Friday, February 4, 2011

Sad, Sad Winter Market

Even though we have been gripped with ice and snow, New York City manages to trudge through. Public transportation groans but still runs. Shops open and the public buys. I don't know what I'll do when my kids are older and are in school full time. The NYC public school system does shut down a couple times a year, but my office? Never. And the corporate expectation is that you make it to work. So I guess if I couldn't take off or DH couldn't stay home they will come to work with me. Snow days don't stop a New Yorker.

Last week we got 19 inches of snow in one long day. Only some of that was cleared before we got the freezing rain this week. It snowed and rained ice for two days this week and not all the big black piles of last weeks snow have a smooth shiny coating of ice on them. These piles are gonna be here until April I swear it. I can't decide what I want gone first, the mounds of dirty snow or all the garbage that hasn't been picked up.

The winter greatly diminishes the Greenmarket. And Green isn't really the right word. There ain't nothing green being sold now. Well, I should take that back, there are a couple of greenhouses. But February really is a hungry month covered in ice and arctic swirls. Though on a hopeful note, I left work last week and it was still light outside at 5PM.

This week at the Union Square Farmer's Market I saw apples and eggs and cider and some turnips and rutabagas. That was it. Oh, and some cookies. But I wasn't really going to count them. That was Wednesday. Likely their Friday or Saturday offering will be better, but nothing like the high season. I believe I see 6 or 7 stalls in these two pictures. In the summertime the vendors will be packed in all the way from Union Square West to Fourth Avenue and 17th street all the way to 15th street. But it is quiet and wet in the winter.


Oh how I long for the days flat strappy sandals, long jersey dresses and sunglasses. I dream in tomatoes and peaches and eggplants. If I am quiet enough I swear I can hear the surf roll in at Hither Hills. Soon, soon. Until then, eggs and rutabagas and snow. I will keep walking in the park searching for that first crocus flower poking up through the crunchy iced over snow.

2 comments:

  1. God bless those farmers that do make it out on a snow day.

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  2. I've been dying for fresh fruit, too! Even shipped in stuff is terrible. I want to luxuriate in summery abundance! :( January and February are hard. Can't wait for the summer green markets!!!

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