And/or

Saturday Market's motto is "Every Saturday from 10 'til 4, rain or shine." This last weekend, we definitely hit the "rain."

It started out optimistic. No, I lie. It started out pitch dark, black overcast skies as I drove in at 7 am. I set up the first half hour by street light, though by 7:30, the clouds had mostly cleared to the east and the sky was lightening up. I actually got everything into the booth, set up, and the van parked still dry, and thought I might go down to Farmers Market, when the sky opened up. Drenching downpour, while I ran around in the rain, pulling down and anchoring the sides of my booth. Wind was whipping the velcro straps loose, so I got out some heavy spring clamps to reinforce. I was soaked through my raincoat by the time I finished, but the rain let up a little, and I was able to go get my produce only slightly more moistened.

Around lunchtime, the rain stopped and the sun actually came out. I pinned up the front corners of the booth to let in the light, and so I could see my neighbors, not that there were many. Four of us on our stretch, none on the east lawn, only a couple dozen on the rest of East block. And only three on West Block. I was seriously wondering whether I should have come at all.

But I had special orders out of the kiln, and four of them were picking up at Market, so I knew I'd have at least some business. And the inside of booth and boxes was dry, and I'd brought a dry coat to change into, so I figured I'd be fine.

As it turned out, I did better than fine. Best Saturday on Park Blocks ever. I sold a dozen painted mugs alone, stew mugs, tall mugs, some pies and a serving bowl. Plus the orders, it added up to over $1200 for the day.

Got to see a couple of my old colleagues from the radio station: Pete Lavelle, who hosted The Back Porch, and Rachel McDonald, former reporter and now News Director. I also had a guy ask me "Aren't you doing your radio show this morning?" and had to tell him that, no, I quit doing that in 2015. He admitted he might not be such a regular listener anymore.

Had a nice chat with a fellow who was actually visiting my neighbor, the tie-dye seller. He was talking pottery, specifically Seagrove NC, and I stepped over to chat. He'd done some slab-building back in the day, though never mastered centering. I commiserated, telling my own slow-learning story (I finally mastered centering late in my second semester in college, after being banished back to hand-building because I
was stressing out myself and my professor.) I offered him my card as he was leaving, and he said "Gosar? Where do I know that name?"

I allowed as how if he'd been in town for a while, I'd had a radio show for 25 years on the NPR station. Nope, recent arrivee. So I had to point out that I shared the name--but no family connection, thankfully--with a particularly horrible politician from Arizona. He grimaced and admitted that was where he'd heard it, and apologized for bringing it up.

Mid-afternoon, we had rain and shine: sunshowers, I had to un-pin the wall panels again. By quarter till closing, it had stopped, and I considered taking my walls down to get a head start on packing up, but noticed a parking spot open across the street, so brought down my van instead. Good thing, as it happens: Clouds blew in and rain started again right at 4 o'clock. I backed up to the curb, so I could pack a few boxes inside, dash them to the van, repeat. Got the pottery out mostly dry, and it let up enough to let me get the shelving stowed, but the booth and sides were soaking. Took them out today and got them dry enough that, hopefully, they won't mildew over winter.

Next week is the last outdoor Market of 2021, but I won't be there. I'm taking a bookbinding class with Denise over at Maude Kerns Art Center. The week after that, it's indoors at the Fairgrounds for Holiday Market.

Gruff

Stopping in at the Eugene Public Library after church Sunday. I had a reserve book to pick up, and Denise had to re-up her library card. I'd already paid the fee--we live outside city limits--but I could only confirm my card, she had to come in person with proof of address.

While I waited, I noticed the sculpture outside the Children's Room. It's a lovely piece, a wooden depiction of a traditional Norwegian dragon bridge, segueing into a little kid's bed, from which they watch a bronze retelling of the Billy Goats Gruff.

It's one of my favorite pieces of public art in Eugene, even more than the bronze of founder Eugene Skinner, sitting by the bench out front, or the one of Ken Kesey reading to his grandchildren over on Broadway Plaza.

I noticed today that they'd improved the piece: the little kid, their teddy bear, and the Third Billy Goat Gruff... were all wearing masks.

It's possible the troll is as well; most of his face is underwater. If so, his nose is sticking out over the top.

Which only makes sense. He is a troll, after all.