Market Almanac - May
May in Kansas does not arrive quietly. It comes with warm wind, the smell of cut grass and fresh rain, and a particular quality of light that lets you know summer is no longer approaching — it has arrived. After the long interior months, May feels like a door thrown open, and this year we walked through it with full hearts.
We missed April. It was a hard month for John and me; in ways we'll leave to the quiet. But we came through it — and somewhere in the middle of daily life, spring events, and course corrections, we got married. Life, it turns out, does not wait for the calendar to clear.
The store has not been standing still. Since we last checked in, we've added over twenty new products, and Little River has let us know which ones have earned a permanent home. The Grillo's, Cotton Candy Grapes, new Hamburger Helper flavors, breakfast toasters, new flavors and brands of ice cream — the response has been genuine and good, the kind that tells you a community is paying attention. We're listening right back.
We'll be honest with you: we've had some struggles with a few suppliers, and not everything has arrived the way we intended. Some things are beyond our control, but none of it is beyond our awareness. We are working on it, and we are grateful for your patience.
Our produce section continues to be refined and pruned. We're adjusting the bagged salad offerings, summer fruits are here, and there is a watermelon that belongs on a picnic table somewhere along the Smoky Hill River soaking up the sun while you read a good book.
And then there are the flowers — brought in by our kids from Windom Elementary, every cent of the proceeds going right back to them. If you haven't stopped in to see them, come soon. There is something about a child-grown flower that no greenhouse can replicate.
May in Little River has its own particular rhythms, and this year they arrived right on schedule — well, mostly. The storms that rumbled through gave our eighth graders a brief delay, but they got there. Graduations — that annual ceremony of doors opening and roads beginning. The trail run, with its early morning energy and the particular pride of a small town that knows how to host something well.
And now the lake people are coming through again, heading out to Kanopolis with their coolers, kayaks, water skis, and their unhurried weekend faces. We love meeting everyone and hearing the fishing tales. They are one of May's reliable signs — like the meadowlarks and the lengthening evenings — that summer has decided to stay.
We're glad you're here.
We'll see you at The Market.
— Jennifer & John
