Summer in this region is kind of surreal. In town, it looks pretty much like Five-Points in Raleigh; tree-lined with (relatively) green gardens and lawns. Ok, lawns get pretty crispy by July. But, still, it seems very much like the East Coast. Here's the difference. Looking out my office window at 6pm PST, the view has been THE EXACT SAME EVERY DAY since early June. Brilliant September-like sunshine and blue skies illuminating the tree tops next door. We literally have had no rain (maybe a light shower or two) since Spring. It's like this almost every year, from what I'm told. The fertile soil has a layer of clay that holds the winter moisture in. It holds it in to such an extent that surrounding farmland is among the most fertile for dry crops like wheat in the world. Yet the farmers don't irrigate and the top soil supposedly is 30 to 40 feet deep in the rolling hills that go on for miles and miles. Wild.
When you throw in the verdant regions of nearby Oregon and hospitable, fruit-producing Washington State, you have the makings of a very appealing farmer's market and that's exactly what we've got. Add high quality crafts, free music, and food vendors and you have a weekly event.
