May 9 Market is on WSU Graduation Day.The brisk weather stings the toes and bites the nose!

We set up our market stand in our new spot, along the first bay of market stalls, far from our usual friends and neighbors over in row 3.  It really felt strange, but we have a very fun new neighbor, Molly, next door in the backyard harvest booth.  

Everybody dusted off their market baskets and brought them to the market to fill with fresh produce.  I love seeing the baskets.  

We are the stand with the bright umbrellas.

The market has established a system in which food assistance money can be used to purchase local produce.  So local money stays local.  It's a great plan.

We saw friends and customers we love and have been missing.

They cheer us up and make us laugh. 

We bring them fresh asparagus and make them happy.

Yum.  All those spears were still poking up from the ground in the field only yesterday...

Busy making up bundles of the asparagus spears in the early morning.

We keep a sign up so our customers know where the produce is grown.

Vergie let me take a picture of her Friday, firing up the forklift to bring my boxes out of the storage room.  Last week we hand-trucked it to our car, so this was way more fun for us.  I didn't know Vergie knew how to drive a fork lift!  Vergie pretty much knows everything about everything.

Here is Manuel, whom I call "The Imperial."  Our girls are close friends, and our kids have gone to school and played in sports together for many years.  It was Manuel who got the idea of us co-opping to do the market years ago, so our daughters could earn money for their eighth grade summer field trips.

This is Jonathan, the youngest Imperial.

We loaded up our van.

This is their old mascot.

Imperial's old fruitstand has made way for a new and bigger stand which is just completed down the road.  I'll get some pictures of the new stand soon. 

Look at all those pepper and tomato plants! The weather is warm enough for them to be planted out into the fields now.  (hopefully, that is) 

So green and beautiful.

Here are the guys out planting like crazy.  Last week's wind wreaked havok with the plastic sheets, and they blew out of the fields.  Everything had to be redone before planting the baby seedling plants, so it's hurry, hurry, to get them in the ground this week.

At the till.

I put up many flavors of jam from last summer's fruit, which we sell at our stand.  Today's choices included pie cherry jelly, apricot jelly, raspberry/apricot jam, and my very-berry mix jam of blue berries, raspberries, and strawberries. 

Those umbrellas served a practical function this day!  It rained and drizzled, and here you see that the sun is trying to peek through the umbrella down onto us for a few moments.

The rain didn't stop our hardy Palouse customers.

This is the Moscow Arts Commission manager, making sure we have all our signage up properly.

Epic hair.

Some of our favorite customers, wearing very cool hats and scarves today.

A better view of the epic hair.  Awesome.

Japanese exchange students.  JK, JK.

Next to me was this cartload of beauty, which disappeared as the morning disappeared.  I can never get tired of looking at red tulips.

They just were calling out to me.

More beauty lay across the way from our stand.  A Mennonite family sells their nursery stock at the market, and business was hopping in anticipation of Mother's Day.

Delicate blooms.

Loud splashes of color.

Luxurious foliage.

Fascinating shapes.

The plants didn't mind the rain!

Stunning.

Tasty.

Dr Bitterwolf and his wife found us in our new digs.  They know how to make the day fun. 

Out came the umbrellas again.  Ann came to see our new set-up.  She and her husband sell Egyptian delicacies over in row 3.

Acer wasn't so happy about his mommy pulling back the rain barrier for my picture.  We had a nice visit with his mommy, though, who visited us last year, too.

Cheerful, even though her hands got colder and colder as the day went on.  I think the end of the market was colder than the beginning!

Gwen!  She came during the shower, but was totally prepared.  I love Gwen.

Always a smile.  She's done with this semester and is packing up to come home with us today after the market.

A very sweet customer, showing me her special friend.

Another very special customer, Eliza, whom we have known from infancy. Eliza can talk now, and is about to become a big sister.

   Eliza peeks up from behind her rain gear, and gives fleeting smiles.

Eliza's mommy and not-born baby sister, searching for the right bunch of asparagus.

All in all, our customers made it a great morning for us.

The chosen bundle.

A cheerful umbrella and a cheerful smile, the essence of today's market...

When this umbrella walked by, this was a true statement.

Dogs can visit our booth now.  In bay 3, dogs weren't permitted, but now that we have been moved, we see dogs everywhere with their owners.  This dog's mommy showed off her umbrella and her dog for my camera.  She has a good sense of humor.

This scotty and his brother came to the market to smell the flowers.

And pose for pictures...and get admired.

This pup is learning all his commands, successfully, I might add, and was showing off some of his skills.

The nose knows.

She was a star.  A constant crowd surrounded little princess, whose name I have forgotten.  Luckily, she thrives on attention.

Black labs were in abundance today.  Each one I saw was a winner. I am also a Labrador person.  I have a black and a chocolate, and a little white poodle.

We were swaying to the big band sound this morning! 

And sipping our tea to stay warm.

Hope you had an enjoyable visit to the market, either in person, or via my pictures here.  If you would like to get a hold of us, we'll be happy to hear from you.