COUNT DOWN............

Just a note, if you would prefer to e-mail than leave a comment, I can always be reached at atchk@loretel.net. The count down is on!!! There are three weekends remaining!! Make your shopping lists and check them twice!! The final market of the season is Sunday, September 7! There will be a three day market over Labor Day, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, August 30, 31, and September 1. This is commonly a very busy weekend, come early and don't be hasty about your decision to buy..........things go fast, so don't hesitate or hem and haw!!! Buy it!!! It may not be there upon your return!!!

Many shops have already begun having some sales, so come out and see what they have to offer, even before the Labor Day Weekend!!

Take a close look!!! YES!! That is snow!!! And this weekend as temperatures hit the 90 degree mark, we probably could have used some of that coolness, maybe!!! I just wanted to give you all a little reminder of what lies ahead, and what we just gave up, a few short days ago. This was what the flea looked like on April 28.....just four short months ago. This is Vic and Sue's building, so you can gain your bearings!! We were all wondering if we would be able to get our wares to the flea market in time and get set up, let alone if the flea market would be able to open Memorial Weekend without a foot, at least, of snow on the ground!! Well, here we are with three, did I say three??? Short weekends left......it's been another great season for all of us and on behalf of all the vendors want to thank YOU, our customers for coming out and sharing the season with us. It's been great to see your faces all summer!! It doesn't stop there!!! Plans are in the works for a great Fall Festival and we're putting the final touches on that, so stay in touch here, or ask your favorite vendor about that! It will be the first weekend in October, so mark your calendars!!!

In any event, I wanted to share some of the great pictures of what you may have seen, or missed this past weekend at Shady Hollow! These outdoor, or indoor if you so choose, flags continue to be so popular!! And this one would warm anyone's heart!! The center of this sunflower moves gracefully in the wind. The colors are so vibrant and welcoming and well, and perfect for the upcoming fall season. If you are an avid flag collector like me, you need to get to the flea and get this one before they're gone, and the flea market season is gone as well!!!

Another great thing about Shady Hollow is the people!! When I arrived this Saturday night to do some prep work, I saw all these beautiful gladiolas lined up along Beth's building. Well, come to learn they were actually going to be sold by Pam. This is a sure sign of fall, as glads are a fall blooming flower in Minnesota. They have always been a favorite of mine, especially the orange and yellow, they were a staple in my wedding bouquets some 27 years ago!!

Well, these two happy campers, Lorraine and Ruth, are great customers of mine and were more than happy to join in the fun!! They didn't believe that a vendor would just let me take pictures of them with their wares!! I'll let you guess which one wanted to whop me over the head with her flowers!!! Right Ruth?!!! Huh...Ruth just happens to be on the right too!!! Thanks for being such good sports, you guys really do look great! I love the flowers!!!

Oh, I forgot to mention, they were only $1.00 a stem!!! At that price, buy a whole bucket full!!! Hope you were able to get some before they were gone!!! Hope you can bring more next week, Pam!!!

Walking into Shady Hollow, this fish out of water happened to catch my eye!! I had to ask Larry to step aside so I could capture this beauty on film! Apparently this is a replica of the State record, which would weigh in at close to 54 pounds..........54 pounds, that's equivalent to four newborn children, or a small child!!! The measurements were approximately 51 inches in length and 29 inches in girth. A true monster! I will let you do some thinking and calculating on that one!! Apparently the fish was quickly revived and returned to her haunts on Minnesota's Lake Mille Lacs. It was caught in the early morning hours, around 5:00 a.m. Due to that, they were unable to certify the weight on a certified scale as they did not want to risk the health of the fish. My fist fit easily into the mouth of this fish and I kept thinking of my feet dangling off an inner tube with this swimming below. The thought of "jaws" suddenly came to mind!!! BUT, just one more thing you can see it at Shady Hollow!!!! She was a beauty!!!