains in the distance. The girls and I enjoyed seeing some nice fat deer strolling through the pastures across the highway. They must be quite content deer with all the apples they have to munch. I wish some of them would stroll through our pastures sometime during deer season!

Market day is a long day for little girls. They always try to take colors and papers and books and that lasts for a good long bit. After 5 hours or so of listening to mom talk about freshly milled wheat and the advantages of pasture-raised meats and dairy, little girls are antsy and ready to go. This week we read in the paper about a new business that opened up in Daleville called Blue Collar Joe's. They are a family-owned doughnut/coffee shop. I have been telling the girls we would go check them out soon. Figured that after 2pm they would be closed, but might as well drive by anyway. WELL, happy day for Rose and Nora! They were open. We had the best doughnuts I believe I have ever had in my life. I used to eat a lot of doughnuts, back in the day when I could eat all the high carb processed foods I wanted without gaining weight. Then I started studying nutrition, the benefits of whole grains, and got older. All that to say, we don't eat a lot of doughuts anymore. But of course we, as a family, want to support local industry and welcome new businesses to the area. Our children are especially eager to welcome places like Blue Collar Joe's to our part of the region. Their shop is adorable, the couple who owns it are hard working and friendly, and best of all, they have an amazing variety of treats, plenty of coffee and smiles. I thought the german-chocolate was the best. The kids liked the Botetourt Bog(chocolate with chocolate frosting and oreos crumbled on top). Nora says her favorite was the vanilla with white frosting and sprinkles, but she wishes she could taste them all.

Ahhhh, freedom. The freedom to enjoy whole foods, organic veggies and fruits, dairy and meat, bread milled and baked with our own hands. The freedom to eat an occasional treat like a doughnut from Blue Collar Joe's.

Well, the cow is milked. The sky is cloudy. Stars and moon are hidden. It is a bit chilly, but not cold. The moon has been coming out in the daytime. It should be getting full in the next few days. Bread rises pretty nicely when the moon is large. Philip, the children and I have been having some very weird dreams. Wonder if it is the moon? I hope it will rain soon. Our pond is drying up and the creek bed is very dry. Someone left the waterhose on to water the pigs and ran the water out. It will take all night to build up pressure again. Guess we will take baths in the morning. The kids are not too upset about that. We have had a few rains here and there, but are still in a drought. Hope it will end soon.