Yum Yum Day

I arrived at the Mennonite school north of Bonners Ferry about right at 10 a.m.

The parking lot looked pretty full.  Cars were parked along the road.  Still, I found a spot in the lot near the outside activity. 

Once inside the building, I grabbed a box to carry all the goodies.  First in the box:  a sack of cookies---peanut butter with M and M's

Walking a few steps, I looked down the table and observed a few dozen loaves of bread but lots of bare spots. 

Looks pretty picked over, I thought to myself while looking over the pie selection.  

Of course, a pecan pie was a must-buy.  It went in the box as did a fruit pie, which until I slice into it will remain a mystery.  But it's pretty. 

Two or three sacks of dinner rolls looked a little lonesome with lots of open space around them. 

I selected a couple of loaves of bread, then turned around to check out the cheese selection.  

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. 

It was Dorothy.  She owns the Bread Basket Bakery, which opened a few years ago and started our Mennonite baked goods craze.  

Dorothy gave me a big hug and welcomed me.

"Looks picked over," I said.  I'd come to the craft sale in past years but never this early.  So, picked over tables were to be expected, but not at 10 a.m. in my mind.

Dorothy told me about the Wal-Mart-style crowd waiting for doors to open at 8 a.m.  Others told me about the seemingly never-ending lines a few minutes after 8.

Guess I learned a good lesson yesterday---get on the road earlier next year.

Nonetheless, I filled my box with the pies, bread, cookies and one of the few selections left at the cheese stand.

Of course, one needs to reward oneself at this annual event.  I walked to the tables where a complete lunch menu was organized and definitely ready to tempt any hungry soul.

I picked out a piece of apple pie with a walnut crumb topping, asked for a cup of coffee, paid $1.25, visited with a few folks on the way to a table and then sat down savoring every bite.  

After paying for my box of goodies, I took it to the car, grabbed my camera, snapped a few photos and then stopped at the kettle corn booth for a couple of bags of popcorn.

By 10:45 and $45 later, I pulled out of the parking lot, headed south, expecting to drive home.

A sign advertising the annual Farmer's Market craft sale at the Bonners Ferry Middle School proved to be too much.  A left turn, a park, several more dollars and another bagful of little Christmas gifts and I was on my way home.

A good day of shopping and a good day ahead as I keep walking past that Mennonite mystery fruit pie on the kitchen counter.  

By day's end I'll know what's inside the crust, and I'm betting it will taste Heavenly.
 
Happy Sunday to all.