Salt Spring Island beaches and sunny days!
A happy May to all!
I hope that you are enjoying the weather, wherever you are. It's been a mix of super sunny Summer weather here on Salt Spring one day and then the quiet rain and chill on others. Perfect for the beach in the sun one day and by a cozy fire indoors, the next. I really can't complain but I always put out the caveat of when I'm planning to be somewhere (at a market or a farmstand) that it is dependant on the weather. Noone likes wet products so I usually avoid the super rainy days if possible. This is definitely the year of learning to go with the flow and try to plan but also be flexible enough to change direction if needed.
That being said, if you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you will know that I love Salt Spring Island regardless of whatever weather is being sent our way. Even our few days of snow in January was kind of fun as it gave us the excuse to pull Snow Days and just not leave the house for a few days. That was not a bad thing!
I am happy to report that the Salt Spring Farmer's Market is in full swing and I am enjoying selling there most Saturdays. This coming Saturday (which is supposed to be rainy anyways) turned out to not work for me as I'll be at Ruckle Farm on Sunday doing a Goatsmilk Soap making demo for their Farm Days. Yes, I could do both this weekend but opted for choosing the one on the less rainy day instead. I'll be back next Saturday though and am using this Saturday to stay indoors and build stock for the market.
I am also happy to report that my farmstand is up and running. It is eagerly awaiting the tourists as they slowly start to come to the island for the Summer! I am keeping busy creating new products for it as well and challenging myself with figuring out how to grow the farmstand biz. It's something very different from what I have done before so lots of new things to learn and grow from learning. The farmstand will always carry a little bit of candles, bath bombs, lip balms along with some handcrafted treats and foods. Lots of different ways to be creative! Hours for those coming over to the island to find the Lil Red Barn Farmstand are 8am to 6 pm on Saturday and Sundays at the corner of Carlin and Cudmore. It will be open more after May long weekend but for now, it's enough to get my scheduling sorted out to have baked items out at the farmstand on Saturday while also being up and running at the market by 9 am. It's a tight schedule! I'm still figuring it out. It might be partly why I'm taking this Saturday off and just farmstanding it for the day. lol
I do want to thank everyone who comes out and supports me at the farmers market, at the farmstand and online! Sometimes it's challenging to make it all fit into my schedule but I am getting there. I do know that I take great delight in filling your orders online, chatting with you in person and getting up at the crack of dawn to make treats for hungry peeps to enjoy. I am so thankful for all of you!!
So now I head back to my kitchen to bake, to my computer to create labels and plot and plan the future of the biz. It is definitely veering off in an exciting direction! Thank you to all of you who have reached out to support my efforts and give me lots of great ideas on how I could achieve my goals. Just know that even if I'm not chatting about it, I'm working on it almost all the time. I can even wake up in the middle of the night with an epiphany of how something will work or not work so I'm full on dreaming and plotting at the same time right now. I don't have all the answers yet but I do know that it will involve sharing the beauty of where I now call home, the knowledge of years of making and creating and it will always smell really, really great!
Wishing you all a great weekend ahead! Before you know it, May Long weekend will be here!
Sending all of my love!
Lana