Farmers' market

EEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! HEIRLOOMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I managed to miss the last of the cherries the two weeks I didn't make it to the market, though. I mean, there were a few baskets left, but the gloriously cherry ones from last time are already gone.

But! HEIRLOOMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They have even temporarily upstaged the exclamation points that I normally reserve for peas!

I nearly missed the peas today, because I overslept. Luckily, though the normal pea guy was out, I found some more in the corner of the stall with the heirlooms. We shall see how they are.

I also skipped over the pluots and the various stone fruits, with the exception of yellow peaches from my former cherry vendor, because they are so good. I am amazed at my willpower -- while I was picking out the peas, I could actually smell the wonderful peachy nectar smell from the next stand over, even though my nose was stuffed. Next time!

I made away with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries for my fruit quotient, four pounds of peas, heirloom tomatoes, white corn, green onion bread, olive bread and salmon spread.

And it's the Obon festival today! I think I'll go down to San Jose to check out the taiko.

Last Exile, ep. 01-04

Things that made me like Last Exile immediately:

• 19th-century-esque Europe with steampunk elements and airships and smaller, speedier vanships!


• Couriers!


• Aerial battles that seem to make sense to me and remind me a great deal of Scott Westerfeld's Succession duology!


• Female fighter pilot!


• Female ship commander person!


• The prettiness of the animation


• Did I mention female fighter pilot and female ship commander person?

Claus and Lavie are set up as the main characters at this point; the two are couriers flying a smaller vanship. Claus pilots, Lavie directs. Lavie seems to be more practical, while Claus is pictured as dreamier but also more willing to do what he thinks is right. I really like Lavie so far.

There are weird alien ships, some sort of war going on among three different countries (?), some sort of a guild, some sort of rules to warfare, and a mysterious ship called the Silvana. It's funny -- I was completely entranced by what I saw, but it's quite obvious that I still have no idea what actually happened!

I think my favorite moment so far is a young girl discovering a goat plushie that bleats; I love the way the episode focused on that small moment and how it was woven through the episode, I love the simplicity of the animation without it being cheap, and I loved the way that moment made Al finally seem real to me and not just a goal.