My First Bike Ride

Thursday the 25th of April I was on my way home from cooking out at Moss Mountain Farm and decided to stop by Spokes on Kavanaugh to check out some bikes.  I had been thinking for some time about getting a bike as a way to get some exercise and enjoy getting around downtown.  Not having been a regular bike rider since I was about 12 years old, I had quite a bit to learn.  You see, there are road bike, mountain bikes, and bikes that are a hybrid of those.

I was fortunate to have Burke Jolly at Spokes to help me, answering all my questions and hooking me up with an Electra Verse 21d.  Which seems to be the perfect bike for what I am looking for.  You really should check out Spokes and ask for Burke if you're in the market for a bike of any kind. 

Friday morning I set off on my first ride on the new bike.  I went to the post office on Main to drop off a package, then rode down to the River Market, stopped to see a friend at work to show her the bike, then the Old Statehouse, and then to Boulevard Bread on Main to have a FANTASTIC apple turnover and some coffee. 

I decided to walk next door to The Bernice Garden to take some photos of the flowers I could see blooming. 

From there I rode to MacArthur Park.  The park is great and reminded me of when I was a kid and my aunt and uncle would take me to Oakland Park in Pine Bluff to feed the ducks.  A momma duck and her babies came over to see me and say hello.  So cute!  I got back home just in time to listen to the thunderstorm that passed through. 

All in all another great day here in SoMa!

My first weekend living in SoMa was great, busy, and a treat

So Saturday April 20th was moving day for me!  It was nice to have the help of movers to bring the heavy stuff, but let me tell you they got off easy.  The hard part has been all the boxes of life that come along with moving.  You know, you've moved before!  It was a great night to sleep in my new space and I slept like a rock, waking up to a new day on Sunday.

Sunday has become probably my favorite day of the week because it means The Bernice Garden Farmer's Market and great fun!

 I have come to count on seeing familiar faces in the short time I have been going there, bringing more of a sense of community than I have ever experienced.  Liz and Ryan with Bussey-Scott Urban Garden are there with their pottery and delicious home-grown produce.  LOVED my lettuce mix I got that day and it paired perfectly with some local strawberries I found there.  For my dinner that night I had a salad with the organic salad greens, sliced strawberries, balsamic vinaigrette, glazed pecans, and feta cheese.  PERFECT!

 

I learned my lesson the previous Sunday that you snooze you lose if you aren't the early bird with Mylo Coffe Co.  The line starts forming before they even get there I am convinced.  Ok maybe I am exaggerating a bit but trust me THEY SELL OUT and I don't mean 10 minutes till 2, when the market ends but much earlier.  So you have the tip!

 I had to try their coffee which they are of course named for.  It's brewed with nearly boiling water over fresh ground coffee in these great little conical cups.  It lacks the bitterness of most coffee and is certainly delicious.  I take mine black! 

Once again I jumped into my eating before the photography part of my brain could take over and didn't get a shot of my chocolate filled kouign amann .  Human urges are strong, ok?  They specialize in laminated doughs, aka croissant pastry, and each and every thing is delicious.  Both savory and sweet baked goods are stars with Mylo!  I did manage to get a shot of these little brulee pastries topped with chopped pistachios.  Yes, crème brulee in a crust as if life could get any better, there it is!

On my walk home I stopped to admire this Lady Banks rose that was spilling over a fence at one of the gorgeous old homes that have become a beloved aspect of my new neighborhood.  I love them and they seem like genteel old Southern ladies that smile at us as we pass...happy that once again this neighborhood is vibrant, loved, and being enjoyed.  They never left.  They just kept waiting for us.

Come down for this Sunday's Farmer's Market 10-2 and enjoy one of the many reasons that SoMa is such a great Little Rock neighborhood!  Hope to see you there :)

Opening day of The Bernice Garden Farmer's Market

Today was the opening day of The Bernice Garden Farmer's Market!!!!!!!  The market is open from 10am-2pm every Sunday until weather closes it. 

 

 

 

 

As with every event I have been to thus far at The Bernice Garden it was well attended, fun, and inspiring!  There were a variety of vendors selling food, plants, veggies/herbs, and crafts.  We were entertained by the music of Chris Thomson and Margot Cameron of Kit Kaboodle!  Their card says Jazz Standards, Show Tunes, and Novelties and I think that is a great way to sum up the wonderful music they played. 

I picked up a great turquoise bracelet from Frontier Leather & Jewelry Craft. 

Another great find was a blue celadon vase made by Ryan Dunn with Bussey-Scott Urban Garden.  His partner is the wonderful Liz Sanders, the event coordinator at The Bernice Garden.  You can see part of the beautiful vase in the upper left corner of the photo below.  It was shy and didn't get its photo taken yet.  They also offer great plants and herbs/veggies from their garden.

 

 

 

 



 

I enjoyed talking with Kent Walker of Kent Walker Artisan Cheese.  He had a variety of artisan aged cheeses and I enjoyed the goat cheese so much I bought a 1-pound wheel. 

 

 

 

One thing I missed out on but look forward to next week is Mylo Coffee Co.!  I was craving some of their pastries and coffee but let me tell you, if you snooze you lose.  But next week, next week!  :)

 

 

It was a great day to see dear friends and make new ones, listen to great music, and shop the variety of local vendors!  For sure this will become a weekly part of my routine.

 

 



 

All photography rights shared by Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3rd Annual Plant and Poultry Swap at The Bernice Garden

Saturday April 13th was a great day for the 3rd Annual Plant and Poultry Swap!

 

 It was a much anticipated event for so many people that love to garden and keep poultry.  I remember the excitement as a child of going with my grandfather to Shell-Ross Seed store on Ohio Street in Pine Bluff to get the seeds for his garden.  I can still remember the smell and those brown paper bags with magic in them.  Growing your own veggies and herbs has always had a place in my heart and it's such a great thing to see people that are connected to that. 

There were numerous vendors selling herbs, heirloom veggies, chickens and chicks, and related items. 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing I really enjoyed was seeing organizations like The Dunbar Community Garden Project there selling plants.  They also had some of their goats down in front of The Green Corner Store!  I thoroughly enjoyed one of the volunteers, that I dubbed "the Bubble Lady," painting faces and blowing bubbles with this magical blower that I would have loved as a child.  Ok, I still want one even as an adult!

Music was provided by Anna Horton and Joel Ludford of Handmade Moments.  Anna shared with me that they are having an album release on April 26th at  The Afterthought. 

Another group selling plants was the UALR Campus Garden.  Their plants looked great, but I was really intrigued by their seed balls...clay balls filled with native plant seeds that allow the plants food as they germinate and get on their feet.  Maybe this has been around forever but I thought they were really cool and new!

 

 

Two of my treats that I picked up were a baby lettuce plant and a block of wood with a stamped logo from Pulaski Heights Elementary Garden.  I enjoyed speaking with volunteers that have the cherished task of encouraging the knowledge and love of gardening with kids at the school.  One of them is known as Mr. Wills, who I am sure is much looked up to there.  The blocks of wood and the stamp were there just as a fun project for kids at the swap, but I wanted one as a memento and when I insisted on making the $3 donation they were accepting I was given a baby lettuce plant as well.  :)  I am looking forward to a new batch of t-shirts with the logo on it!

 

Boulevard Bread was there serving delicious plate lunches.  I am sorry to say I didn't get a photo because it was so damn good that I just ate every bite before it occurred to me to get a photo.  Next time!

It is just another reason that we love The Bernice Garden!  Thank you Anita Davis for being the catalyst for so much wonderful energy!  It was a pleasure to meet you!

Photos:  all rights shared by Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography