The plan started with the Natural Market which was holding it's first Organic Farmer's Market of the year. The day was warm, but cloudy and overcast, looking like rain, but even so the streets were crowded. I circled the square several times and finally had to park down the hill and walk a couple of blocks. The good news is that this took me past some of the lovely old buildings in that part of town.
The first one that caught my eye was the Art Gallery:
It's been there for a while and Jule worked there before she went to college. One time they had a painting of our house in the window - a local artist had thought it was pretty and, unbeknownst to me, painted it: "Yellow House on X Street"
This week's art is abstract and I found it very soothing:
I stood at the window and admired the paintings for a while, and then continued up the hill, past this little enchanted alcove:
All those bricks! There used to be a brick-making factory in this town in an early time, and there still is a huge granite quarry in the hills outside of town. That's why we all have so much granite - posts, steps, and foundations - in and around our houses, and why so many of the downtown buildings are built of granite and brick.
The market is at the top of a little rise and across the main street...
Being the first one of the season meant that this market day was an incredible bun fight! But there were lots of samples (artisan cheese, macaroni and cheese with mushrooms, lemon and artichoke ravioli, freshly made fried potatoes, Greek yogurt, ice cream...) and free giveaways - I got two new re-usable shopping bags, a green one and a yellow one! I bought a loaf of Oatmeal Bread that had been baked that morning, a container of the Mushroom Macaroni & Cheese, some Greek yogurt (with honey), a package of ice cream sandwiches, and a fresh-baked scone (which has just this minute been eaten while I type)...
With my groceries in my new shopping bags, I made my way back downhill to the car, passed the Mexican Restaurant:
and passed a beautiful old barn that has been renovated for offices:
I particularly liked the big black crow who decided that the very pinnacle of the cupola was his special spot for surveying the entire town.
My next stop was a yarn shop nearby that was having a big sale before closing for their spring vacation. This shop is in a pretty college town at the top of a small mountain:
The houses and the town green are typical of my state where there are many places that go back to the 1600's, 1700's and 1800's. I know that's young by European standards...
The yarn store, Knit New London, is a tiny little store packed full with a wonderful collection of special yarns that I don't see everywhere else... lot's of locally produced yarns (including a baby camel yarn from Cape Cod) and most of the Rowan booklets, which I love.
Of course, the shop was super-crowded because of the sale. One mother-daughter team was pushing in front of everyone else to snatch up the skeins they wanted and spreading the yarn from the shelves all over the floor to choose their colours. The women working the sale were kept very busy putting everything back on the shelves in their wake!
As usual, the shop owner and the others there were very friendly and helpful. At 30% off, I did collect quite a lot for my stash:
1. Malabrigo Silky Wool 2. Namaste Crocheted Flower Tape-measure 3. Rowan Kidsilk Haze 4. Blue Sky Alpacas Silk & Alpaca 5. Classic Elite Premiere Cotton and Tencel
The Premiere cotton is for this little sweater from Greetings from the Knit Cafe, a book I already have in my pattern stash.
But that will have to wait. After yesterday's excursions, I have to spend this sunny day raking the back yard and staking the blackberry bushes...
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