Bonnie Discovers The Farmer's Market

I brought my friend Bonnie to the Farmer's Market on Saturday.  (I know, but she wanted to go  She read  about one in a " Martha Stewart magazine" at the doctor's office)  She became quickly fascinated by the different vegetables on display.  "Well, would you look at that!" she would exclaim, "What is that?" she would ask, pointing to an unfamiliar vegetable like a kohlrabi, a radish display or a bunch of beets.  "Oh, I know what beets are!" She said happily. " I've only seen those already sliced on a salad bar! This is fun!"  she had discovered a whole new world.  Bonnie was also offered many samples from the vendors and she ate a $2.50 breakfast sandwich.  "I'm getting full!" she said. "I found a new place for a cheap lunch!"  she said as she passed the hot dog seller, while she was still chewing her sausage and pickle samples. It was nine a.m..

"Look! Apples!"  she yelled when she saw something she recognized.  "Hey! Look! Cucumbers! I know what those are!"  They were actually zucchini, sitting next to some yellow squash. "Except, I wouldn't want those yellow ones.  They don't look done to me."  She whispered. "But don't say anything," as if I were going to complain to the farmer about selling bad cucumbers.

We left the market an hour later, loaded down with cherries, strawberries, red, yellow, and green peppers ("I didn't know they came in so many colors,  like M & M's" Bonnie said happily) romaine lettuce, a loaf of sourdough bread, some "fully cooked" sausage, (Bonnie had eyed the sausage vendor suspiciously when he said that, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not.)  three kinds of cheese and a homemade blueberry pie.  Bonnie was happy.  "We are going to eat AT HOME tonight!  And I don't even have to think about cooking something!  Why haven't you told me about this before? We're coming here every week!"

Do Dogs and Restaurants Mix?

Summer is here which means sunshine and outdoor restaurant spaces. So, this leads me to a question.  What do you think about allowing dogs at outdoor restaurants in Western New York?  I have seen this in the Elmwood Village area of Buffalo, and I think it would be great!

Last summer, my family and I travelled to Portsmouth, New Hampshire where there are many outdoor restaurants, all of which allowed well-mannered dogs on leashes to sit closely to their owners.  The dogs we saw were all well-behaved and stayed near or under the tables where their owners sat.  Portsmouth is a popular tourist destination, and this seems to enable dog owners more flexibility if they can choose to bring the family dog on vacation.  It's also nice for the locals to be able to bring their dog(s) with them.  Many of the local shops had water bowls set out on their steps.  Portsmouth is a dog friendly town.

I'm also wondering if this was allowed, how are problems handled if they do arise?  I thinking about the dog owner that doesn't acknowledge that their little cock-a poo, "His name is Anderson Pooper!",  takes nips out of people any chance he gets.  "Oh, that's not blood, you silly!" they say.  Or,  thinking about my own slightly spoiled Shih Tzu, who has an annoying tendency to incessantly bark at people, other dogs and our mailman, Todd.  If she pulled that at a restaurant, I would pick her up and slink away in embarrassment, but maybe not everyone would.

I think most dog lovers would be open to this idea, but what about  non-dog people?  Would you find dining with dogs offensive?   Would it be off-putting if a dog ran up for a quick sniff, or had an sudden and inconvenient urge to scratch an indelicate spot? Of course, when your Uncle Henry does it, you would pretend that you didn't see him do it.  Would you do the same for a dog?