By Tricia Tighe

If you’re used to dashing into Vons, shoving some frozen veggies into your cart and hightailing it home, shopping at a farmers market can be a shocking experience. But, shocking in a good way.

Lancastet BLVD Farmers Market

Life is slower at the stalls, you’ll be offered samples of the fruits and veggies and if you don’t know how to cook a particular item, the vendor can help out with suggestions and recipes. The produce is fresher and you’re not forced to buy varieties that only ship well. This is great news for tomato lovers because some of the tastiest varieties are the easily damaged during shipping to a normal store.

Amazing produce is waiting for you!

Shopping is an experience to be savored at these markets-so slow down, grab your cloth bags and be prepared to talk with the people who actually grew those vegetables or raised that beef.

ANTELOPE VALLEY WINERY-  42041 20th St. W., (Corner of 20th W. and Ave. M,) Lancaster, CA, Saturdays, 9AM-Noon.

This farmers market is set up to make browsing easy, the stalls are placed close together and the vendors are very friendly. You’ll be walking in dirt-it’s a vineyard-so bring comfy shoes. The artisan breads are wonderful and the prices are reasonable for organic foods. The diversity of their vendors makes this a great one-stop market. They have cheese makers, Greek food, fresh made tamales, and they sell grass-fed beef. You can even pick up a bottle of wine to go with your gourmet food!

Strawberries-organic and ripe.

From the Winery’s website-

“The Antelope Valley Winery/Donato Family Vineyard hosts a community Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 9AM-Noon, May through November. We have over 25 local family & organic farmers and Artisan Food Vendors and we have tremendous support from the community in this endeavor to bring a Farmer’s Market to the residents of the Antelope Valley. We are winegrowers developing sustainable grape growing practices and also raise grass fed buffalo for consumption with no hormones and no antibiotics. Our major anchor vendors are Ananda Marga Organic Farms from Lake Hughes, Soledad Goat Cheese from Rosamond, Winner Circle Farms and Holland Ranch Organics from Palmdale, Scattaglia Farms from Littlerock, Tehachapie and Tangleweed Farm from Tehachapi, and Tapia Bros. Farms from the San Fernando Valley.”

BLVD FARMERS MARKET- Thursdays 3-8PM on Lancaster Blvd. between Ehrlich and Date Ave.

This is a new farmers market and it shows. The produce is great and they had more variey in their vegetables than the Winery but some of the ready-made food isn’t worth the price. My son bought a hot dog and the picture was of a plump, bacon-wrapped hotdog but he was handed a withered looking thing with bacon bits on the top. Not worth the $4 I paid for it. I bought roasted corn from the same vendor and honestly? I make better corn at my house when I boil it.

The Greek food vendors have out-of this world hummus at 3 for $10 and that is worth the price. It’s so good you’ll eat the whole container watching TV. Try the basil hummus, it’s fresh and yummy.

The University of Antelope Valley Pastry Chef School has a booth selling breads and cookies. The cookies tasted like ones you get at your high school cafeteria-kind of chemical and it didn’t taste like quality ingredients were used at all. Things like butter, high quality chocolate chips really make a difference. It was great that they gave out samples but I was disappointed in the product.

The BLVD also had some great jewelry stalls, incense stalls and the produce was abundant. They had more prepped foods available-tacos, rice bowls and wraps so it will be a great place to shop and eat after work.

I like the Vineyard Market a little better for the selection of items-wine, cheese, beef and breads. And the bakery at the Vineyard is much better that U of AV. But the BLVD’s Market just started up so I’m sure that we’ll see it evolving.

Overall, it’s exciting that we have access to 2 farmers markets and don’t forget to bring your cloth bags!

By Tricia Tighe

castaickayaking.com or (661) 257-4050.

Kayaking on Castaic Lake

If you’re like me, when the temperatures soar to the 100s in the AV, your commitment to being active with your kids dries up faster than spit on the sidewalk. But really, how many times can you play “Super Mario Cart” before you want to yank your hair out?

