Easter's on its way...

...although I don't believe Peter Cottontail will have these eggs in his basket!

This basket filled with emu eggs was on display at the Waukesha Farmer's Market last summer.  If you look closely, you can see a small hole on top of each where the insides were blown out. One of these would make a mighty big omelet!

The Honey Man

This gentleman selling honey at the Waukesha Farmer's Market stood so still and quiet that I thought he was meditating, which fit right in with the peace sign on his shirt. Then suddenly he reached over and turned the page - he was reading a book hidden behind the honey jars!

Smoke Bush City Limits

While at the Waukesha Farmer's Market a few weeks ago, I came across this beautiful specimen of Cotinus coggygria - or the 'Royal Purple Smoke Tree." It was growing along the banks of the Fox River which borders the area of the market.  (Since they don't grow wild around here, it was no doubt cultivated by the city.) They are also known as a 'smokebush' and usually have these pretty fluffy flowers in mid-summer - and fortunately, do quite well here in the upper midwest.

Tomatoes!

There are quite a variety of tomatoes at the Madison farmer's market.  My favorite are the dark pink "Brandywine" heirlooms.  Great on a BLT!

Farmer's Market Sunflowers

During a recent trip to the Farmer's Market in Madison, Wisconsin, there were numerous vendors selling lots of sunflowers.  This booth had quite a beautiful display.  I thought the contrast with the black and white overlay gave the flower colors a little boost!

Clearwing Sphinx Hummingbird Moth

This little guy was visiting a floral booth during our recent trip to the Waukesha Farmer's Market. At first, someone said, "Oh, no - a wasp!"  Then someone else chimed in, "No, it's a hummingbird!"  But upon further inspection, we realized it was a Clearwing Sphinx Moth, also known as a hummingbird moth. My camera could not quite capture the wings because of their constant high-speed motion, but you can see its long beak-like tongue as it drinks flower nectar (below).  It also has a cousin in these parts called White-Lined Sphinx (or Hawk) Moth.

A Cappella ...With Strings

This harmonizing group of gentlemen were entertaining shoppers on the steps of the Capitol at the Farmer's Market in Madison last weekend. After their set, the young boy with them played a very patriotic piece on his violin to the delight of the crowd. (His dad was one of the singers.) You can see the violin case lid in the lower left corner of the group shot. He made a pretty penny for his talents!

As you can tell, acceptable 'uniforms' in Wisconsin include Badger and Packers attire. :-)

St. Bernoodle

Half St. Bernard and half standard poodle = a St. Bernoodle! We met this big guy while walking around the Farmer's Market in Madison last weekend. His owner explained that the mix is the best of both worlds: he's big, soft, cuddly and gentle - plus he doesn't shed or drool! His name? 'Curly' Lambeau, of course. This is Wisconsin, after all. :-)

Birdhouse Gourds

We also came across a table of "birdhouse" gourds (v. Lagenaria) at the Madison Farmer's Market. These are grown to make pretty, decorative dwellings for your feathered friends. Simply use a large drill bit to create an opening, add other embellishments, and hang from a tree or hook. It will last a season or so outdoors before weather and use breaks it down. You can also just use it as a display piece indoors. (Example shown below is from ParkSeed.com.)

Candina's

The austere decor of this small shop in Madison, just across from the Capitol building, belies the delicious truth within its display cases: chocolate truffles locally made in Verona, Wisconsin! Decadent and elegant, Candina's offers decidedly adult varieties, with flavors like champagne, ginger, hazelnut, jasmine, espresso, chai, and elderflower. I bought a small sampler box of the latter, and found it to be a deep chocolate laced with a bright citrusy flavor. Excellent!

Capitol Steps

The state capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, looms large and lovely on this beautiful late summer morning. Each Saturday, Capitol Square is teeming with vendors and thousands of people searching for the freshest produce and flowers around. Also, being the home to our state government, there are also scores of booths touting any social and political statement you may (or may not) subscribe to!

The photo below shows a close-up of the dome, topped by Daniel Chester French's elegant gilded bronze statue, "Wisconsin."

Farmer's Market Veggies

The selection is always overwhelming at the Saturday morning farmer's market around Capitol Square in Madison, Wisconsin. This vendor had a variety of gorgeous looking produce on his tables.

Conveniently, this post fits in nicely with City Daily Photo's September Theme Day of "Open Air Markets."

Bagpiper

This Scottish Piper was entertaining the crowd at Saturday's farmer's market in Madison, Wisconsin. However, I didn't notice the look of disdain he was giving me while I took his photo until I was working on it PhotoShop!

We often make the pleasant drive over to our state capital to take advantage of the seasonal harvest, which is now in full swing. Watch for more pictures of our visit during the next few days.