Saturday on the farm and not much going on. I went to the market this morning with farmer John and it reminded me of going to the flea market with my Dad when I was a kid. He (farmer John) came into the house at around 8:45am. ‘I’m going to market,’ he said, ‘if you want to come.’
‘Well, when are you going?’ I asked, realising that I was still in my PJs and making a mental inventory of clean clothes that I could possible wear for such an occasion.
‘Now.’ Was his reply. Just like dad, farmer John doesn’t feel it’s necessary to give people any sort of time to process his scheduling ideas. So now it was. I gulped down my remaining half a cup of tea, scrambled into some vaguely presentable state and grabbed my uneaten piece of vegemite toast to eat in the car. I was ready to go to the Limerick Saturday markets.
Were I a tourist or heck, even a local, I could have enjoyed an hour or two at the market which was an interesting mix of local produce, second hand and local craft stalls. I even spied a coffee shop or two which would have satisfied my caffeine craving. But, sadly, framer John was there on a mission so my trip to the market was again like going with my Dad – fast in, fast out. Farmer John’s mission on this occasion was to find a 2nd hand chainsaw and to pick up some more gardening supplies. No chainsaw was to be found but we did get some cabbage seedlings and a few gardening odds and ends.
Then onto Tescos and grocery shopping. I’m quite embarrassed to say that we parked in a handicap spot and the park was so bad that I doubt anyone could fit in either side of us. Armed with a shopping list (which I was given to look after – ‘there’s a good little helper then’) we attacked the shopping as though it were a race. Interestingly I think we spent as long in the cue for the registers and we did doing the actual shopping.
Back in the car heading back to the farm and we’d accomplished everything is under two hours. Terrific. Dad would be so proud! J