Enter Castaic Kayaking. Imagine yourself gliding over calm, cool waters, propelled by your paddle strokes and communing with nature that’s not desiccated tumbleweeds.

Castaic Lake is divided into two sections-Upper Lake for motorboats and the Lower Lake for kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. My son and I went to the Lower Lake at Paradise Cove to take kayaking lessons and keep cool.

For $31, I introduced my son to a love of water sports and made myself the coolest Mom ever-a bargain at twice the price!

Castaic Lake charges $11 per car to come in to the recreation area and Castaic Kayaking charges $20 to rent a kayak for an hour. Everything you need to paddle safely is included, life vests, paddle and the friendliest instructors you’ll ever meet.  The kayaks are wide to provide stability and if you’re slightly out of shape- no problem- paddle at your own pace. The instructors keep an eye on you so if you do tip over-unlikely as that it is-they can help you in a flash.

Castaic Kayaking

The pace on the Lower Lake is kick-back and that really helps as you’re trying to learn how to turn your kayak around, or get your paddling pace fine-tuned. There are no crazy jet-skiers threatening to run you over, no water-skiers tipping you over with their wake. The only waves are the ones created by the cool breeze coming off the water-I can see why they call it Paradise Cove.

If kayaking is not your thing, they do offer stand-up paddleboard clinics and rental. Stand-up paddleboarding is all the rage with celebrities, you may have seen pictures of Cameron Diaz standing on top of a surf board and paddling it with a long oar.

“That looks hard to do, I’ll probably fall off,” I said to Ryan, my son.

“No, you’re going to do great.”

“But will I look as hot as Cameron Diaz while doing it?” I asked, but he was already bounding through the water and climbing up on the board. He was a natural.

Ryan paddle boarding

Would my squishy, middle-aged body be up to trying this? Would I humiliate myself even trying?

Well, I tried stand-up paddleboarding and it was AMAZING! It’s easier than it looks to stay on top on the board and it gives you a whole new view of the lake. It’s a great workout for your legs and the coolness factor of casually saying, “Yeah, I paddleboard,” can’t be beat!

Staying on the paddleboard was easy but then I rammed a buoy while talking to one of the instructors. I flew off the back end in a move worthy of Wile E. Coyote and getting back onto the board in deep water is a bit challenging. It requires upper body strength, something I traded in for my big butt around 10 years ago.

Not to worry though, you can paddle your board into the shallows and Jim, the instructor, was right there, asking me, “Are you OK, do you need my help?”

He didn’t even laugh, didn’t even crack a smile and I know that I rocketed off the end of the paddle board like a circus clown shot out of a cannon. He even held my sunglasses for me while I got back on the board.

What most adventure tourists and weekend warriors don’t realize is that your outfitter makes or breaks your adventure. Have a kind, nonjudgmental guide or instructor and even a middle-aged pudgy girl like me can picture she looks like Cameron Diaz gliding across the water. Have a surly guide or one who makes it hard to take chances and you’ve just wasted your money and half a tank of gas.

The good news? The people at Castaic Kayaking genuinely want you to succeed and enjoy yourself on the lake. They were patient with me and Ryan (who talked the instructors’ ears off). I really can’t recommend them more highly.

One of the patient and amazing instructors

Now comes the embarrassment part of my adventure-you knew that was coming, right? I packed my short’s pocket with my cell phone, money and my car keys, which I doubled- wrapped in a Ziploc freezer bag. I figured that the weight of the phone would keep it in my pocket when we tipped over. (Stop saying “idiot”, I can totally hear you.)

Anyway, my phone, keys, money and my favorite lipstick that’s been discontinued by Revlon went straight to the bottom of the lake. Oh, the horror of becoming a cautionary tale!

DO NOT PUT ANYTHING IN YOUR POCKETS-IT WILL BE LOST IF YOU CAPSIZE! They have bags at Wal-Mart or any camping supply company that you tie to the kayak so nothing will be lost.

After announcing my extreme bone-headedness, Castaic Kayaking sprang into action. All the instructors helped search the spot where I went overboard. They called the lifeguard on duty, Johnny, to come with his swim mask to help in the search.

