Turn Your Thoughts Upward

I believe that if one always looked at the skies, one would end up with wings.

Gustave Flaubert

A Simple Thought

The true harvest of my daily life is somewhat as intangible and indescribable as the tints of morning or evening. It is a little star dust caught, a segment of the rainbow which I have clutched.

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

And the Winner Is..........

I want to thank everyone who took part in the September Farmers' Market Challenge. It was great to see all of your markets with the wonderful produce and assorted goodies. This challenge gives us an excellent view of what's available from our local farmers all across the globe.

As a part of this month's challenge I held a little giveaway. I am giving away a Walla Walla Sweety Onion key chain, see the photo above. I am also including a few recipe cards. All of the recipes feature Walla Walla onions.

The drawing was held earlier today (witnessed by Miss Cindi Lou Who) and now it is time to announce the winner....... (Drum roll please) ........ And the winner of the Sweety key chain and recipe cards is DJan of D-Jan-ity. Congrats DJan!

Once again I want to thank all of you for making this challenge a fun event. The last Farmers' Market challenge for the year will be on November 7th. This will be a Harvest Festival to wrap up the season. I will be posting more details very soon.

PS. I have four extra little recipe booklets (you can separate it into cards) . If you would like one of the booklets just leave a comment and say you would like some recipes. I will need a mailing address which you can email to me. My email address is on my profile.

For Your Thoughts

Just living is not enough.
One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

Hans Christian Anderson

The September Farmers' Market Challenge is now OPEN!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to the Farmers' Market Challenge.

The purpose of this challenge is to raise awareness for purchasing locally produced foods. Be it fruits, vegetables, dairy products or related items we want to know what's available where you live.

This is for everyone. If you have a Farmers' Market in your area we would like to see your photos. If you don't have a farmers' market how about a roadside produce stand? Or maybe you grow your own vegetables? Do you raise chickens or geese, do you use the eggs? We want to see your photos. The Challenge will be open all weekend so you have lots of time to post.

Be sure to register to win for my giveaway HERE.

Participants may now sign in. You should have you photos and/or story posted on your blog before you sign in. You can link any and all of your farmers' market posts. Mr. Linky is very easy to use, just follow the instructions. If you have any questions or problems my email address is on my profile.

A Visit to the Farmers's Market

Our Farmers' Market always has a wide variety of produce. Lots of locally grown fruits and vegetables everywhere.

Even a giant sunflower.

Fresh corn and squash.

And more squash of all kinds.

The lady told me these were banana squash.

The pumpkins have arrived.


Did you think I would do a post without including a few flowers?

For more post in the September Farmers' Market Challenge go the the post above or click HERE.

Picture this Thought

To the attentive eye, each movement of the year has
it's own beauty, and in the fame field it beholds, every
hour, a picture which was never seen before
and which shall never be seen again.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

The Kids' Garden Club Part II

Yesterday I introduced you to the Kids' Garden Club of Dixie, Washington. If you missed that post you can read it HERE. Today I would like to show you a few more of the items these young entrepreneurs had for sale.

Just look at the greeting cards hand drawn and colored by two of the kids.

These are lilac potpourri bags and mice.

Remember all these items were made by the children.

One of the young men raises chickens and sells the eggs here at the market.

There were even flowers. One of the boys had herbs for sale but I forgot to get a photo.

And of course lots of very fresh vegetables. Aren't the lemon cucumbers pretty?


Would you like to buy a bell pepper? I grew it myself.

This is Lynae, she is five years old. She did most of the greeting cards you saw above.
I was a little early and interrupted the after school snack time and her mother almost fainted when she saw Lynae's face. Too late, I had already tripped the shutter.

I am taking part in this week's Change the World Wednesday. Be sure to take a look at this week's Challenge.

The Kids' Garden Club Part I

Our local newspaper had a front page article recently about something that really stirred my interest. Just a few miles down the road from Walla Walla is the little town of Dixie, WA. Each Tuesday afternoon after school a group of kids and parents open a mini farmers' market. The produce is the product of the Kids' Garden Club.

The Kids' Garden Club started meeting in April. The young club members first learned basic gardening skills then they mapped out their own garden plots. The children were encouraged to try different varieties of vegetables but the final choice was theirs. They then planted and tended their gardens until the vegetables are ready to pick. Much of what is raised is used by the families and the excess is sold at the Kids' Garden Club Market. The young man pictured below told me he had raised some tomatoes but did not have any today because he had eaten them all. Could this also be a way to get kids to eat more vegetables?

