Echo Park Farmer's Market

Or as I like to call it...a sign the neighborhood has officially gentrified.

A Potato Stand at the Brand New EP Farmer's Market!

The truth is I could not be happier about this recent development in the 'hood. Really the only thing that's been missing to complete my experience of living in Echo Park is a farmer's market. Today, Friday 13th, was the official grand opening of the market. It'll be every Friday from 3 - 7, which is a great time to go get some freshly prepared tamales for dinner and some fruit and veggies for the weekend.

People Picking Produce

It's not a huge market, not even close to Santa Monica or Hollywood, but they've done a really nice job of getting a variety of vendors. There's several fruit stands, the farmers stands cover a broad spectrum that includes end of season peaches, new oranges, dried fruit and nuts, salads, sprouts, veggies and tomatoes.

Perfect Persimmons and Pomegranates

I got there at exactly three and because it was the first ever farmer's market in this location, a bunch of the stands were still setting up. The arts and crafts booths were some of the first to be open so the first purchase I made was for a set of hand made salad utensils. I was thrilled to finally find something to serve with as I've been making pathetic use out of a rice paddle and spoon.

My New Serving Pieces (and no more alliteration)

There was also some jewelry at the adjacent stand but none of it caught my eye. What did was this one table where a VERY pregnant woman was selling handmade baby t-shirts. They all had patches that were 33 record covers and were really fun. I bought one for Harper Lee Terrell who's about to turn one and lives in the front house.

Crybaby Clothing Stand

The only slightly disappointing thing was the lack of flowers. There was only one stand and their selection was limited and mostly dyed. I decided to make the best of it and picked up some of these purple thistles for some color in the kitchen.

At about 3:30 everyone had their act together and the smells of tamales, chicken and Bar-B-Q started wafting. I spent some time checking out the herb plants for sale and decided that next weekend I'm turning the garden bed that's closest to my front door into a serious herb garden.

Nothing in the world is better than hanging out around stands where the french baker sells his bread, pastries and pasta, and the dairyman sells his homemade and home-milked cheese, and the hippie couple sell sugar juice (isn't that just sugar water?) with a big sign that says it increases energy - duh - and they chop the sugar cane in front of you to make your drink.

The best thing about the market were all the people from the neighborhood wandering around oohing and ahing at how great it was that we finally had our own market. I, myself, couldn't wipe the stupid grin off my face. It seemed fitting that the market take place in the parking lot adjacent to the corner where folks often sell churros and fruit. It was even more appropriate that this lady watched over us.

A Mural on the side of the building next to the market

It rained a little, and the vendors grew concerned, but when I left an hour later the place was rocking. People were eating dinner and buying all sorts of things. It would appear that not even rain or the fact that it's Friday the 13th could keep people away.

Mel couldn't come with me. No dogs allowed. This is the sad face that she made when I told her she'd have to stay home alone.

The saddest dog in the world

I'm sure we'll make it up to her. If only they sold bones at the market...

Working Like a Dog

I've been sitting at my desk most of the day working on my teen mystery novel. I just passed the halfway point of the first draft and I'm really chugging now. As I paused for a moment to refresh my coffee, I looked over to Mel, who looked like this:


It's hard to be a dog sometimes.

I also started a new batch of bread, but I'll get more into that later. Suffice it to say that yesterday I purchased a pizza stone, wooden peel, organic stone ground flour (which, by the way, I had to go to Nature Mart to get - the crunchiest of all the local health food stores, and I live in LA, so you can imagine how crunchy it must be) and multiple thermometers, one of which I've already managed to misplace.

So as I was writing this post, Mel came up and did her tail wag hesitant bark to get my attention and play with her. We went for a walk around the block and I happened to have my camera along so I shot a couple of the Victorians that I like.


Though I could never imagine myself living in something so fussy, I respect that these Victorians go all out. It's like they're saying, yeah, we're Victorians, don't mess with us because we've got dollies and we're not afraid to use them.


You gotta love the gold trim.

And then my absolute favorite part of the neighborhood which is the door into the...Underground tunnel?


It's hard to say what this goes to. On top of the retaining wall is a big lawn that goes for at least 150 or 200 feet before it hits the house. Is it a bomb shelter? Escape route? It is a huge house that, while most likely old, is not the same Queen Anne's style as the others. I like to imagine it was for bringing in the master of the house's mistresses, but back then this door was better concealed behind a thick wall of ivy. Who knows, but I like it.

