Flower Auction

Here in the Great White North our frost date is May 28th. I don't plant my flowers until Memorial Day weekend. Usually I start buying flowers around May 1st. I move them in and out of the garage until the all clear sounds. Why I do this I am not sure something about the best ones selling out. This year has been so cold ( tonight it is suppose to be 35 degrees!) I just haven't been motivated but life does roll on and my friend convinced me to go to the Mennonite auction on Friday. I have been going the last five years or so. You can't beat the prices. Seven dollars is the typical hanging basket price. Okay, you have to buy at least five baskets at a time but with a friend to split things with it works out. It isn't only the prices that draws me though, I just like the atmosphere. I like being around the growers and farmers, I like the banter back and forth between the crowd and the auctioneer, and of course the Mennonites themselves are interesting. Oh yes, I also have an auction nemesis. What ever I want he is sure to bid on. *&%#!

In some ways I find the Mennonites very appealing. I know, strange for me. Not really a feminist life style but their sense of community and their groundedness has merit. Mennonites don't seem to feel the need to hire landscapers! Nature, not so scary for them. Friday there were several young men holding the hands of toddlers in calico bonnets or straw hats. To say they were picturesque would be an under statement. I didn't get any shots of the kids because I am pretty sure that would be frowned on but I wish I had.

The drive home along the lake and through the vineyards which are just budding out was just awesome. The clouds were clearing, the grass is deep deep green ,and Dame's Rocket is blooming all along the roads. My favorite patch of Brown Swiss cows was at it's best. ( I like that patch of cows because they get to keep their babies and live in huge grass field not a small muck lot.) We do live in an area full of calendar shots.