Colorful Farmers Market Purchases

 It was busy this morning at the Winona Lake Farmers Market. I had to park across the street and walk a bit farther, but I only had a few items I wanted to purchase.

Last time I shopped a few weeks ago, most of the flowers for sale were zinnias and sunflowers. Today they were mostly mums (large plants) and in the bouquets cockscombs. 

I am enjoying the riot of color.

Not many small tomatoes for sale; the one container I bought also had a variety of colors.

Having some medical surgical procedures done this month. I probably won't feel up to returning to the farmers market until October as its season draws to a close. We had our last sweet corn from the produce stand last week. I see a slight tinge of autumn color in some of the trees. We are transitioning from one season to another.

Zinnias, Blueberries, and a Toad

 

I bought this little bouquet of zinnias from the Winona Lake Farmers' Market this morning. I don't think I have seen it so busy at the market.

The pie lady was there this week (she said every 2nd and 4th Saturday). She did not have many small pies. I ended up with a peach pie. I also bought some green beans for tonight's supper.

Before lunch, I went to Sweet Corn Charlie's where I bought a 10-pound box of blueberries. They only had one left. The good news is that the price is now $40 instead of $45. I will be washing them and putting them in small freezer bags so we can enjoy them in the autumn, winter, and usually a bit into spring. 

This morning as I was about to step through my patio door after watering my new plants, I saw a brown lump next to the door. Mr. Toad! I cannot remember seeing a toad in the 15 years I have lived in my condo. 

He is about as long as my thumb but at least 3 times fatter.

I told the Grace Village landscaper/gardener that I was tired of pulling weeds and deadheading plants. My neighbor has rocks covering her plot with a bush planted in the middle. Steve said he would prefer to put mulch down rather than rocks. I said OK. I now have a spindly Russian sage with little purple flowers. Unknown to me, he also planted some ground cover: chocolate chip ajuga. Next year it should spread more and the bush should get bigger. I have been watering the plants some because our rain has been sporadic. 

We have had some nice days lately. Yesterday we ate our lunch sitting in our rockers on the front porch. Alas, starting tomorrow it heats up and supposedly the smoky haze will return in August. 

First Farmers Market Purchase This Year

 

This morning was my first visit to the Winona Lake Farmers Market this year. I had hoped there might be some green beans, but the vendor I asked said probably two weeks yet. There were some nice little tomatoes and garlic scrapes (which I have never had the courage to try). 

I did buy a touch of color in a little bouquet. The leaves are mint. This vendor sells basil and mint and herbs as well as vegetables. I saw one zucchini which surprised me. The grower had only one and she said it was her  first of the season.

More good things coming.

Winona Lake Farmers' Market August 30 2025

 

There were not as many vendors at the Winona Lake Farmers' Market today but lots of shoppers. After a chilly start, the sunny day warmed up under a clear blue sky. The lady who sells flowers had bouquets of zinnias and the arrangement I bought had sunflowers, some unusual like the big round one and the pinkish yellow ones.

The vendor who usually has pies was not there today. I had hoped to buy a small one. Instead, I bought some blueberry cream cheese muffins at another table. We will eat them with our chicken corn chowder at lunch.

I sat on the rocker on the front porch after starting a load of laundry. I am reading a book by Nancy Mehl on Hoopla. The setting seems sort of familiar, but I think this is another series in that town. So far, I do not remember this character. I have read some of Mehl's books set in the town of Kingdom, however.

It feels a little like fall the past few days. They say it will warm up for Labor Day. I plan to grill some brats and eat potato salad on Monday. Things will get busy on September 8th when my ladies Bible study group meets for a new year, and the Grace Village choir begins rehearsals again. Enjoy your holiday.

Winona Lake Farmers Market July 12th

 

This morning my husband and I went to the Winona Lake Farmers' Market. There was a pleasant breeze blowing through the pavilion. 

Not quite as many vendors as sometimes, but I found what I wanted: pie, flowers, honey. (Bought small tomatoes too though not on my list).

Today's Winona Lake Farmers Market

With such a beautiful morning it was nice to visit the Winona Lake Farmers Market. I bought a bouquet of colorful flowers. The seller now is selling them for $2 less than previously. Maybe because now there are a lot of flowers in bloom?

The booth that had zucchini last time I was there had only one fat bulbous zuke left. Instead I bought 2 zucchini from an Amish farmer I don't remember seeing before. His vegetables were organic. The zucchini squash has a green knob but is mostly yellow.

The size and shape was more to my liking. He had large red tomatoes; maybe next time I go I will see more small tomatoes for sell.

My husband suggested with such mild non-humid weather that we should dine at a restaurant with outside seating for lunch. We went to Arriero's on Center Lake.

Though there isn't much beach and this is not the ocean, there were seagulls. We used to have seagulls covering part of the parking lot at KMart; I guess they are not picky as long as there is a source of food.

I am ready to take my chocolate chip cookie to my porch as I browse the newspaper.

