I went today to the Third Monday Trades Days in McKinney. This is one of numerous Texas periodic flea markets, in this case happening on the weekend of the third Monday of the month. I like the McKinney one. The Canton "First Monday", the largest in the world, dwarfs the McKinney one, but the McKinney one always has lots of interesting things to look at, but few things I wish to buy. It therefore qualifies as a perfect low-cost shopping experience.
I bought a turkey leg for lunch, and washed it down with a "sno ball" flavored with bubble gum flavor. It's always a tough call between turkey leg and German "saugage on a stick". The tryptofan in the turkey leg always gives me an ethereal kind of thing going, on a day when I already felt a bit sleepy.
At one booth, a spirited Nicaraguan woman explained the imported folk art she sold to me. I promised to return to buy a little Guatemalan whistle in the shape of a painted animal, which made her exceedingly happy over a four dollar item. An elderly man at another booth had a winning way as he promoted half-price on straw hats.
I went and replenished my cash reserve at the ATM machine on the grounds, and then bought a hat. The straw hat is more like a "field" hat than a "cowboy" hat, but it does have some of that telltale western brim upturn. I gave him a twenty dollar bill, for the ten dollar purchase price, and a kind man next to me bought an extra good to ensure that the vendor had enough cash to make change. The gentleman seller smiled at me as he tried to figure out how much change to give me, and said "I'm ninety five". We counted out together my correct change.
I drove to Denton, in search of a guitar pick, but with hindsight, I should have driven to a chain store in Plano. Finger-picking my autoharp Saturday, while making a nice sound effect, left me with a blister on my finger.
I lost an auction for a hand-made Yocky dulcimer on eBay, when someone sniped in just above my auction maximun right before auction close. I had already decided that I would not bid more, so it did not bother me. I placed a bid on a really nice dulcimer in Maryland, as well as on an underpriced dulcimer from, I believe, Kentucky.
I also bid on a strumstick. So far, I have acquired a chromatically tuned dulcimer for a song, but I want a traditionally diatonically tuned dulcimer. If this set of bids fail, I may switch to store purchase or some other less suspenseful acquisition device.
I had a bit of a problem with my new digital camera uploading the pictures this morning. I will have to learn more about how to use it.
I wish I had taken a good hike today, although the walking at the flea market was a lengthy bit of exercise. I had meant to hike the wooded trail off Highway 380, but it got to be too late.
My wife and I watched gymnastics and swimming Olympic events on television. Tonight the sportscaster kept saying "If you leave any room for the Romanians, they'll take it!" or some such. I am thinking of turning the sound down. As one of the gymnasts is from Allen, I hope we have a tickertape parade. I have never seen a tickertape parade. I do not think we have any tickertape. We have lots of thistles and SUVs.
I've been working on the folk songs I want to put on a CD. I wrote lyrics to a very traditional song, as well as lyrics for which my friend Scott will need to provide the music. I am up to four now of what I think will be ten to twelve songs. As with my usual projects, once I truly begin, it all moves at lightning speed.
I bought a Jean Ritchie CD on eBay. We'll see what I can learn.