Federal Aviation Administration director Marion Blakely announced that Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport will receive a $1 million grant that will fund a 2 year study. It seems it’s going to take 2 years to determine if Hartsfield-Jackson International should be expanded or if we should build another airport somewhere else in the metro area to meet future demand. I’m not sure if you remember but Hartsfields–Jackson International’s last runway expansion was the largest cubic feet of earth (dirt) ever moved in the history of the US to build the new runway. They conveyed across 8 lanes of interstate. It was a mechanical marvel. I know somewhere in the US there is a big hole in the ground from where all that dirt came from.

So I’m taking it the federal government needs to figure out if Hartsfield-Jackson International has the space to expand?? It would seem to me the last runway expansion would have a feasibility study of some kind they could use to quickly figure this option out?? But what do I know?? In Ms Blakey’s opinion, Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas and San Diego all have airports in the US that will not meet the demand in the very near future. She claims one of the reasons airline demand will be up is because gas prices will hit $4 dollars a gallon. As I read the article in the AJC I started to think out loud. Gas is going to be $4 a gallon and stamps now cost .41 cents. This isn’t a pretty picture Barry.

Marion Blakely I want you to know at $4 a gallon combined with the fact stamps now cost .41 cents in my household airline demand may be down…..and I FLY FOR FREE!! It’s simply because I can’t afford stamps!! We should be spending money trying to figure out why the US Postal Service can not seem to make ends meet. Has anyone been to a post office lately? Have you looked at the mailing date on mail you receive to see how long it took to get too you?? Something else that’s a little scary is the US Postal Service is now going to print a universal stamp with no set amount on them?? That’s like me asking a person to sign a contract without a purchase price. What we need is runway expansions at US Post offices to meet our immediate needs!!

Honestly, now I’m starting to feel that neither gas prices nor airline travel cost will be my problem. Buying stamps to pay my bills will be!!

The Marietta Square Farmers Market is about to open in just a few weeks. Vendors are now being solicited. The market will open May 5th and will take place every Saturday through September 1st. The Marietta Square Farmers Market will be located in the parking lot at the corner of Church and Hansell streets in Marietta.

I’m very excited about having a local farmers market with fresh Georgia grown vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, garlic, cheeses, and mushrooms! My hometown of Roanoke Virginia has a farmers market located in the downtown area. I used to work in the middle of Roanokes’ City Market area for several years in a family business. It was a wonderful street on Saturday. It was filled with people that were squeezing, smelling and thumping things they were considering to buy and eat. Most of the farmers would tell you “tats a goodin” then spit tobacco on the ground. I grew up thinking that’s how you bought produce. If they didn’t spit tobacco their produce usually wasn’t worth cow manure. Many of the farmers were characters and very funny people. I liked buying from Mr. Wertz’s stand; he also had pretty daughters that worked on Saturday’s.

My wife Sarah May, loves fresh vegetables. She cooks most of them with fatback her mother hauls across two state lines. She currently goes to a produce stand she found last year in West Cobb. She pulls up front and this gentleman farmer puts her in a golf cart and off they go into the garden to pick what she wants. I think this elder farmer has a crush on my wife as he’s always slipping her an extra tomato all the time.

There’s just something about a farmer that has always interested me. My friends laugh when I tell them I’d love to have a farm. All my farmer friends bend over hysterical when I mention I want a farm. But don’t be surprised if one day I have a stand in the Marietta Square Farmers Market. I couldn’t think of a better life after real estate other than working the land, selling my harvest and slipping pretty girls extra tomatoes.