Jack Of All Trades

Julian (oenophile)

The lovely little Village of/de Gagetown decided to start a farmers market this summer and to that, I say, great idea! I say that based on experience because Wendy and I visited the market this past Sunday.

Every year I undertake a voyage of discovery to Gagetown by boat. The boat in question is my 12 foot tin boat with 9.9 hp outboard. This a small boat...a very small boat. Taking it to Gagetown is fine as long as the lake is absolutely flat calm. This past Sunday the lake was like a mill pond and it was also sunny and warm...perfect for a trip to The Gage.

Wendy and I left our place at 10 a.m. sharp and arrived in Gagetown at 11 a.m. more or less. Along the way we passed not a single boat on the Washademoak, nor were we passed by a single boat. It was almost eerie, there was so little sign of life. We did pass two boats between the end of the Washademoak and Gagetown but, effectively, we were the only two people enjoying such a splendid morning. I can only assume that all others were hungover, choosing to sleep in in their trailers.

We arrived just in time as the market began at 11 a.m. and the choicest of delicacies goes to those who arrive first. No kidding....there's a woman who makes gourmet breads and she sold out within 20 minutes! Our dear friend Alexandra (she who once ran Beamsley's Coffee House) was selling her scrumptious oatcakes. I swear that I'd swim from the Narrows to Gagetown to buy her oatcakes. There were people selling produce and home-made almond milk, a knitter, pottery being sold by a local sweetheart, bbq'ed food, paintings, baked goods (schweeties), honey, and much more. It was a smallish market but the quality was very high.

Oh! I forgot to mention that there was wine there too. A local vineyard was set up and they were selling wind hand over fist. The person selling the wine looked young, but he appeared to be an expert in terms of knowledge, rattling off wine facts to an inquisitive public. Wine experts are known as oenophiles.

Julian's resumé from this summer has been quite impressive: musician, lawn mower, web designer, landscape construction associate, baker,  oenophile/wine seller, and as always gerontologist/grandson. Not bad at all!

Wendy and I left Gagetown at 12:30 p.m. and boated home. We experienced considerably more boat traffic on the ride home but, all things considered, it was still relatively quiet. We saw three large sailboats in Colwell's Creek, one being a large and gorgeous Hinckley. We watched an eagle glide down and snatch something, presumably a fish, from the surface of the lake. All in all, an incredibly delightful day...exactly what life at the lake should be!