I do want to watch the Olympics on TV at 2:30 for the women's swim events. 

I now have my Lenovo laptop in its "home spot". I sold a bureau of 3 drawers at the garage sale to make room. My husband made the cart.

I had not been using the laptop much, and then I spent 5 days in the hospital. I had to reacquaint myself with Windows 11. At first, I couldn't remember where the start/restart button was. Of course, I am still using our pc with Windows 10 so that setup was stuck in my head. I spent about 30 minutes on the Lenovo last week. I need to get in the habit of using it again.

July is drawing to a close. I am glad we are having some decent weather. Next week rain and humidity and temps around 90.

Peach Pie and Other Treats

 Today was Winona Lake Farmers Market's last day of the season. I noticed at least 4 vendors "missing"; I haven't been for a few weeks so perhaps these vendors left earlier in the month. I bought some peppers to use in a stir fry. They were small and round; I had hoped they would have less seeds to clear out. Alas, they had more seeds. 

We ate the 4 small round pumpkin cookies with icing at lunch before I thought to get a photo. The marbled brownies I have put in an airtight container. We probably won't eat them for a few days because we have peach pie to eat. 

I baked the frozen Crane's peach pie from Michigan. It is tasty. 

I also bought a zinnia bouquet, most likely my last one of the season.

I could visit the Warsaw Farmers Market. It will be open thru October 28th. Next weekend is to turn cold, high in the 50's. Today we were high 70's. 

August 19th Winona Lake Farmers' Market

 My husband and I made a quick stop at the Winona Lake Farmers' Market enroute to picking up our grocery order this morning.

I indulged in my $5 bouquet of flowers. 

I would have preferred a different pie, but I did not want to buy a large pie. A tomato for bacon and tomato sandwiches next week, zucchini to saute tonight and some to grate to freeze to bake zucchini bread in the fall. In the little box are two buckeye candies. They rolled around some in the box that I had put in my bag of purchases. The tops are kind of messed up. 

Our weather is nice today; tomorrow starts a hot spell in the 90's thru at least Thursday. It was 50 when I got up this morning; I had to throw a light blanket over me around 4:30 a.m. I love autumn so I will be happy when it comes, though I will miss the summer produce and flowers. 

Today's Farmers' Market Purchases

 

This morning I and two of my neighbors went to the Farmers' Market in Winona Lake. I bought the small bouquet above. Next to the vendor where I bought the flowers was a table selling peacock feathers. The lady said they raised peacocks. My backdoor neighbor bought 3 feathers (one white). I wonder if she gave short feathers to the flower lady since there is a feather included with my flowers.

Lots of produce this time. I bought green beans and small tomatoes. I also bought a blueberry muffin to share with my husband at tomorrow's breakfast. 

It is going to rain this afternoon and evening. I have a grocery pick up to do so I guess I will learn how to use the wipers in my new SUV. It was very pleasant in the Miller Pavillion where the Farmers' Market is housed with a slight breeze. 

My husband's sister wants to try Papa Vino's so we are going to lunch there today. Burgers, leftover pineapple beans from the condo lunch and social, and sweet corn tonight.

Winona Lake Farmers' Market

 This morning we went to the Winona Lake Farmers' Market. It is housed in the Miller Sunset Pavilion which during the winter had an ice skating rink. It was pleasant with a light breeze and ceiling fans circulating air. There are about a dozen vendors right now. Since its hours overlap with the Warsaw Farmers' Market Saturday time, I wondered if having two operating markets helped or hurt. There seemed to be a steady stream of shoppers here.

Since the building is new, this is the first year for the farmers' market. 

Mostly flowers/plants, honey, baked goods, some produce. 

I bought some peach turnovers and a small arrangement of zinnias.

I was surprised to see the zinnias which I usually associate with later in the summer around August. Since the remnant of my anniversary flowers were drooping, $5 for a replacement worked out well.

There was a skincare products vendor, a coffee roaster, and a man who was selling tubs to start growing mushrooms and also starter kits of these specialized mushrooms. I had never seen anything like this mushroom product.

Since the market goes until 1 p.m., it could probably support more than one lunch vendor. Bomy's has a store on Winona Avenue in Warsaw. 

The pavilion is in a nice setting near the post office and the lake.

The Symphony of the Lakes patriotic concert on July 1st is going to take place in the Miller Sunset Pavilion. In the past, they had a large tent for the orchestra. The news item said there would be some seating for the audience in the pavilion, but the overflow would need to bring their own chairs to set up outside. 

The item I was hoping to find was not at the Winona Lake market; that was strawberries. So, we stopped at Sweetcorn Charlie's on the way home.

I was able to perambulate the entire pavilion with no pain in my butt and legs. It appears my surgery fixed the neurogenic claudication from the stenosis and pinched nerve roots. I do still have some incision pain. I am looking forward to doing things I could not do the past 20 months or so: farmers' markets, art fairs, museum exhibits, browsing the shopping mall, walking nature trails.