Grocery Store Rant, Seasonal Changes and Those Good Old Boys

　
Do you suppose those people who decide the placement of items on grocery store shelves think? Is there a rhyme or reason to placement or do they sit at a conference table just figuring out ways to confuse shoppers? Or, is it just me who finds some placements totally off the wall? For example: why would espresso be in the Mexican section and not with the other coffee? Why are breadcrumbs not with other like items, breading for fish, chicken, etc., instead of sitting next to the olive oil? Why would they place Nutello with PP&J instead of with chocolate? Do I think too logically or is it a conspiracy concocted in the boardroom? Could it be that they do this in order to make shoppers go searching every aisle for these products in hopes that something else will catch their eye and a purchase will be made that was not intended? And why oh why after years of knowing where everything is do they up and change locations of items then don’t remember to change the signs pointing this out?
Speaking of change, the season has and there is evidence all over my neighborhood of people preparing their yards for winter. Trees are going dormant, the perfect time to prune therefore the limbs are piling up on curbs all over the area. Soon it will be piles or bags of leaves or pine straw dotting front yards effectively throwing away nature’s compost or mulch. Some of my neighbors are power washing their houses, doing outside painting, tearing down unsightly out buildings or reconfiguring flower beds. New decks are going up, grills are being cleaned and stored, and Halloween decorations are beginning to emerge. My neighbors are preparing for human hibernation, a respite from summer heat, cutting grass or playing hard in order to be prepared for the first signs of spring when all the work starts over again.
I heard a rumor today that there may be a new business in the works in my area. Nothing is finalized but I hear it may be a flea market, yard sale type business that hopes one day to become an antique store as well. It will start out small then the plan is to gradually rent out spaces for other people with like items then diversify . It will be fun to have yard sales in one place; real yard sales and real flea markets not that let’s see how cheap I can buy stuff from China and con someone into a purchase stuff. No traveling from house to house, no getting lost, no wasting gas and a plethora of items to choose from. If this materializes I will keep you posted as to time and date of opening.
I will end with a wish. I wish North Augusta or some enterprising person would open a real Farmer’s Market. Home grown produce, not shipped in from Florida; Homemade jams and jellies, cleared with the health inspectors of course; Homemade crafts and what ever else the creative people in our area produce. A venue for them to sell and a touch of the old times in a place to buy.
Note: The antique store/flea market never came to pass however a small farmer’s market was established in the newest up and coming area of our city, It opens Fridays when most are at work and since it is in the new ritzy part of town few regular folks bother to go. It opened mainly as a favor to the owner of a new restaurant in that area who grows his own produce. Good old boys are at it again.