Yesterday was an unseasonably cold, clear day that started out around 20. At least at our place, it never got above the freeze, and there was a pretty stiff wind on the top of the ridge. It was still an absolutely beautiful day, with the reds from the oaks finally here, so we took an early morning trip through the gorge to the Delano Community Market. That’s the market run by the Mennonite community just north of Benton, Tennessee. They plan to be open six days a week through November, except for Thanksgiving.
I wasn’t expecting too much, but we were surprised to see that in addition to their bread and pies and preserves, they had their cornmeal, Black Arkansas apples, butternut squash, lettuce, carrots, beets, potatoes, kale, collards, cabbage, and tomatoes. The guy who grows the peppers had a good variety as well, and I bought a couple of pounds of cherry peppers to make hot sauce. We also laid in a bushel of butternuts (for $10). All in all, it was well worth visiting, although it’s clearly getting along toward the end of the season. If you’re inclined to visit, look for their sign on the west side of 411, just north of the Hiawassee River.
The DNR has proposed eliminating trout season, which would make all streams year-round. We’ve missed the Gainesville meeting, which was November 13, but the other one is at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, Nov. 18 in Acworth at the Red Top Mountain Conference Center. I’ve asked our local Trout Unlimited people if TU has an official position on the issue, and apparently they don’t, at least yet. I suppose I’ll be sorry to see it go – the last Saturday in March was always the traditional start of the mountain season, and everybody had a big party. But I guess it really doesn’t mean much anymore, now that the river is open year-round.