A Saturday Morning in Echo Park

This morning I was hanging out in Echo Park with Mel as we waited for the truck to get detailed. What should have taken three hours took five and resulted in a minor sunburn. But in truth is was a lovely way to spend a morning, sitting on a bench, looking at the fountain,


reading a british mystery novel for work. Occasionally another dog would come by and if it was a friendly dog it would play with Mel for a while. One body checked her into the lake. She doesn't swim and I think she was surprised to discover that she sinks. I pulled her out and now she's much more respectful of the lake.

All morning some folks were setting up a stage on the lawn and periodically blasting Chris Isaac. When it sounded like bands were actually beginning to play around noon, we wandered over and discovered the 2nd annual Echo Park Music Festival. This was one of the bands.



As you can see attendance was low, but I'm thinking it was because the hipsters were all still asleep.

When we left the park we passed the lotus garden, which is past its prime.


I think those are seed pods left over from the blooms.

A few blooms still remained so the season isn't completely over, just getting close.


It's days like these that make me really happy to be living where I'm living.

So Sad

I can almost understand breaking a window if you're going to steal something. But just smashing my windshield for no good reason? So uncool.

There goes buying plants for the fall.

Sigh.

The Music Coming Through My Bedroom Window

They practiced for hours.

The Lotus Festival at Echo Park

Even though we've had friends living in Echo Park for 4 years now, this is the first year we made it down to the annual Lotus Festival. The idea is to honor pacific and Asian pacific cultures while also bringing everyone's' attention to the blooming lotus flowers that grace the north end of the lake. Too bad they didn't bloom in time for their festival.



There were two stages set up along with tons of food and crafts. On one stage we watched these dancers from a local Korean Dance School. I think I should call the video "Down in Front".


Here the dancers are doing their thing.



Mel wasn't really buying the whole heat + tons of people + loud music thing so we didn't spend too much time watching, but what we did see was fun.


Here's Bryan demonstrating his underhanded pitch.


The lake with the city in the background.


Mr. Joe Cool.


Me and Mel walking around the festival.


But these guys were my absolute favorite. Check it out. First of all this is a boat with a large dragon on it that's really a platform. But if you look closer...


These guys have clearly got the best job with their outboard motor and case of cold beer.

Girls ONLY Weekend

That's right. This weekend it's just me and Mel, because Bryan's off to Mexico to fish with his dad and friends.

To kick off our weekend of freedom we went on our daily hike this morning. Mel and I have gotten into the habit of hiking one of two trails/roads in Elysian Park every morning. Well, hike isn't really the right word, jog maybe? But no, it's more of a Sprint As Fast as You Can and then Stop Suddenly to sniff and then Walk to catch your breath. This is how we rock it.

So today I thought I'd take my camera around to better explain why I love that Elysian Park is right next door.


This is the start of our trail. As you turn a bend, suddenly you're beside this church, which pops up out of nowhere.


I noticed today that along the trail all the flowers are white right now.



This is my absolute favorite trail flower and I have no idea what it is. Does anyone know? It looks like a big trumpet flower that grows in weedy greens next to the trail.


Along the way we also pass this view of Los Angeles.


So much of LA seems so covered in asphalt and cement that it's nice to have such a green view of the city. True, the skyline is a bit brown from the smog, but it's summer. That's what happens here. Fortunately there are trees too.

At the top of the trail, someone has created a garden with a watering station for dog.


Mel, of course, does not drink from the bowls, but from the puddles between rocks.

At the end of our sprint/sniff/hike even Mel needs a break in the wet grass.



So that's one of our hikes. It's about 4 miles round trip and is better than coffee for waking you up at 7am.

On a sidenote, this guy landed on my desk yesterday...


Do you think he knows that flower is just a stamp? He was pretty determined to hang around it. Even after I took him outside to release him (which is at least 5 good karma points by the way).

And so begins a long girl's weekend. What else does the weekend have in store for us you ask? Well there's always practicing for obedience class and working on the video business. And I have a really fun surprise coming in the next couple of days. I'll elaborate when it gets here, but for now it's back to work (or at least other distractions provided by the internet).