The Beginning of the Fall Harvest

I slept later than I'd planned today and didn't get moving until past 11! Headed right to the Collingswood Farm Market first. It was cool and windy, but humid and a bit cloudy. It was nearly 11:30 when I arrived, and the farm market was still going strong. The fall harvest continues to debut. I saw the first ornamental gourds and small winter squash of the year. It was probably just as well that I didn't need much in the way of produce, anyway. I made may way through the crowds long enough to buy small apples and peaches, a small acorn squash, and pretty purple, pale creamy white-yellow, and orange peppers and the cutest tiny tomatoes from the organic booth.

There were more yard sales out today than there had been in months. I rode around for a while after that, taking them all in. Today all the sales seemed to be in Haddon Township (although I did take a brief look at one on Bettlewood on my way to Collingswood). Checked out some records at a sale on Holly, but they were all hard and alternative rock collectors' items from Japan, and waaayyy too expensive even if I was more into alt rock. I finally just bought a very pretty fall-themed mini-wreath from a huge multi-family sale on the end of Holly for a dollar. Stopped at WaWa on the way home for milk, eggs (got one of the last two cartons), and pineapple-coconut Sparkling Ice Water. 

When I got home, I started the Strawberry Shortcake cartoons while eating scrambled eggs with summer vegetables and farm-market Colby cheese for lunch. In the first one, Plum Puddin's "little play" for the baby Berrykins gets out of hand when she hears about a wildly popular version of "Snowberry and the Seven Berrykins" being put on on in the big city. She wants to do "Snowberry," but with added tidal waves, swinging Berrykins, and Lemon Meringue trying to "live" her part, the others begin to wonder if she's bitten off a lot more than she can chew. 

By the second story, they've switched to "Berryella and the Charming Prince." Strawberry's in the lead role this time, but they're having a hard time finding a prince. As token boy, Huckleberry Pie is pressed into the role. He's stiff and nervous and a bad dancer. He finally decides he'd rather write the story than be in it...just as the baby Berrykins complain that they aren't Berryella fans....

Which leads us into the final story. Evidently, the baby Berrykins' favorite fairy tale is an original, "The Littlest Berrykin." Three princesses (Strawberry, Lemon, and Raspberry Torte) want to find the Goldenberry and take over the kingdom from their retiring parents (Blueberry Muffin and Huck). Lemon and Raspberry are rude and demanding to the troll (gardener Berrykin Bloom) and pirate (Princess Berrykin) who are supposed to help them. Guided by her tiny Berrykin lady-in-waiting, Strawberry is kind and polite to both. When Strawberry gets the Goldenberry back, she's more than happy to give credit to her Berrykin-in-waiting, which leads to one more surprise.

It had gotten cloudier and even more humid as I rode to work. It even spit slightly. It didn't scare off the crowds, at least at that point. When I got in, we were busier than we'd been in months. Thankfully, for once, we had plenty of help. It did slow down a bit by 7, but only enough to be on-and-off steady. My relief was on time, and I was in and out. 

(Oh, and despite the clouds and humidity, at press time it hasn't done anything but look gloomy.)