En Plein Air: Robert's Tractor (Oil, 9 x 12)

As I was driving down Palm Beach Blvd., not knowing where I should go, I thought of a fairly new fresh vegetable market ahead of the road. I knew the other vegetable vendor named Tommy across from the road. Actually Tommy had been there for years and he simply set up on his farm some kind of a makeshift booth to sell the veggies he grew himself. I had known Tommy for quite some time. At the beginning of the year, I saw a barn was being built across the street with a sign saying Ritchey's Produce Mart. I smiled to Tommy and said, "You've got a competitor there." Tommy just nodded his head without showing any emotions.

So today I wanted to check out the other vegetable vendor. The barn nestled way back from the street. A winding gravel drive about one-fifth mile long led to it. The owner's name was Robert, who told me that he used to work for his father's vegetable barn down the road but lost its ownership after his father passed away. That explained why he set up his own business now. People including Robert kept coming to see how I was doing with the painting from time to time. Their oh's and ah's tickled me. Finally, Robert's daughter DeLacy asked me about prices for commissioned painting and said she wanted to do a basket deal with me, that is, commissioning a number of paintings at once. I had to tell her that I was a snowbird and would leave soon. And the deal might have to wait till the fall. A Mexican farmhand named Julio was very enthusiastic and told me if I needed anything, just let him know. I am always happy to see the kind side of human nature.