What a let-the-cards-fall-where-they-may last day in New York. It was all due to a sinkhole LaGuardia.
Last Wednesday evening, Todd turned on the news and one of the first stories we heard was about a sinkhole at LaGuardia that had forced the closure of one of the runways for repairs. Not exactly ideal timing with the holiday weekend approaching. Since our flight home wasn’t until Friday, two days later, we didn’t think too much about how it might affect our travel plans.
Friday morning, we ate breakfast, packed up, stored our luggage, and spent a few hours strolling through Central Park. Midway through our walk, my phone started buzzing nonstop. Our flight was delayed by an hour, then two hours, then three hours, then back to one hour before finally settling on a two-hour delay.
During all the uncertainty, Todd and I decided to stop at a bar for one last toast to our trip. We each ordered a Manhattan (when in Manhattan...) and crossed our fingers that our flight wouldn’t end up being cancelled. It wasn't. Bless all the schedulers and air traffic controllers who kept the incoming and outgoing air traffic moving efficiently and safely.
We finally landed at the Columbus airport at 10:45 p.m. in the middle of a torrential downpour, followed by the long drive home. What should have been about an hour and a half drive turned into 2 1/2 hours. By the time we got home, we were exhausted from a day of walking, the stress of possible flight cancellations, and driving through pouring rain in the dark with lots of trucks on the road.
Saturday was my first day back at the farm…my happy place! Thankfully, my shift didn’t start until the afternoon. We were busy, busy, busy. The fresh strawberries and tomatoes flew off the shelves, and customers were so excited to get their hands on fresh, local produce. There really is no comparison between locally grown fruits and vegetables versus produce that’s been shipped thousands of miles.
’ Tis the season! It's good to be back at the garden.
I was attracted to read this blogpost because of your reference to "Woodstock" by Joni Mitchell. In that song, Joni was I think urging us to live more simple lives with more respect for Nature. "Getting back to the garden" was not about selling strawberries and making money! I am glad that the sinkhole did not appear as your Columbus-bound plane was surging along the runway before take-off!
ReplyDeleteI understand what the song's message is. This is a small family farm that has been in existence for 60 years and opens their market for five months to sell fresh produce. Yes, it's a family's livelihood but it's much more than that. Many customers have been coming here for years and years. There's a sense of community and an appreciation for fresh vegetables. The second and third generations are now in charge of it. 60 years ago, this area was all farm land. Today this farm is surrounded by housing developments. It's an oasis surrounded by civilization and it's just not about selling strawberries.
DeleteWelcome home, and back to the farm for the summer.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to be back!
DeleteHow wonderful to be "down on the farm" again! What luscious looking fruits and flowers. I'm thankful for the people who grow and sell these fruits and vegetables that I certainly am unable to grow.
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