Doug.. that is pretty much what they are doing here ...My lovely wife had to get up at 6 AM on TUESDAY to place an order to be picked up on Saturday..Each vendor is listed and she had to RUSH to get an order in.. By 6:15 most good stuff was already spoken for..On Saturday the farmers will all be set up and the pre-paid shoppers will just go and pick up their orders.. I'm estimating 5-600 shoppers.. I'll set up out of the way and will just be out for Fun..

The good thing about this system is that the farmers can USUALLY sell  a larger percentage of their product and not have to deal with people picking through the crop... The bad thing about it is that the consumer can't pick through the crop... So, Sometimes the consumer don't get the best product..BUT.. IMO that is OK.. The local farmers need our support and give the best of what they have even if a the end of the day only lesser quality product is available.. It is still ALL food..What does this have to do with Busking??  Harry will eat a carrot not matter what condition it is in.. ;)

In ALL seriousness, at 74, I'm in the  "give the ventilator to a younger person" category, so you can bet  I'll be as far away from people as is possible..and yet close enough to enjoy life..

 ..

I would like to see a video of Harry eating a carrot!
One odd thing here is that restaurants are re-opening at reduced capacity (although today I saw that a barbecue place whose electric sign has bern confidentlg saying "Re-opening April 30th" now says "Re-opening sometime"). Anyway, although restaurants can open, the bar section must remain closed and live music is not allowed. Seems unfair and rather joyless.

I'll try to post a video of Harry eating a carrot..but it could get ugly....

Commenting on reopening could easily go 'political'... I heard an expert on pandemic diseases (on radio, today) say that we should be following the example of China in reopening and that while the curve in most areas is still going UP, we should Not be reopening.. That is what HE said.. I agree.. but the whole reopening thing could be smooth....or be a bucket of worms.. I'm no expert as You well know..about anything... So, I'll be hunkering down ( except for distant excursions like this week's market...which I MAY come to regret) ...and pretty much staying away from places that are open.. However.... BBQ and KFC will be 'calling' me..  

I heard that fellow, he said China opened up after 14 days of no new cases. No new cases.

The tourist /art community, of Nashville, Indiana opened back up 'mostly'.. I went busking expecting few people but was surprised that the sidewalks looked about the same as on any non-covid Friday..Maybe 20 percent of passersby wore masks and only ONE child....I kept my distance..In a way I was glad to see something that looked normal, but in another way, was disappointed to see that so many people are acting as if the threat is gone..It Isn't..

I've been noticing that in Ames IA, those without a mask in public (not my work place though) stand out like a sore thumb there are so many masks. I'd say 90% with masks.

On the sidewalks of Nashville, Indiana again today.. If there is anything resembling a pandemic in the area, you'd never have noticed except for the maybe just ONE percent of people who wore masks.. Many people just had their masks around their wrists or necks..cavalier about the threat around them...THe crowd numbers were LARGE and again I saw NOTHING resembling social distancing..This is so sad.. I was again able to keep my distance from people and I put my tips in a box where they will stay for several days.. and washed/sterilized my hands..

People have such fleeting attention spans these days. I suppose it will take more people having a personal connection to a covid-19 death before it sinks in. Here in Iowa, we see a steady uptick of deaths and new cases, and the testing is not only lacking in most places, they are discontinuing testing sites in places that are hot spots.

Harry and I went busking for one hour today..People traffic was slow where we were, which was just ONE block from a large Police Lives Matter rally. Apparently some guys had AR15s... so the crowd got a little intimidated..but fortunately it remained peaceful.. I stuffed a large carrot into Harry's mouth soze he'd not get us shot.. We got two, $5 tips and some singles.. Nice people, nice weather and nice time..We DID keep masked and people-distanced!!

Police Lives Matter? Of course they do, but this sort of thing flies in the face of what the protests are really about. 

It is as if no one is capable of seeing from someone else's point of view, or look beyond their experiences, whatever they may be.

Glad you got a little folding money there, Lee. Say hey to Katie and Larry! 

quote:

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Originally posted by ChickenMan

Police Lives Matter? Of course they do, but this sort of thing flies in the face of what the protests are really about. 

It is as if no one is capable of seeing from someone else's point of view, or look beyond their experiences, whatever they may be.

Glad you got a little folding money there, Lee. Say hey to Katie and Larry! 

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Don't worry, Billy.. We have Black Lives Matter rallies also.. This  is RALLYTOWN...any excuse.. We have a good police department and I'm glad we are showing them that not everyone hates the police..Yes, I'll tell Katie and Larry you said hello!!! stay away, stay safe.. Keep 6 feet from Bridget also.. and the dog.. don't get close to the dog..!

Rallytown! It is a college town after all. Having lived in both Portland OR and Madison WI, I know a thing or two about Rallytowns. 

