{Echo} Week 17 - Market

 This time of the year brings images such as this!

I am jumping back in for the bi-weekly Echo prompt hosted by Susan Tuttle and Chrysti Hydek.  This time I reached out to fellow Texas blogging friend, Laura Harrison, of White Spray Paint, as I asked her to share a favorite market picture for the prompt.  She sent a gorgeous shot of a mound of yellow bell peppers on the right, and describes her photo as this (please click on collage to enlarge):

If given the choice between a market or store, I will pick market every single time.

This speaks pretty accurately not only of my preference, but also of my personality. 

I enjoy the simplicity of it all, including the people. I enjoy speaking Spanish to the vendors, as remedial as my Spanish may be.

In South Texas markets are an explosion of color, food, flowers, wares of all kinds, and music.  I took this photograph at La Pulga (translation:  the flea), a flea market in a small community near where I live.

On an early Saturday morning visit, you can find seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables, Mexican candy, and freshly squeezed juices , and if you are interested in buying a goat, or cabrito, hay for your cattle, a cantera fountain, or a new rose bush, you can do that as well.
It is the simplest form of shopping pleasure for me.  I have on my baseball cap, no makeup, money and keys in my pocket, and a smile on my face. 

My picture is on the left, of freshly dug carrots sitting in a vendor's booth last May as we visited the Austin Farmer's Market.  It was a beautiful day as we went along with our daughter to meet one of her best friends, Laura =), who had just recently moved back to Texas, and now lives in Austin.  

We loved touching and smelling the beautiful produce and enjoyed talking with the vendors that sunny day.  What a sense of pride we felt from them, as they described the produce they had brought in to sell, displaying it in bountiful heaps on their tables.

What to join in?  Go here to see Susan's post and details on the Echo.
You can also peek in here to see all the pictures in the Flickr group.
You will likey =)
BTW....one more day before this little guy (who's coming to visit tomorrow)
picks a name for

 the drawing I am having here!