It's Not Always 75 & Sunny in San Diego County

Mad Munch got into another event in Poway on the 4th of July.  It was pretty much a one day street fair, called Poway in the Park.  The people in charge of putting on the event were looking for more vendors so Kate reached out to some of our farmers market neighbors: Fresh Off the Bowl, Doggo's Gus & Ibo's.

Old Poway Park, the same park we set up next to on Saturday mornings for the Poway farmers market, had an old wild west feel to it, with the steam train blowing around the small oval track.  Characters were dressed up in period clothing & giving performances on an outdoor bandstand next to the ancient depot.  It was an all day affair, with a fireworks send off scheduled for after dark. 

We got there around 9:30 am with 25 loaves of buttered Sourdough filled almost to the ceiling in the Escape.  Our menu was narrowed down to OBC's & Bacon Streets to keep the line moving.  

The strategy paid off well for us.  With around 15-20 food vendors, you didn't want to confuse the thousands of potential customers at the free event. 

However, we were confused when we saw one of our first customers from Golden Hill working the front of the Crepe Guys booth speaking in an accent she must have acquired some time over the last five years.

"Would you like to add scram-bled eggs?" the woman asked heavily peppered in a Spanish-twang, "Or perhaps add some maple syrup?"

I tried to tell Kate about it when I came back from using the restroom, but she was busy on the grill, tending to a line in front of our booth.  I quickly jumped back in on the griddle.

We ran through 17 loaves that afternoon & the other vendors that we'd recommended thanked us for the opportunity.  It seemed like everyone had a good day out there- even the Crepe Guy & his new senorita.  

We made it home in plenty of time to go watch the fireworks blast off the pier in OB.

Two days later, we were scheduled to do the La Mesa Friday market.  Brian had been the market manager at Golden Hill & now was in charge of La Mesa.  I gave him a call Friday morning.

"Are you guys still doing the La Mesa market today?" I asked.

"Yep, rain or shine," he said.

"Well I was looking at the weather & it says it's gonna be 106 [degrees fahrenheit] out there.  So we just figured you guys would cancel it because of the excess heat warning they've issued."

"No, no we're still doing it as usual."

There was a short silence.

"Ok, well we're not gonna be there today," I told him.  "That's dangerous & just plain unsafe for the customers & for the vendors."

"Well, okay, then.  If you wanna be all fair weather about it," he said.  "I'm sure someone else will take your spot today."

"They can take it.  I'm not gonna stand over a hot griddle in 100 degree weather.  We'll see you next week."  I hung up on him.

How selfish, I thought.  What did he have to lose besides money if they cancelled the market for a natural occurrence like dangerous heat?  There were a lot of older folks who lived in La Mesa & shopped at the market, he could be putting their lives at risk?

How hot was it?  Hot enough to make a display soda can pop it's top at the Poway market that week. 

Either way, Kate & I weren't going.  We finished our Mad Munch chores (cooking bacon, etc.) & went to the beach with some friends.  It was packed down there- a lot of those folks lived in or around La Mesa, I would have bet.  

It wasn't worth the sweat to stand around in a hot tent, when most people out there, who'd paid attention to the weather, were advised not to leave their houses.                   

Besides, the next morning we had to go back out to Poway & they were expecting highs in the triple digits.  At least that market ended at 1pm.  This photo from Kate's I-Phone was around noon that Saturday & shortly after, Suzanne told everyone we could go ahead & pack up early due to the extreme heat.