Saturday, 12 April 2014
If you are just starting the blog here, let me explain that a cash mob is when a group of people converge on a business to make small purchases and boost the local economy. I’m not sure how busy today’s mob actually was. There weren’t as many photos taken as usual because Allan was off kayaking.
I began the event at Olde Towne Café by taking Luanne a bouquet of spring flowers.
I did not linger at the café but instead walked two blocks to Robert’s Antique Gallery. Robert and Larry, gardening clients of ours, own two antique stores in town. On the way, I stepped into Penny Treat’s new art gallery, halfway between our featured shops of the day; I’d suggested that folks might stop by and say hello, and Jenna had done just that.
At Robert’s shop, I heard a familiar voice in one of the several rooms. Imagine my delight when dear Patt appeared; she had driven all the way from her new home inland for the cash mob, due, I am sure, to love for her old home-from-home, Olde Towne Café.
I occupied myself taking photos for the store’s Facebook page. These things especially caught my eye:

Our friend Joe Chasse would incorporate the old metal spice tins into the little trailers (caravans) that he makes out of ham tins.

Jenna found the word “hope” to add to her word collection, and is also holding a cute “leave a note” thingie.
From there, I walked to Larry’s Antique Gallery Too!, two blocks away (around the corner).

Larry’s shop. Both shops are mutually owned but it’s tradition that Larry is the shopkeeper in this one.
Back at Olde Towne, the coffee klatschers and a few more cash mobbers converged.
Shelly of Grass Roots Garbage Gang sat next to me with Jenna. I used a jolly photo for the event’s Facebook page, but I love this more pensive one.
I took my leave from the cafe as I needed to try to get some more photos at the antique shops. After another look into Robert’s shop (he said he’d had all of 9 people and now there was a lull), I walked home along Lake Street. I felt rather low as I was not sure if cash mob had been much of a success. Next year, I will run it from October to March. By April, the high school and college spring break season has tipped us into tourist season. There had been 160th year anniversary festivities in Oysterville today as well. I’d heard that some of the regulars might come to cash mob later in the day. My own garden called to me so I did not wait to see.
Just next door to Judy and Tom’s garden, New Judy’s new yard showed signs of digging. I should have taken a before photo!
I did not feel as much like weeding as I’d anticipated. The wind kicked up and after working in it for two days, the idea of weeding in a chilly wind at home did not strongly appeal. I was glad when Jamie popped by to visit (by my earlier invitation) and we could sit on the patio, sheltered against the south wall of the house. We conversed for well over an hour on some deep and interesting topics. During that time, Garden Tour Nancy texted me a photo of her day. She had gotten to tour the Huson garden in Oysterville after attending the anniversary there.
Jamie left at about 4:30 and I decided to simply force myself to pull one oyster basket full of horsetail and shotweed.
I excepted to get into the rhythm of gardening and forget about the wind but I did not. I saw a dead Euphorbia and a dead shrub or two that had suffered too much last winter. The idea of digging them out appealed slightly, but not quite enough. After half a basket of weeds, I gave up and went into the nice cozy house.
And look, Allan got home from kayaking (there will be photos later) and went out to use the strimmer.
When I got online, I saw an enthusiastic Facebook comment from the owner of Heidi’s Inn Ilwaco about there being lots of happy people walking back and forth in downtown today. That gave me encouragement that the cash mob event got more crowded as the day went on.
I looked at the bouquet I’d picked for my table before Jamie’s visit. It had certainly reflected my blue mood.
I do hope I get my gardening drive back soon. Sunday should be warm weather with only a little wind. How I would love to spend it weeding at home and yet I feel that we should weed the boatyard garden as rain is due to return later this week.
Tomorrow, I might stick some yellow tulips right in the middle of that somber bouquet.