Got to start carrying a camera!

The other afternoon we went to the "new" Farmer's Market. The "old" Farmer's Market, located for many years off of Burnet Rd fell victim to the rising cost of real estate and will soon be some fast food joint or another CVS Pharmacy. Of course there is still a big Farmer's Market out by Burger Center, but that's closer to San Antonio than Austin. The "new" Farmer's Market is located in the Triangle - that previously empty space where North Lamar and Guadalupe come together, then diverge (across from the School for the Blind). That space is now filled with apartments and shops and restaurants in another version of the European-style high-density village.

Of course, the whole area is a high dollar, up-scale type of place, so we should not have been surprised to find that the new Farmer's Market might better be titled "Yuppie's Market." The emphasis is on earthy-crunchy produce and products and I wouldn't be surprised if you have to pass a pesticide test to market your goods. There was a lot more herbs and hummus available than tomatoes and okra.

But what I needed the camera for was to record how an individual on a bicycle (without a basket) managed to ride off with two large watermelons. Now I ask you, if you were faced with the task of carrying not one but two large watermelons on a bicycle, how would you do it? You might handle one under the arm, but not two. The plastic bags offered at the produce stalls weren't up to the task. What to do?

Think saddlebags. The purchaser snugged a couple of bungee cords around each melon, then the cords went over the back fender and attached to the cords on the other side. Slung like saddlebags on either side of the back wheel, the cyclist pedaled off with his purchases to his melon fest.

Is this a great town or what?