We somehow managed to be out of bed, dressed, and at the Durham Farmers Market with a coolerful of ice by 8:30 this morning, which was good because every reusable-bag-wielding, local-food-eating, Prius-driving citizen of the city had descended upon the place by 9. (Crowds make me grumpy.) We got some very tasty cheeses (including a smoked farmers cheese from Chapel Hill Creamery that is truly amazing), some herb-garlic bread, some tomatoes, a bag of basil, and some ground bison and pork breakfast sausage (which are not in the photo because frozen meat is not so photogenic). And a bouquet of pretty flowers, too (zinnias, I think). Oh, and a bottle of semi-sweet Scuppernong wine. I guess we did get a lot of stuff.

I kind of have to wonder about some of the produce prices. I’m all for growing heirloom varieties and supporting local farms, but the day I pay over $3 for A SINGLE FRICKING TOMATO is the day hell is going to freeze over. Almost everyone there was selling tomatoes at $2.85-$3/lb. What are they fertilizing them with, the dried blood of virgins? One good-sized German Johnson can easily top 1.5lbs. I found a nice lady selling tomatoes for $0.40/ea and I bought three. I’m sure the Committee to Fleece the Overpaid Wellmeaning Yuppies of Durham will be breaking her kneecaps tonight.

My Tour de Fleece has been progressing at a somewhat languid pace. I do have 2 bobbins to show for the week, containing about half of the 11oz of blue and gray fiber that I want to ply together into an approximately DK-weight yarn.

Here’s a plying sneak preview!