Tonight was purrrrrfect.  We met our old friends, Lynn and Christian, at Milagros in Redwood City for a couple pitchers of Margaritas and some fancy Mexican food.  The weather outside on the patio was purrrrrfect, the margaritas were purrrrrfect, the company was purrrrrfect.  This was our first farewell dinner where we got that sinking feeling in our gut that told us all of this recent planning and scheming has a downside.  The investment we’ve made over the past 3 years in our local relationships, towns, and trails…we’ll have to say “goodbye” to.  For real!  Ooof.  We met the Knaaks the first Fall we moved to the Bay Area and started a softball team to meet some friends.  This was the one friendship that lasted through a tough softball season to advance to multiple wine country weekend trips, fireworks displays, dinners in the city, and BBQs.  If we hadn’t met Lynn and Christian, our Northern California experience would’ve been so different.  We wish them the best of luck in their transition as they move to Austin, TX this Monday, and the coming arrival of their new baby girl (Adison, Cameron, Taylor?) in 1.5 months!  God bless.

For all of the things we set out to do one more time, or even for the first time, before we leave Northern California, we suddenly feel strapped for time.  The past month has passed in a flash.  It started in June with our annual pilgrimage to IA, followed by a mid-week potluck at Kelly and Conner’s…

A scouting trip to L.A. where we signed a lease on a new apartment and Lea interviewed for a job that she (just THIS AFTERNOON) accepted an offer to…

(random pictures of the best fish tacos on the planet – or, Newport Beach – with new friends, Guy and Terry)

After that, we were in Pebble Beach for the U.S. Open with JP…

Followed by a trip to Chicago to celebrate a couple birthdays.

Finally, this past weekend we got to fall back into our old weekend routine with the Saturday morning farmers market in San Mateo. And guess who we saw.  Our neighbors, Tom & Martha!  We see Martha every time we come here.  And this time, Lea was eyeing those pretty flowers she found.

Ah!  Here’s where she found them.

Apparently she’s not the only one who likes them.  We usually do one lap to scope out the selection, then come back to our favorite spots.  On the second lap, just a few minutes after taking the pictures above, this is what was left.

These pre-mixed salads have edible flowers on top.  Strange, but pretty, right?

You can never go wrong with organic strawberries.  My general attitude is “organic, schmorganic.” Except when it comes to strawberries.

OK…and raspberries.

The beauty of the San Mateo farmers market is that there’s virtually no lines or wait at any vendor.  Except for the sweet corn from Brentwood, CA.  It’s like this every week.

I love the setting of the San Mateo farmers market.  It’s set atop a hill with great views of the Santa Cruz Mountains.  The same beloved mountains that keep the ocean fog (i.e. “marine layer”) from moving in over the peninsula.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t extend as far north as the city, which is why San Francisco, in the summer, is typically 10-15 degrees cooler than San Mateo, and fogged in.  And hence, why we don’t live in the city!

We had such a good time on Saturday, that come Sunday, we were up for another farmers market in Burlingame.

What’s nice about this market is that it’s mixed in with the shops, and Starbucks, of Burlingame.  Very quaint, but with an heir of snobbery.

These posts are easy when I just let the flowers do the talking…

And look what we found.  Brentwood Sweet Corn!  (The stuff that peopled lined around the block for yesterday.) No line and plenty of stock.

Burlingame also has a few jewelry vendors.

We don’t like the arts and crafts kinds of farmers markets, but…guess who found something she couldn’t say no to. (It’s the new little gold chain around her neck.)

One of the absolute coolest parts of Lea and my jobs is the location.  We’re 1.5 blocks from the Port of San Francisco Ferry Building, which hosts a very famous farmers market on Saturday, but also some smaller, but still great, markets on Tuesday and Thursday.  These are from this past Tuesday…

We literally stuff ourselves on free samples of stone fruit so that we don’t have to buy lunch.  It’s fantastic.

 

And here are some more of those edible flowers used for salad toppings we saw at San Mateo.

 

If pressed, I would say that San Mateo is my favorite farmers market.  For the variety, price, location, and timing (Saturday morning – my absolute favorite time of the week), you just can’t beat it.  We hear it may have some competition down in Santa Monica, though.  Can’t wait to compare the competition!

 

Cheers