Cold and rainy and an F-150

Friday, March 18, 2007

It is very cold and rainy today. Winter has returned for a few days.

Steve spends the day monkeying around with the new pasteurizer. Tommy and Bobby are helping with the fine-tuning. I stay out of the way.

Steve sends Ginnie and me off to the Triad Farmer's Market in order to secure a stall for Goat Lady Diary. The season begins on Saturday, so getting a good spot is critical. We took a folding table, a stool, and some cheese and drove into Greensboro in the blue Ford F-150 pick-up truck. I drove and Ginnie provided excellent directions. The rain made the ride especially scary. Lots of standing water and lots of big trucks on the road. I just took it slow and steady.

We pull up to the farmer's market. It is right off of Interstate 40, just west of Greensboro Airport. The market is huge. It is run by the state of North Carolina and has two vending areas, both big, long, open-air marketplaces. There is a roof to shelter you, but nothing else. We set up in the middle of five other vendors, all friends of Steve's and Ginnie's. Together, everyone will sell each other's products. The market will be open every day, so everyone will rotate coverage. This is a new setup this year, so no one knows how it will be.

It is bitter cold. We drop off our stuff and talk to the others who are setting up. There is no one else around. Ginnie makes the executive decision to go get lunch. We drove over to the café at the far end of the marketplace. Nothing special. Burgers, fries, sandwiches, and so forth. I got fish and chips. The best part of the meal were the surprise hushpuppies.

After lunch, we packed it in and headed back to the farm. The rain continued to make driving precarious. I was happy to reach Jess Hackett Road and pull into the driveway of Goat Lady Dairy.

The rest of the day was spent taking it easy. I fed the kids on the lamb-bar and called it a day.