Saturday

It's been a great week, filled with family meals at home and in restaurants, kids splashing in the pool and just hanging out with Pete during his visit from Richmond. Andy and I put him on a plane last night for the trip back to Virginia, always wishing he lived closer (Pete has informed us that he's never moving to Texas, LOL). The house got suddenly quieter last night, without the constant in and out of grandchildren and their parents.

This morning, we rose in time to go to the Farmer's Market in Rockwall, a town just across Lake Hubbard, before the day got into the high 90s. Many small tents are ringed around what once had been the courthouse, with vendors hawking everything from Texas honey and tamales to pickles, jams and macarons. What we are there for, though, is the fruits and vegetables. Each farm stand is bursting with local produce: purple and white eggplants, shiny poblano peppers, green beans, corn and gorgeous tomatoes. Nearly spherical watermelons are lined up under the stands, with pyramids of cantaloupes nearby. Fragrant strawberries, plums and Texas peaches perfume the air.

It's fun to people-watch, too. Already busy at 8 o'clock, young parents were pushing strollers or corralling toddlers trying to get away from them. Many folks bring their dogs along for a walk. In fact, on some days, the local animal shelter brings a few dogs there to encourage adoption. Later in the morning, there will be free entertainment, but we haven't had breakfast, so we load our purchases into the car and head back across the lake to the local diner, which is decorated in red, black and white with Coca-Cola memorabilia on the walls and a 50's soundtrack.

Tonight, we'll enjoy some of our purchases for dinner and look forward to another week of getting grandchildren to and from camp and in and out of our pool.