Out of town today, in Columbia, MO.. Lots of college kids and fortunately most wearing masks.. Don't fret, I kept my distance on a breezy sidewalk.. The entire 90 minutes I only played TWO tunes.. "Porter's Reel :(real SLOW with intent to get the bowing right) and my version of Jesse Milnes' " Hail, hail, The Fun's All Over" .. (again with intent to get the bowing right.. I'd never have spent that much time working on two tunes at home.. Busking is such that I can't just put down my fiddle and quit. (Harry Hare gets real Mad when I try that). ..Anyway, it was very productive both musically and financially....I'll be out tomorrow again and hopefully will have some interesting stories..

Another day, another incident/story.. Today I was busking on a corner.. After a while a man and a woman showed up at a corner across the street. I'd seen them before and they had seen me.. The woman sat to the side in the shade and the man held up his "anything helps'' sign......no problem.. I was busking next to an outdoor seating area of a restaurant, and a patron was sitting at a table and he was drinking wine.. After a while HE says to me, "You know, that man with the sign isn't really homeless. He has a home a few blocks from here."........SO... His implication was that the man with the sign supposedly Looked homeless to people and was seeking help but in reality he had a home..!!.. That attitude bothered me in more ways than one.. Just because someone has a sign asking for help does NOT imply that he is homeless, but it Does imply that he thinks he needs help...Maybe he DOES need help.. I didn't want to argue except that I said that "there is no shame in asking for help. That may be the best he can do."..
You may recall that a few years ago I myself WAS in need of help (for my son)..and I was busking with a vengeance to get the money we needed to pay his rent..
SO.. That is today's story.. I have NO IDEA what true financial need the sign holder had.. and no, I didn't give him money.. but I'm NOT about to pass judgement on him.. This happened in a city where there are few places one can go for help, financially.. Where I live, we have eleven (11) agencies to help people, so at home I'd not give such a person a dime.. but in cities where helpful agencies are few... well.. think.. If YOU needed help..what would it take for you to stand out on a corner with an "anything helps'' sign?

Harry and I went busking today (Kept our distance on a breezy corner).... This is the FIRST time we've been out when 99% of the people were wearing masks..That is a good thing.. also.. we made $40 in an hour..That was enough to buy pork ribs to BBQ tomorrow..!!! Lucky us? What are your plans for Labor day??? Hmmmm?

we're coming to your house for ribs!

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Originally posted by old cowboy

we're coming to your house for ribs!

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I'll have enough!!

I'm gonna go look at my mom through the window of her room where she is rehabbing from back surgery, and talk to her via cell phone. Probable play some fiddle, already baked bread for the week

In regards to the man holding the anything will help sign. I can't help but think of what Jesus said when asked, "When did we see you in need and didn't help?" His reply was "In as much as you didn't do it unto the least of these. you didn't do it unto me!" Not preaching. just soul searching.

quote:

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Originally posted by old cowboy

In regards to the man holding the anything will help sign. I can't help but think of what Jesus said when asked, "When did we see you in need and didn't help?" His reply was "In as much as you didn't do it unto the least of these. you didn't do it unto me!" Not preaching. just soul searching.

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Our town has 11 agencies to help the needy people.. It is suggested to donate to those agencies and that way a lot of people get help....I have Nothing against sign holders but DO think that many of them are 'taking',  and sometime I give a few bucks those that I'm familiar with and have become friends with over the years....Very controversial topic..Many people think that I'm a panhandler.. even some Members here think that... Such is Life..

Each of us have to live with what we feel is right or wrong. Never worried too much about what other people thought of me.

There is this One guy who is homeless and who does amazing drawings on pieces of cardboard, and lines them up to sell... So, Is he "busking"? 'Vending"? or is he panhandling? Anybody's guess..I like that he isn't looking for somethin' fer nothin'...
Some panhandlers are Truly down on their luck..and my heart goes out to them...

Harry and I have gone from being Sidewalk musicians to being STREET PERFORMERS..THe streets are closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate outdoor seating for restaurants... We had a good time..

I had to move to one side when the Beatles walked by 

Now that I think about it.... It has always bugged me that some people think that busking equates to begging.. Really? Does the wait-staff in a restaurant 'beg' for tips by trying to please sometimes unpleasant people? They WORK FOR TIPS.. and so do I..there is Nothing different.. and there is Nothing about it to be ashamed of. Should a waitress be ashamed that she is waiting tables HOPING for a big tip? . They bring your food for a tip, and We play Music for at tip.. no difference..IMO..Plus if I WAS BEGGING.. well, ?? what would be wrong with that? How low must a person be to NEED to beg? Is there shame in that?? I'll say no.. and now I'll see what happens..(NO, this isn't topic drift in that many buskers are not thought highly of.. Still talking about Busking)..

That amazing fiddler, Brad Leftwich posted this photo on Facebook and I couldn't help but to laugh.. a lot...It speaks volumes.. More than once over the years,  people have asked me why I HAD  to be out  'here on the sidewalk'  as if there was something lacking in my life.. NO.. THIS IS  WHAT MAKES LIFE FUN FOR ME!! (Not yelling)..  There is so much more to life than what some people settle for...(probably for me also!!)