The amazing, helpful and handsome Johnny!

Fernando mentioned that the lake drops to around 50 feet where I lost my phone but I kept up hope.

Ryan mentioned he couldn’t wait to get home and tell Daddy how badly Mommy screwed up. I privately mulled running away to Alaska to escape the shame.

“I’ve got it. The blue stripe on the Ziploc caught my eye,” Johnny said. Johnny, you may be a lifeguard to some, but to me you’re an angel.

All through the whole ordeal, no one rolled their eyes, said it was “not their responsibility” or made me feel stupid in any way. They were kind and reassuring. It was my son that made me feel like a dork, but I guess that’s his job.

That’s what good outfitters do. Thank you to Castaic Kayaking and Johnny for finding my stuff and thank you to Ziploc for protecting my phone and my keys in 20 feet of lake water-it all still works!

You can find me next Wednesday night going moonlight kayaking on Castaic Lake from 6:30-9 pm. For more information, go to http:/castaickayaking.com or call (661) 257-4050.

Tell them that the woman who dropped her phone at the bottom of the lake sent you, I’m sure they’ll remember me.

Palmdale—I promised myself I wasn’t going to turn into one of those suburban commandoes who risk life and limb to win a silly game. But there I was, hunched behind a hay bale, paintballs whizzing by my head. I was pinned down, nowhere to run.

I kept hearing the thud of paintballs exploding on the shelter, but if I stood up and ran for it they’d get me for sure. I couldn’t let them win; I had to make my move.  It was them or me-one of us had to go.

I rolled down the hill and crawled on my not-so-flat-belly to the nearest structure. Silence reigned over the field. Fooled into complacency, I stood up.

Whizz, whizz, splat. I felt a slight pain on the side of my head, like someone flicked me with their finger. Yellow paint splattered in my hair and goggles as I raised my marker (the paint gun)-I was out-until the next round. Then vengeance would be mine.

I then walked around unknowingly, for hours, with yellow paint dripping down one side of my head; my son never told me to wipe it off. Thanks, Ryan.

Paintball is exhilarating, great exercise and insanely addicting. It also makes you instantly cool with your kids. My son thanked me about a 1,000 times for taking him and couldn’t wait to tell his friends, ‘My Mom takes me paintballing.’

The guys who run Paintball Wars love the game and it shows. They’ll patiently guide you through the rules, teach you how to load your marker and give you pointers on how to vanquish your paint-spattered foes. They make sure everyone has a fun and safe game.

Paintball Wars is located off of Pearblossom Highway in Palmdale and boasts three playing fields-speedball, the Flats and Kill Hill.  Speedball is a fast-paced game with minimal barriers to hide behind. The Flats has manmade structures in a flat area that makes it easier to maneuver around, while Kill Hill has valleys and elevations that can make for a more challenging game.

The game is played in teams that start out on opposite ends of the field when the referee starts the game. The players fan out, running for cover and trying to shoot the other team. If you’re shot, you raise your hands, walk off the field next to the ref and wait for the other players to pick each other off.

Depending on the number of players, rounds last about 10 minutes. You then have a five minute break to relax and get a drink in the shaded picnic area. You can play as many games as you want. If you’re lucky, one of the staff at Paintball Wars will join you in a game and you can be amazed at their skills. Seriously, I saw the dude once when we started the game and could never track him again, it was like he vanished.

Ladies, there are lots of good-looking guys here every weekend and the rest breaks make it easy to talk with the other players. This could be a single girl’s paradise.

Paintball Wars offers everything you need to play-rental equipment like markers, padded chest protectors, goggles and paintballs. There are lockers, drinks and a port-a-potty available. They’re open Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and have packages that include all your rental equipment and 250 paintballs for $35-it’s a bargain for the amount of fun that you have.

Paintball Wars is on Old Nadeau Rd. in Palmdale and their number is 866-343-4563. Check out their website to see videos of the action or for more info-www.paintballwars.com. Tell Harry (the manager) that the mom with the yellow paint in her hair sent you!