It was my first day in Carson City - a warm, sultry summer Saturday late last June - when I wandered downtown in search of breakfast and a way to kill a few hours until the movers arrived with my stuff.
I almost didn't see the small, hand-lettered sign in the Carson Street median directing me one block east, to 3rd and Curry, site of the Farmers Market. But I did see it, and somehow a parking space magically opened up, and before I knew it, I was drinking a cup of fresh-brewed coffee and strolling through a jungle of agricultural fecundity - broccoli, corn, cherries, fresh honey, heirloom tomatoes. The aromas of Asian tacos, grilled chorizo and fresh pastries induced hungry stomach growls.
This was to become a summerlong ritual for me in my new hometown - get up early Saturday, get coffee and go staff the Nevada Appeal's booth at the market. We'd give away a few dozen papers, sell some subscriptions, talk to a bunch of people. I made dozens of new friends, acquaintances and news sources.
Now, almost a year later, I find myself really, really looking forward to another summer of those Saturdays.
Linda Marrone, who manages the market, said the other day that she's hoping to open in early June if all the necessary permits and paperwork go through.
So ... three more months till the market opens.
What I recall most fondly from last summer's markets - even more than the mouth-watering produce and other tasty treats - was the almost overwhelming welcome, and the genuine expressions of support and encouragement, that I received from so many people. Many asked about my background, what brought me to Carson City, whether I had bought a house yet, what changes I had planned for the newspaper.
Without exception, everyone who spoke with me was positive and friendly. Even those who didn't subscribe to the Appeal, for whatever reason, made me glad I was here.
In the eight months since I arrived here, many of those well-wishers have become friends.
Others, no doubt, rue the day I arrived.
Sorry 'bout that; I'm here now and I love it - love the job, the community, the high desert, the Capitol, the casinos, the museums, and the proximity to those few things that Carson doesn't have.
So ... three more months till the market opens. (Did I say that already?)
I'm hoping the Appeal's table is situated this summer as advantageously as it was last summer - near the entrance, adjacent to the booth that sells lavender aromatics, diagonally across the way from the fragrant Comma Coffee booth, and just downwind from the Asian taco guy.
And I'm hoping that those who were so welcoming to me last summer will drop by our booth again this summer - and that this time around, our Saturday mornings at 3rd and Curry will be less "Nice to meet you" and more "Nice to see you again."
• Nevada Appeal Editor Dennis Noone can be reached at dnoone@nevadaappeal.com.