The club has fifteen children from seven families. They range in age from two to fifteen. Everyone is not selling every week, it depends on what is ready for harvest so there will be different items each week and different kids selling. I was told the squash and pumpkins are almost ready and will be selling soon.

When I was there yesterday there were two tables of produce. This young man had some beautiful yellow zucchinis like the one he is holding. That one came home with me.

More about the kids tomorrow. And remember this Saturday is the Farmers' Market Challenge.



I'm taking part in Change the World Wednesday. Check out this week's Challenge.

Thoughts of Autumn

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn.

Elizabeth Lawrence

A Little Giveaway

I am doing a giveaway in conjunction with the September Farmers' Market, see the post HERE.


I have a little key chain and some recipe cards to give away. Sweety Onion is the mascot for the Walla Walla Sweet Onions. The recipe cards feature recipes using Walla Walla Sweet Onions (any onion can be used but the sweets are of course the best).


You have from today until Midnight US Pacific Time on Sunday, September 27, 2009 to enter. The drawing will be held on Monday, September 28th and I will announce the winner here sometime that same day. If you win you will have to give me a mailing address via email, my email address is on my profile. You will have 48 hours to reply after I post or I will draw again.


The rules are very simple:

1) You must leave a comment on this post with a link to your blog, no anonymous comments are allowed. Only one comment per person will be counted for the drawing.

2) You must be a follower of this blog, The Road to Here.

See, very simple, very easy. Leave one comment, be a follower. You do not have to post for the challenge to enter, the giveaway is for all followers of this blog.

3) Want an extra entry for the drawing? Mention the September Farmers' Market Challenge on your blog with a link back to my blog. Be sure to let me know about your post or it may not count. I know some of you have already done this but to make sure I include you please let me know with a comment.

4) One more way to get an entry for the drawing. Participate in the September Farmers' Market Challenge. When you sign in with Mr. Linky for the challenge you will get another entry. You must be posting for the challenge for it to count, do not just enter your blog without a farmers' market post.

That's it, read the rules carefully and good luck!

Honest Scrap

f8hasit has presented me with this really cool award. She also gave me a good laugh when she explained that when she first saw the award she thought it said "Honest Crap". The award is given to those who 'write from the heart'. I am a little embarrassed to say that I have not done a lot of writing lately, mostly photos. Although I did sneak a bit of poetry into a post not long ago (hint: if it is a quote I put in the author's name, no name?).

Now I am to tell ten things about myself. I did this award a short time ago so the list is similar but I did make a change or two, or maybe three.

1) I love nature and the great outdoors. Macro photography has given me a new perspective on the really tiny things in nature.
2) Cats, I have almost always had a kitty sidekick. Salem, Tasha, and now Miss Cindi Lou Who!
3) My food weakness is ice cream, pralines and cream is my favorite.
4) I'm a tech junkie. I love computers and gadgets.
5) I am a former camp director and headhunter!
6) I love to plant things and watch them grow. Flowers are easy for me but vegetables die almost as soon as I touch the plant.
7) I Love Rock and Roll! Put another dime in the jukebox baby!
8) I love action, horror and scifi movies.
9) In the dead of winter I love video games. Latest passion is a series called F.E.A.R. Before that I was totally hooked on UNREAL, both are FPS.
10) Photography. Been playing around with it for years. I started out with a Pentax SLR.

f8hasit, thank you for sharing this great award. I am really enjoying your blog and I look forward to more of your great posts. Now go, check out f8hasit's blog. You will be so glad you did.

Camera Critters - In the Park

Meow, it's me Miss Cindi Lou Who here to bring you this week's Camera Critters. I get to pick the photos each week for Camera Critters. This week I picked photos of critters my mom has seen at the local park.

There are always squirrels, I think they are silly but mom likes them and they follow her around. Hey mom, take me to the park and I will keep those silly squirrels chased away.

This is a really cute little duck that mom sees almost every week.

This is an Emperor Goose. Pretty cool looking don't you think?


And mom always finds bees to pose for her photos.

Do you like critters and want to see more? Go to Camera Critters to see critters from all over the world.

Let Your Thoughts Soar

Tis the dawning of a brand new day,
softly it comes on the morning light.

Open your eyes and spread your wings,
now face the sun and take flight.

J. Weber

A Thought for Today

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others,
cannot keep it from themselves.

James M. Barrie

Thoughts?

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful;
they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.

Luther Burbank

I ran across this flower at the park today. I have no idea what it is but I researching to find out, if anyone knows what it is I would appreciate it. I can tell you the bees thought it was very tasty.

A Thought for Your Day

So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then they seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.

Christopher Reeve