February in August

Back to my real life, including Village Harvest on Tuesday mornings. Today’s harvest was a jaw-dropping 1,700 lbs of: oranges, lemons, white grapefruit, tangelos(!), mandarins(!!) and pink grapefruit(!!!) There was also a plum tree that was two weeks past its prime; I brought the two or so pounds of very soft fruit home, and will try to make something to bring next week, since both Henry and Julia went above and beyond in bringing delicious snacks to share.

We had a Chinese TV station taping us

Chinese is definitely the second language of VH; I learned to say “little grapefruit” today (shao yodzh) but more fluent speakers than I were interviewed. However, none of them could come up with the word for “nectarine.” The closest they could think of meant “hairless peach.” Maybe next week I’ll learn that one, too.

There was some drama, when Henry, Bud and I followed the erroneous address printed on our directions to the wrong house, and picked a bucket of unauthorized oranges before a call to La Jefe set us straight, but the unwitting fruit donor was very gracious about it, and even asked us to pick the rest of the tree.

Afterward, I put on my Veggielution hat (that would be the one with the long plume) and went downtown to table at the San José City Hall farmers market.

That’s Rica, waiting for someone, anyone, to come and talk to us.

We were opposite a very loud blues guitar player, and, during my couple hours there, made one newspaper pot for one little girl who planted one bean. But three other people took cards with the workday information, so maybe we’ll get some more volunteers.