The Auctioneer

 For the past several weekends, my boyfriend and I have been haunting the car auction a few hours away. Its a long trip, but its also nice time together and and excuse to get really good food that can't be found at home! We've also been stopping at an enormous Korean grocery store, which is a real treat on a weekly basis.

Squid, frog legs, periwinkles,cactus fruit, longans, seaweed and salmon lovely enough for sashimi have all made their way home with us recently. The little bit of the fun and exotic go a long way to brighten the last few days before glorious spring.

 The auction itself was awesome to be a spectator for. Several hours before it starts, people begin showing up, wandering amongst what looks like a graveyard of cars. Soon they begin to hum back to life one at a time as they are started up. A long, smooth stretch of hoods bursts open like flower petals and the chill air wobbles with the heat of warming engines.

 Most of the cars were donated, and I wish I knew the stories of their owners... Volkswagen vans, and sporty red Hondas butt up against slick cars that aught to hold Mob bosses, sporting the same peace sign stickers. The buyers are just as diverse, laughing and debating intensely in varying languages. I miss this when back home- its seems like English and Spanish are all that is represented there.

When the auction starts, everyone piles into beat up metal chairs and hunches forward as the cars are pulled to the front. Interested buyers surge forward, then prowl intently round the vehicle, poking beneath, smelling, asking the all important, "Stick or automatic?"

The Auctioneer steps forward and after a humorous, rue full and lenghly discourse of the effect of the economy on car prices, begins selling. He weedles, charms, flirts with the customers, groaning at the low bids, goading competition between interested parties. When a car ceases working and has to be pushed off to the side, which happens several times, he shakes his head as if we are all in this together, "Oh cars!".

This weekend we finally found one, a little black truck of the useful, and not decorative variety that I still like the looks of very much. I'm hoping its a great one (: 

The Easter Quail

These little quail eggs make me happy! They and the brown ones have lain abandoned in my fridge, saved from being eaten by my cries of "Wait, I still need to take pictures of those!" for the length of time necessary to go through two cartons of the plain white ones.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step.

But it did seem almost perfect that after all the days the light was too dim when I returned from work, one day it was lovely, bright and warm, and time to photograph these. A real spring day for a picture of something with promise. And speckles I could look at for ages.