Our much anticipated Saturday morning Cedar Valley Farmer's Market began the first weekend in April.  Along with the arrival of the hummingbirds, this was another exciting sign of spring.  Each year the tailgate markets brings more vendors.  This year I was able to purchase heritage seeds, compost tea, and black dirt from a new local farmer.  The Unaka Soap Lady crafts her own soaps with ingredients like coconut, olive, and almond oils; pure mountain water; shea and cocoa butters; Moroccan argan oil and tea tree oil.  This one is her Facetime soap and my favorite, so far.  Next week I'll try the sample of a soap that smells like cherry chocolates.  Another new vendor I visit weekly sells the most decedent breakfast energy squares made from fruits or vegetables and ancient grains like spelt, amaranth, or karmut.  My favorite vendor still is The Candy Mountain Farm. We  buy peasant bread and 10-grain from their youngest son, Eric, who is 19 now and has been baking breads and selling them for ten years at the markets .  Tonight I'm making a Tuscan Vegetable Minestrone to have with his breads.

This morning we bought sweet Vidalia onions, Asian turnips, and Swiss chard.  I've only eaten turnips once or twice, not crazy about them, but the Juhlins told me the small Asian turnips taste sweeter than the large ones and add a nice crunch when sliced raw in a salad. 

Cliff and I have been getting plenty of spinach and four kinds of lettuce from our garden for weeks now.

Carrots and weeds are doing well this year due to the constant rain.

I'm a lazy gardener when it comes to weeds.  I only weed when they get thick and annoying.

A bunny visits our front flower garden each morning.  We usually see him hop up from Alberta's treed area, nibbled at weeds and grasses, then travel across the driveway and head back to Alberta's yard.

Bright tangerine colored wild azaleas all through our woods.  This one is at the edge of the vegetable garden.

Mountain laurel seen from the west window in my studio.