Farmers Market

We went to the market this morning right around 7. It was still chilly; in the low 40's. With an early start it's easy to find a parking space near the market and we scored one right across the street. It was a sunny day and the colors were fantastic! Lots of flowers and bright colored fruit and vegetables. I always start with a cup of freshly brewed coffee from a older couple (our age) that have been selling coffee here for all the years we have been shopping here. Beans of Paradise is the name and the cup was good...though not heavenly. With a cup in one hand and my walking stick in the other, taking photos is problematic, but I was able to pass the cup off to my wife when needed or I put the stick between my knees. Here are some photos of what was happening at the market this morning.

The purple onions here are spectacular in the sunlight. Some shoppers were in my way and I couldn't get the best shot.

 Love those cauliflower colors!

Tomatoes were $2 a pound...all organic and pesticide free

Some carrots that we liked. The purple ones are for their looks...and expensive at $2 a bunch or 50 cents each

 Here are the two heirloom tomatoes that I bought for pleasure...taste and looks. And they were pricey at $2 each

After shopping here we headed over to Raley's, one of our preferred markets. Always clean and always friendly. They are more expensive than Safeway but I will never shop at Safeway again.

There were more than a few complaints with Safeway before we said 'never again', but one stuck in my mind. We asked the pharmacy clerk why she was shivering and had a heavy coat on; 'Can't you turn the thermostat up?' She said, "No. It's controlled at the corporate offices." What?

Enough of that. After getting some staples at Raley's, we drove over to Trader Joe's to get the rest of the things on our list. Trader Joe's; what a great store. Low prices and great values. Eggs, for instance, are half the price of the ones at Safeway. The same with butter and with milk. Safeway hammers you on the staples. Alvey, the corporation behind Trader Joe's is a German company and Trader Joe's are employee owned. You never wait for them to open another register when needed and they are always cheerful. I'm always happy as I walk out to my car after shopping here.

Now I am recuperating from the pain after the all the walking. I stopped the Nucynta drug trial on Thursday, calling it a failure. Now I'm using Morphine Sulfate Extended Release twice a day. The first day was great; just a little confusion. I snapped right out of it. This morning; no confusion but not as effective. I'll give it time. And it's a little over a month before I see the neurosurgeon and arrange for this useless gadgetry  to be removed from my spine. Can't happen soon enough!